Foster parents are needed for. . .
Adult cats with illnesses
Foster homes are needed for felines in our medical wards with a variety of conditions including upper respiratory infections, eye infections, dental conditions, digestive issues, and more. Some are very ill and urgently need a home setting to heal, and others just need to finish a round of meds before they’re ready for adoption.
Dogs with Medical Needs
PAWS is seeking loving foster homes for dogs of all sizes while they heal from surgery or receive treatment at our clinic for illnesses and injuries. We focus on saving the neediest dogs, many of whom are seniors with special medical needs requiring ongoing care.
Adult Dogs
Fosters are especially needed for medium and large size dogs to provide walks, play, and training to help them transition to home life and reach their potential as family pets. Rise to the occasion, take the leash, and transform the life of a fun-loving dog who needs you!
Nursing cats with litters
The best kept secret of fostering: mom does all the work! With just the basics (food, litter, vet care, and love) the kittens will grow healthy and strong and ready for forever homes. When Mom’s done nursing, she’ll go on to find a loving family too. Fosters are especially needed during the summer months – also known as “kitten season.”
Orphaned Kittens
Take a pair, three, or more! Kittens who are too young for adoption need temporary foster care where they can grow big enough to be spayed/neutered. The need is most urgent during summer months, especially for bottle-feeding newborns.
Healthy pets of all kinds
Take in a healthy, adoption-ready pet just to open up a space in the shelter. Your foster will thrive in your care while they wait for a home, and we’ll use the spot they leave behind to rescue the next pet in need!
Program Spotlights
Bottle Feeder Program
Join our bottle-feeding team! The tiniest and most vulnerable homeless pets are orphaned newborn kittens. PAWS’ innovative program takes a team approach to giving them the round-the-clock, intensive care they need to survive and thrive.
Ringworm Recovery
This common fungal infection requires methodical care, but it doesn’t have to stand in the way of a new life. PAWS has dedicated shelter space for pets with ringworm, and provides fosters with everything needed to help them recover.
Hospice Program
When a pet we have rescued becomes incurably ill, our veterinarians, lifesaving staff, and the foster parent form a team to provide compassionate comfort care for as long as the animal is able to enjoy their time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I foster as a trial adoption?
Fostering is not a trial run before adoption. While fosters may potentially adopt the pet they are fostering, all animals in foster care remain available for adoption by the public. If you’re specifically interested in adopting, our staff can work with you to find a good fit for your household: matchmaking is our specialty!
Can I choose how many foster kittens I take at a time?
We can help match you with fosters based on your preferences. Kittens are sometimes with their mom, and sometimes they are orphaned. Litters come in all sizes, and we often split larger litters into pairs or threes for foster placement. Even if you can only foster two kittens, you will be making a tremendous difference! We typically do not send single kittens into foster care, since they need companionship and socialization of at least one other kitten as they grow.
How do I get started if I want to foster an animal?
Just complete the foster care application and you will be contacted shortly by a PAWS staff member. You can also contact us at foster@phillypaws.org and we can help you find an animal who suits your needs, abilities, and lifestyle. There are always animals at the shelter who need foster care!
How can I find an adopter for my foster pet?
There are lots of opportunities to find a loving homes: a listing on PAWS’ website and other adoption websites, adoption events which we hold frequently on weekends, promotion on social media, placement at a PAWS adoption location, and more. We also encourage you to promote your foster to your own friends and family to widen the adopter pool even further!
How long do I keep my foster animals?
Length of stay generally ranges anywhere from 2-8 weeks depending on the needs of the particular animal.
I have animals of my own, how do I keep them safe?
Even if you have pets of your own, you can still take in kittens and give them the chance they deserve. A small room that is separate from the rest of your living space, such as a bathroom, is the perfect place for new fosters. Sick or injured animals may or may not need to be kept separate from other pets in the house; a PAWS staff member can tell you about animals’ specific needs and precautions you’ll need to take to keep your pets healthy and safe. If you have a dog and wish to foster another dog, we’ll conduct “meets” to ensure we pair you with a dog who’ll get along well with your own.
What do I have to provide?
Foster parents are responsible for providing the basics: food, water, a litter box, litter, bedding and toys. If you need help with the start-up supplies, please ask; we may have donations we can provide to you. Daily care required for foster kittens depends on their age. PAWS provides evaluation and treatment for conditions we are able to treat. If a foster animal has a condition we are unable to treat, the foster parent may choose to have the condition treated at a private veterinary practice at their own expense or they may return the animal to our shelter.
I can’t foster. Is there anything else I can do?
Absolutely! Donations are always needed to save more homeless animals. And, you can become a PAWS volunteer and help care for animals in the shelter while they wait for foster and adoptive homes. Learn about volunteering and complete the application, and you will be contacted promptly with information on how to get started.
Everyday Acts of Lifesaving
Tell us you're an introvert without telling us you're an introvert...
Evie is shy and reserved but this sweet tuxie will hang around close by once she gets comfortable with her people and surroundings. Evie wants to vacate the bookshelf and live her best introverted life as a working cat. She'd love to come hangout in your barn, warehouse, brewery, flower shop, hardware store, etc. Anywhere with room to roam!
Do you think you have the perfect set up for Evie? Read more about her though the link in bio!
OR want to learn more about PAWS' working cats program? Find out more at phillypaws.org/working-cat
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster #workingcat
Meet Princess Possum! 👑
Princess Possum is a loving & playful girl who will gently lay her head in your lap for pets!
When Possum isn’t chasing toys, she's also content to lay down with a stuffed Kong.
Princess Possum has shown some transitional stress in the shelter & would benefit from an adopter who can take things slow. She could live with another large dog, but is not a fan of cats or small critters. Princess Possum's ideal household would be one that has the time to commit to working with a young pup who's still mastering her leash manners and lives in a neighborhood with plenty of space.
But once Possum settles in, she melts like butter on pancakes!
Learn more about adopting or fostering Princess Possum by visiting the link in our bio!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Everyone enjoys a sunset stroll, including Jojo!
This cuddly grandpa is good with other respectful pets and loves treats, belly rubs, and napping at your feet. Jojo wants nothing more than to spend his retirement frolicking through the flowers in the park with you 🌷
Link in bio to earn more about Jojo!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster #sunsetstroll
Tootsie is in the market for a home where the chin scratches and soft cat beds are aplenty! Does that sound like your home?
This sweet senior is a literal loaf of a cat and any head rubbing lasting longer than 10 seconds is guaranteed to be met by a loud, deep puuurrrrr. But Tootsie is also happy to entertain herself by following sunbeams around the house to ensure that she's always enshrined in light and warmth as she doses 💤
Link in bio to learn more about this professional lounger!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster #loafcat
Our building is FULL UP with cats and kittens in need of foster care! We'd love to head over to the city shelter to help save more lives, but we need to free up a few kitty condos at our location by sending more animals into foster care first. If you have space to bring a cat or kitten into your home and care for them until they find their permanent family, NOW IS THE TIME!!! ⏱🆘
Meet our cats and kittens who need foster homes here: phillypaws.org/cats-needing-foster
OR are you looking for a permanent feline friend? Take a look at our adoptable cats via our link in bio!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster #nowisthetime
Someone made a new friend! 🐜 Finnegan (fka Fancy Boy) might be full grown, but he still approaches life with the wonder and naivete of a puppy. He just loves being part of the action and hanging out with his people, plus he has the best smile!
This fun loving goofball pup would just love a dedicated family and routine to help him through his teenage years by providing plenty of enrichment, exercise and attention! He will truly light up your day with his silliness.
Finnegan has been loving life in a home with his foster dad, but he'll be coming back soon and we don't want this sweet guy to spend even one night in the shelter! Can he go home with you? Finnegan is available for adoption or foster and you can read more about him through our link in bio!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster #newfriend
Who is this hunky spud? It's Potato is my Name-o! 🥔
This photo doesn't do this goofball justice- Potato is a staff favorite that wins over everyone who meets him. We guarantee that within minutes you'll be on the floor cuddling! (Check out our stories for proof!)
This loving tater tot is looking for a foster home where he can get all the belly rubs his heart desires. He has itchy skin that requires daily meds and he'd love for you to be around consistently as he adjusts to his new space. But in return, sweet Potato is sure to be a great companion. He's a super sized fry at 86 lbs but don't let that fool you - he just wants to be your live-in couch potato!
Interested in taking Potato home? Email foster@phillypaws.org!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster #potato
How can anyone resist this cute wrinkly face? 😭
Treats are the way to Autumn's heart, which makes her a model student. So far, she’s mastered sit, stay, come, shake, and lay down! But don't worry, she's more than just a perfect pupil. It's her silliness and knack for carrying large sticks that is sure to win you over!
Autumn will thrive in a home with dog-savvy adults & teens, ideally with a backyard where she can frolic to her heart’s content. Whoever adopts Autumn home will be rewarded with the World’s Best Snuggle Buddy!
Learn more about adopting Autumn by visiting the link in our bio.
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Say goodbye to a life without snuggles: there’s a new sheriff in town! Sheriff of Rottingham is a kind and friendly senior whose gentle personality couldn’t be farther from his namesake.
After spending years living outdoors in a cat colony, Sheriff seems extra-grateful for the simple comforts of home. He spends his days napping on something soft while his foster parents work nearby, and his nights cuddled up at their feet, and his mornings serenading them with his old man meow.
Sheriff’s foster period will be ending shortly, and he’s looking for a new home ASAP. If you’d like to take home this affectionate dude as a foster or forever companion, email foster@phillypaws.org or visit our adoptions page (link in bio)!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Did you know you can sponsor a PAWS pet like Holly? If you’ve fallen for a sweet face on our page but can’t adopt right now, just visit their adoption page and hit the “Sponsor This Pet” button! Your support will help cover their food, care, and medical treatment until they find their forever home. Find your favorite PAWS pet at our adoption page (link in bio)!
Ps. If you’re ready to take home a new family member, sweet Holly is still on the market! Follow her adventures at @foxy_holly_the_foster_cat.
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Then and now! Pablo first came to us as a puppy in 2018, but now he's a strapping young lad who's ready to start his next chapter with you. Although his first home wasn't quite the right fit, Pablo remains as cheerful and optimistic as ever, and we're so proud of the young man he's grown into! He's very social with everyone he meets, and loves to play fetch and show off for treats.
Having spent nearly four years in a home, Pablo is understandably feeling lost at the shelter, and is hoping to find a foster home as soon as possible. Could that be with you? Email foster@phillypaws.org with Pablo's name in the subject line!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
UPDATE: we have a winner! Please say hello to Finnegan, who’s hoping to begin-again in a forever home with you ❤️ Thank you to everyone who suggested names and helped us vote!
Help choose Fancy Boy’s new name! It was hard narrowing down so many wonderful suggestions, but the finalists are: Finnegan vs. Dunkaroo. Drop your vote in the comments and check this post at the end of the day for the winner!
While you’re at it, check out Fancy Boy’s bio at our adoptions page to see what makes this cuddly goofball such a special guy (link in bio)!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Ace is up for an award! Can you guess what for?
A. Most perfect pout
B. Most boopable snoot
C. Best snuggle skills
D. All of the above
The answer is D of course! This gentle giant is 85 pounds of pure love. Even though he’s experienced a lot of change since losing his home, Ace is an absolute joy and has remained incredibly kind and trusting with everyone he meets. He was well-loved by his previous family, who shared that he was good-natured with kids, cats, and even guinea pigs!
Learn more about adopting this sensitive sweetheart at our adoptions page, or visit his foster’s account at @athenafostersdogs!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
For 48 hours only, all gifts to PAWS' Medical Relief Fund are DOUBLED!
When we rescued Grandma Sugar from the city shelter, she was confused, alone, and in very poor health. Her owner of 13 years had passed away, and had not been able to give her the veterinary care she needed as she aged. When she arrived at PAWS, our medical team got to work, and the next chapter of her life began.
This sweet senior arrived with severe dental disease, a large mass on her side, and other potentially serious health issues. She needed a biopsy and additional diagnostics, and would likely require long-term care before she could be adopted.
Thanks to supporters of PAWS' Medical Relief Fund, we were ready to rescue Grandma Sugar as soon as we learned she needed us. It marked the start of her road to recovery, as well as of her journey to find a new, loving home to enjoy her golden years.
Grandma Sugar is resting comfortably in a loving foster home while she waits for the last of her medical procedures. But many more pets are waiting at the city shelter for their chance to get well and find love. With your support, we'll be ready for them.
For the next 48 hours, your gift to PAWS' medical relief fund will be matched by an anonymous donor family, up to $20,000. It will allow us to say yes to twice as many pets like Grandma Sugar whose lives depend on us.
PAWS' Medical Relief Fund makes it possible for PAWS to provide lifesaving veterinary care to sick and injured dogs and cats with nowhere else to go. Whether they have broken bones, chronic illness, infection, or another ailment, their care can be extremely costly and time-consuming. Yet it is often all that stands in the way of the happy life they deserve. Last year, your support enabled PAWS to welcome hundreds of the city's most vulnerable pets into safety.
Right now, the need is greater than ever.
Please give any amount you can via Instagram, Venmo (username @phillypaws) or through our link in bio.
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Are you looking for someone to give you side-eye when you're about to make bad decisions? Linus nominates herself. This sassypants is definitely judging you, but only because she wants you to be your best self. Linus is definitely an independent lady, but she does enjoy spending time with her inner circle (and yes, there are auditions).
Other things Linus enjoys:
✅ Being brushed while you tell her she's pretty
✅ Sunny window perches where she can look outside and be nosy
✅ Receiving gifts (feathers and catnip only, please)
Things Linus does not enjoy:
❌ Being picked up
❌ Children who don't respect her space
❌ Acapella singing groups ("so 2008")
Learn more about Linus at our adoptions page (link in bio)!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Geoff has been a petting enthusiast from day 1! This 6 year old hunk serves up snuggles and affection with a hefty side of sass! He loves every person he meets, and his favorite spot to curl up is right in the crook of your neck (we hope you didn’t have plans to move, because Geoff sure doesn’t).
Geoff had some adventures during his time as a stray, because he’s tested positive for FIV and feline leukemia. He’s been in robust health in his foster home though, and his fosters call him “a beautiful light in our home.” Geoff would love to join an adult household where he can have all your love to himself as the only pet! Learn more about this chunky-cheeked cutie at our adoptions page (link in bio).
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
“Autumn is just the sweetest, happiest, goofiest pup who wants nothing more than to be near her humans (and about 10 tennis balls).”
This friendly young pup has a glowing recommendation from her foster family, and it’s easy to see why! She’s got an adorable pout, a penchant for fetch and fun, and snuggly personality that will have her curling up next to (or on) any person who invites her.
Autumn’s list of doggy accomplishments is also about a mile long — we’re talking house training, impeccable indoor manners, and a love of treats that makes her a perfect pupil (she’s already learned sit, stay, come, shake, and lay down)!
She’s looking for a single-pet home with teens and up, ideally with a yard where she can frolic and hoard her tennis ball stash. Learn more about adopting Autumn at our link in bio!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
"I knew fostering would help the animals but in the end, it helped me." Dog foster Phil has been an invaluable member of PAWS' lifesaving family since he took his first pup home last year, and we don't know what we'd do without him! If you've been thinking of joining our foster team for the #WeFosterChallenge (and beyond!), he had so many wonderful things to share about his experience!
"I can honestly state that it has been so rewarding to me personally. To take in a dog and show it love after they have been abandoned or surrendered and seeing how they quickly adapt and reciprocate the love is nothing short of astonishing.
I tend to foster large dogs and sometimes much older dogs, and the love you get from them, their willingness to be by your side, their excitement when you take them out or come home from being out, is truly gratifying. I've seen these dogs lay beside my daughter or even myself, watching over us as if they have been in my family since birth.
All these dogs have their own personality, and bigger dogs just have a way of showing it more, whether it's their bigger smiles, bigger licks or just their outright silliness. Imagine seeing a large 60lbs dog do laps around your table because of how excited they are because you came home!
It is truly bittersweet sometimes when they find their forever home but looking back, I got to see and meet each of my foster's forever parents and can actually say that I am so proud of being part of the process to ensure they found the "right" forever home. I even get follow up emails, X-mas cards, texts, etc. about them!
I knew fostering would help the animals but in the end, it helped me. I got to get up and walk away from my laptop to take them out, to play and interact, to ensure we both get the break we need to be happy in life. Moreover, we were both impacted by showing love and comfort to each other. In the end, I can say I helped a dog in need find their forever home where they will always remember me and I them. Don't you want to be able to say that too?"
If you'd like to join our amazing team of lifesaving fosters, learn more and sign up today through our link in bio!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Let’s talk about fostering kittens! With one week left of the #WeFosterChallenge and kitten season in full swing, finding temporary homes for these fragile babies is as critical as ever.
In addition to being especially vulnerable to shelter illnesses, young kittens are also at a critical stage in their socialization and development. Foster homes give them a safe and loving environment until they’re old enough to find their forever families, and there are so many ways to help! Fosters are needed for:
🐾 Young kittens recovering from an illness or injury, like Felicity (first picture). She was found all alone, suffering from eye infections that have left her blind. Our hope is that she’ll be able to regain some of her vision with medication and one-on-one TLC!
Sick or injured kittens often require medication and extra visits at our clinic (all covered by PAWS), but watching them thrive under your care is incredibly rewarding! Length of foster: 2-10 weeks, depending on health.
🐾 Orphaned kittens: take home a litter of two or more kittens who arrived without their mother and are eating on their own! Length of foster: 2-8 weeks, depending on their health and age. The kittens featured in the second video were part of a whopping litter of 9, so they were sent home in smaller batches!
🐾 Moms and nursing babies: even easier than orphaned kittens, since mom does all the work! When mom’s done nursing, her kittens can be adopted and she can find her own loving home, too. Length of foster: 3-12 weeks depending on age. Our third picture features Easy Peasy and her babies, Lemon and Squeazy, who are currently looking for a foster home together!
🐾 Orphaned nursing kittens: The tiniest and most vulnerable pets we rescue, bottle feeders require round-the-clock care until they’re old enough to eat on their own. PAWS provides mentorship, training, veterinary care, and essential supplies. Once the kittens are eating on their own, they “graduate” into our regular foster program. Length of foster: 1-4 weeks. Earth, Wind, and Fire (last picture) were our first bottle babies of 2022, and now they’re happy and thriving in forever homes!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster
Meet Juice Box: king of the wigglebutts! 👑 This cheerful beefcake has a squishable face and a giant heart. His goofy personality and happy grin make him an instant hit wherever he goes, and he adores people, dogs, and cats alike. When he’s not playing tug or goofing off in the yard, Juice Box can be found lounging on the couch with his humans being 10/10 handsome.
Oh, and did we mention he’s mastered crate training, house training, and basic commands like sit, down, place, and paw? If you’re looking for 75 pounds of love and joy, learn more about adopting Juice Box at our link in bio, or follow his adventures at @phillyadopt_juicebox!
#phillypaws #phillypawsfoster