From an older cat suffering from an upper respiratory infection, to a young dog who has never been inside a home and doesn’t know how to play, our foster families make the world of difference to shelter animals every day.

Foster Care Program: foster@cuhumane.org

Champaign County Humane Society
1911 East Main Street, Urbana, IL, 61802
217-344-7297

Some of the animals brought to the Champaign County Humane Society aren’t perfect. 

Some of them are sick, or scared, or pregnant. Some of them are too young to thrive in a shelter environment. To give them the best chance at finding a forever home we place these special needs animals with foster homes until they’re ready to come back to the shelter to be adopted. 

Being a foster parent gives you the opportunity to help animals who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance.

As a foster parent, you might take care of a litter of kittens for a week or two, until they’re old enough to be adopted, or you might bring home a dog who is undergoing treatment for heartworm, and just needs a calm place to stay. 

From an older cat suffering from an upper respiratory infection, to a young dog who has never been inside a home and doesn’t know how to play, our foster families make the world of difference to shelter animals every day.

Is Fostering Right For You?

Some animals require minimal care from their foster parents: such as a healthy puppy who only needs to be in foster care for one week, until he’s old enough to be adopted.  His foster parent will only need to feed and water him, clean up after him, and play with him!  Other animals require more.  A litter of 2-week-old kittens who must be bottle fed every 2-3 hours, or a cat who must be given medication twice a day.  If you decide to become a CCHS foster parent, our shelter staff will help you decide what kind of commitment you are able to make.  Some foster families only work with kittens, while others only work with under-socialized dogs.  Some foster families will take any animal, no matter what!  When deciding what will work best for you and your family, consider the following:

How much time are you willing to spend taking care of your foster animals?  Four hours or more?  Two hours maximum?  You can expect to spend a minimum of at least 1-2 hours daily with your foster.  Some animals will need 4 or more hours of your time every day.

Do you have animals at home?  It’s important to keep your pets separated from your fosters, to prevent disease transmission between them.  Also, will it cause your pets undue stress to share their home with strange animals?

How will your spouse and/or children handle having foster animals?  Fostering is a great way to educate your children about animals, but it can also be difficult.  Sometimes foster animals get sick, and sometimes they don’t make it.  Do you think that you and your family will be able to care for an animal for a week or more, and then bring it back to the shelter, or will you become too attached to let it go?

I’m Ready to Foster!

So you’re ready to take the plunge, and become a CCHS foster parent?  The first step is to fill out an application, available here. 

Bring or mail your application to the shelter at 1911 E. Main, Urbana, or email it to foster@cuhumane.org. After review, our staff veterinarian will call to set up a time to come in and talk about fostering with you.  At that time, you will be provided with a handbook about fostering, and you will be asked to fill out the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture license form, and write a check for $25.00 (this is a once-yearly licensing fee.)  Once that’s complete, you’re ready to foster!

My First Foster

At the beginning, the CCHS staff will start you off slowly with fostering to give you a chance to get used to the process.  You might bring home a frightened cat who just needs love and affection, or a couple of puppies to play with for a week or two before getting into the more difficult foster animals.  The CCHS medical staff is available 7 days a week from 8-4:30 if you have any questions of concerns.  If you have an emergency, a member of the medical staff carries a pager 24 hours a day, and you will be provided with the number.  We will also put you in contact with other foster parents who can mentor you in the process.

How Much Does it Cost?

There in an annual fee of $25.00 paid to the Dept. of Agriculture for your foster license.  All food, medicine, and supplies are provided by CCHS, so fostering won’t cost you anything at all!