FOSTERING PETS NEEDED

Interested in Fostering for Town Lake Animal Center?

You probably have some questions! Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about fostering pets for TLAC.

What kind of animals need to be fostered?
Animals that benefit from foster care come in many shapes and sizes! The largest foster need TLAC has is for underage kittens and nursing mother cats and their kittens. We also need foster homes for underage puppies and nursing mother dogs and their puppies. Cats and dogs recovering from illness or injuries will enjoy recovering in the comfort of a foster home. In certain circumstances we simply need special temporary homes for a displaced pet.

What do foster homes need to do to become approved to foster for TLAC?
Foster Providers must live in Travis County, have a valid picture ID and have regular, reliable access to the internet. All current animals in the Foster Home must have up to date rabies vaccinations. Foster Homes should discuss fostering shelter pets with their veterinarian – the veterinarian may suggest additional vaccinations or parasite protection for owned animals to protect them. If the Foster Home rents their home, we will need permission from the landlord to foster pets at the address. Ideally, there should be enough room in the Foster Home to separate them from owned animals.

How long is the typical foster period?
Average time in foster care is 2-4 weeks. If they become ill, it may be longer. Newborn kittens and puppies will need at least 8 weeks in foster care. Kittens and puppies need to be at least 8 weeks old to be eligible for adoption.

Who handles the veterinary care if a foster pet becomes ill while in foster care?
TLAC has a fully staffed Vet Services Department and will handle all medical needs the foster animal requires at no expense to the Foster Home.

What happens if a Foster Provider’s owned pet catches a disease from a Foster Pet?
Any illness contracted by owned animals is the responsibility of the Foster Provider and their own personal veterinarian. All foster animals are screened against certain contagious illness and the shelter’s recommendation is to keep owned animals separated from foster animals to avoid contamination.

What does the shelter provide in order to help care for the foster animals?
Cats and kittens are provided with food, both canned and hard food. Toys, bedding and litter boxes are all provided by the Foster Home. Dogs and puppies are provided with food, both canned and hard kibble. Adult dogs will go home with a leash and collar. If appropriate, TLAC may be able to provide a crate or exercise pen. Toys and bedding are provided by the foster home.

Do Foster Homes find adopters for their Foster Pets?
We encourage our Foster Providers to use all of their networks to “promote” their Foster Pets. In the event you are not able to find homes for your Foster Pets, the animals will return to Town Lake Animal Center for adoption. Foster homes should be able to provide pictures and behavior information about how the animal behaved in their home to help the shelter match the pets with potential adopters. In the event the Foster Home finds potential adopters for their Foster Pets, these adopters must contact TLAC to complete the TLAC Adoption Application Process.

Can foster homes adopt their foster pets?
Of course! By becoming an approved foster provider, you are an approved TLAC Adopter!

How does it work?
If you are interested in fostering for TLAC, your first step is to complete a “TLAC FOSTER APPLICATION”. Return it to the shelter via fax, mail or scanned and e-mailed. Once it is processed, the Foster Coordinator will contact you for an interview to take place at the shelter. Once it is determined you are a good fit for our program, the Foster Coordinator will invite you to join a Yahoo Group called “Project Starfish”. When you see a posting on the Yahoo Group you are interested in fostering, e-mail the Foster Coordinator. Fostering requests are processed first come first served – so be sure to check e-mail regularly!

Click here for registration form.

We look forward to working with you!

Sarah Hammond
TLAC Foster Coordinator
1156 W. Cesar Chavez 78703
512-972-6071 (phone)

BUTTERFLIES, LIGUSTRUM & WEEDS
Editor's Corner

"Come here." That's how it starts. For as much as I like to talk, which led to lots of grief in elementary school and beyond, my two sons are quite taciturn. In "Alan speak" that means I have something to show you. He led me to the backyard where someone who lived here before us had planted five Ligustrum bushes along the back fence. Due to the rain earlier this year all seven of our Ligustrums have been covered with white, fragrant blooms. I had been noticing a fair amount of butterfly activity in our backyard for a number of days before this. As I rolled up near the bushes I could tell there were more butterflies on the blooms than in previous years. The more I looked, the more I saw. They were mostly Admirals and a few Question Mark butterflies. The numbers were impressive but I was in for a surprise. Alan pulled on a branch of one and then another bush. A cloud of butterflies 25 to 30 strong would flutter up into the air, circle, and slowly settle back onto the blossoms. It was quite an amazing sight. The next day, I had Alan show my good friend and helper, Rudy. There were still quite a few butterflies but not nearly as many. Alan said on the day before he had shown me the butterflies there had been almost twice as many as I had seen.

Alan and I have little love for St. Augustine grass. It does look as good as any lawn grass for Austin but it is wasteful of our precious water supply. To his eyes it's also boring. The "weeds" are much more interesting to him and to me as well. He has no compunction about keeping up a lawn to fit in with the neighborhood as my wife and I do. Our yard is still mostly St. Augustine but there are stands of Tradescantia, some Four O'clocks, and a ton of sunflowers. All but a handful of sunflowers will disappear soon as work begins on a master bedroom with an accessible bathroom and roll-in shower that we have needed for nearly 10 years now. I'm hoping for a riotous bloom soon and, at the rate of progress for the add-on, possibly a large supply of seeds to attract birds.