Open Your Home.
Change a Life.
Discover the Joy of Fostering.
Foster with us!
Berkeley Humane has transitioned to a fully foster-based model during the construction of the new Bay Area Animal Resource Center (BAARC). Our ability to save lives now depends more than ever on the kindness of people opening their homes.
How Fostering Works
Foster parents provide loving, temporary care for Berkeley Humane animals in their own homes. It’s a life-changing experience for the animals and a truly rewarding one for the humans who help them heal, grow, and find their forever families.
We receive dogs, cats, kittens or puppies that need a temporary home and care—ideally until they are adopted.
You are contacted by the foster team for foster availability.
Logistics for animal pick up or delivery with all available information and supplies are secured.
The animal goes to foster home until they are adopted.
Ready to Start?
Become a Foster in 20 Minutes!
Step #2
After watching, click the link at the bottom of the video to register to be a Berkeley Humane Foster.
Step #3
Our Foster Program Manager will reach out to welcome you to the Berkeley Humane Foster Program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t see the answer to your question here? Contact our Foster Program! We would love to hear from you.
That depends on the animal’s age, medical history, and sometimes temperament. Underage kittens will need care until they turn 2 months of age. If they have a medical illness or need time to decompress, that may affect how quickly they go up for adoption. The minimum is generally 2 weeks but it can take longer.
Yes! We ask that they stay separated if it is a cat/cat or dog/cat combination. There is the possibility of integrating them at the discretion of the Foster Program Manager. We allow (fully vaccinated) resident dogs to cohabitate with puppies and adult dogs (adult dogs may require a meet and greet with the resident dog first).
None. We supply you with everything we feel the foster animal needs to be comfortable.
Of course! We will discuss with you how you can best support an animal’s mental and physical enrichment in any type of home.
We offer both medical and behavioral support from trained staff. Our foster animals receive health checks, spay/neuter surgery, and preventative care from our hospital in Pinole. If an after-hour emergency does occur, we have emergency protocols for the animal to be seen by a local hospital.
Yes, you can! Although kittens and puppies would not be a suitable fit, fostering an adult cat or an older dog should work with a full-time schedule.
Because we no longer have a shelter for our animals to be kept, we ask that fosters hold onto their animals until we can find a replacement foster. We will support you in every way we can until this happens.
