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Many thanks to the nice folks at DownCity for sponsoring this site.
Foster Home Program 
WHAT IS FOSTERING?
We are always looking for responsible volunteers to participate in our Foster Home program. With springtime soon upon us, we will be inundated with kittens, and having them in a shelter environment is dangerous to their tiny immune systems. In this program, volunteers care for an animal in their home for a period of time until the pet is ready to be adopted. The time commitment ranges from a week or two to a few months.
WHY FOSTER?
It is a very rewarding experience and is a great help to DAWS and to the animals. Below are some thoughts from past foster families.
"There's nothing like having a bunch of tiny, rambunctious kittens running around learning how to play and socialize with one another. It is incredibly rewarding to know that, by helping the kittens become accustomed to people, we are improving their chances of a successful adoption and happy life." --The Alexander Family, Newtown, CT.
"Giving the puppies a chance for life that they might not have had was the most worthwhile thing I have ever done. It was great to know that I was preparing them for their futures while having lots of fun at the same time! I miss those guys, but know that they ended up in good homes; in fact, I still keep in touch with their adopters." --Jennifer Smith, Danbury, CT
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Volunteers are contacted when we have an animal that requires foster care. Volunteers are, of course, able to refuse any assignment for any reason. Some possible situations that might require foster homes:
Underage Kittens: Sometimes we get kittens that need to be cared for for a few weeks until they are 8 weeks old and ready to be adopted.
Unsocialized Kittens: We frequently trap young kittens that are not used to be handled by humans. They need to live with Foster Homes who will socialize them and get them ready to live indoors as pets.
Nursing Mother Cats: Sometimes we will find a stray pregnant cat, or mother cat nursing kittens. We need them to live in a foster home until the kittens are ready to be weened and adopted, and the mother spayed.
Adult Dogs: Occasionally we will come across an "emergency" situation, where an owner needs to give up a dog yet we have no room at our shelter. In these situations, a foster home can mean the difference between life and death for the dog. Foster homes care for the dog while we advertise it for adoption and place it in a permanent home. We also have shy dogs that need to be in a loving environment where they can learn to trust people again.
Puppies: We try to home board all puppies while we work on finding them permanent homes, as it is much better to socialize and keep them healthy in a non-shelter environment.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?
1) You must have an appropriate setup at your home for the foster situation. This usually means a quiet room where you can keep the foster animal isolated from your other pets.
2) You must agree to comply with the DAWS rules regarding the care of the animals. For example, cats and kittens cannot be allowed outside while in foster care. All prescribed medications must be adminstered (volunteers are free to refuse an assignment if they don't want to medicate) and feeding requirements followed.
3) You must return the animal to DAWS at the end of the foster period. Volunteers cannot adopt out foster animals without permission from DAWS (although they are welcome and encouraged to send potential adopters to DAWS to follow our standard adoption procedure!)
If you are interested in joining this program and being a part of an amazing experience, please call 203-744-DAWS or send email to daws@daws.org. We hope to hear from you soon!
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The Danbury Animal Welfare Society, Inc. , P.O. Box 971, Danbury, CT 06813