FAQ

All general questions about foster animals, foster policies, or any other non-medical questions concerning a KHS animal in your care should be directed to foster staff ONLY. Approved communication methods are phone (502-366-3355 ext 4007), text (502-208-9115) and email (foster@kyhumane.org). All medical concerns about foster animals should be emailed to fostertech@kyhumane.org.

Other KHS departments such as helpline and adoptions cannot answer questions related to foster animals.

All foster care (pickups, vet visits, vaccine visits, surgery returns) are done at our Main Campus located at 241 Steedly Dr in Louisville.

How often you need to come in can vary. If your foster gets ill, sometimes you may need to come in several times a week for vet checks or medication. Other times, you may only come in every 2-4 weeks. Kittens and puppies between 4 weeks and 4 months of age will need to come in every 2 weeks for vaccines.

All foster care requires an appointment. This includes pickups, vaccines, and medical visits. The ONLY exception to this is if your foster animal is having a medical emergency during shelter hours. 

Yes, that is perfectly fine! As long as you are overseeing their care, we are perfectly comfortable having you send someone else in to pick them up or bring them in for care.

The shelter is open 10-6 Monday - Friday and 10-5 Sat/Sun

Please fill out the form at this link. On that form you will provide your foster availability and information about the animal you'd like to foster. We will use this information to match you with an animal in need. We do ask that you only tell us you are able to foster if you can pick up an animal quickly once we notify you and that you keep your availability up to date by filling out a new form if anything changes or you become unavailable. 

If you are able to foster, we will ask you to fill out our foster availability form. We use this form to ensure we can make the best match for every animal and person. You are welcome to be very specific about the animal or type of animal you want to foster while filling out the form, but it may limit your ability to be matched with an appropriate foster animal.

Length of foster varies depending on the reason for foster. We always try to have realistic time frame for how long an animal will need foster and match you with someone who fits your needs. Length of foster typically ranges from 1 week up to several months. 

When you fill out the foster availability form, please let us know how many animals you are comfortable taking at once. Please keep in mind the following things.

• Kittens and puppies typically go out in pairs, or larger groups. We only send single puppies/kittens to foster if they come in to the shelter alone. If you can only take a single puppy or kitten, it may take significantly longer to find a foster for you.

• Adult dogs and cats often are sent out to foster by themselves unless they come in as a bonded pair.

• Nursing moms with babies can sometimes have up to 10 babies, though litters of 6 or less are most common.

We provide all the basics: food, litter for cats, crates/kennels, towels/blankets, litter boxes (we do not always have plastic boxes, but can give cardboard trays), food and water bowls.

There are a few items we do not always have available or things you may want to buy yourself: plastic litter boxes, treats and toys, a digital kitchen scale for weighing young kittens, baby gates, a play pen to contain kittens and small puppies.

We understand that life happens and sometimes something unexpected comes up after you commit to taking a foster animal home. If you have an emergency or an unexpected trip, please contact us.  We will work with you to find the best solution for you and the animal.

Sometimes new fosters can feel a little overwhelmed when they get home with a new foster animal (or animals) and they think it would be best to return the animal. If this happens, please contact us for support. We can often provide suggestions to help you and the animal both feel more comfortable. We do ask that you try and give it 2 or so days before making up your mind. It can take some time for you and the foster to get to know each other and start to develop a routine. It can be stressful for some animals to be moved around a lot and we always like to try and help you work with them in your home when possible.

If your foster is ill, but not in immediate danger, please email fostertech@kyhumane.org (best way), or call us and let us know. We will get back to you as soon as possible to let you know the next steps. You may monitor minor signs of illness for 24 hours, but if symptoms persist for longer than 24 hours, please let us know so we can assess the situation. 

If you think your foster might be having a life and death emergency (see this list if unsure), please either bring them to the shelter immediately (if during shelter hours), or call the after hours emergency line at (502)515-3135 and leave a message if the shelter is closed. If you call the emergency line, someone will call you back and let you know the next steps. If you are bringing them to the shelter, you may email or call first, but you do not need to wait for a reply. We don't want to delay when critical care is needed.

Please note, the emergency line is not for non-emergency after hours care. We understand it may be difficult to get in during shelter hours at times, but we are unable to provide non-urgent medical care after the shelter closes. The line is staffed by our regular foster and vet staff. They are happy to help with emergencies, but otherwise, they need their family time, too 🙂

No, you never need to pay for vet care. We have a full vet staff at our shelter. We also contract with specialists and a 24 hour vet for cases we are unable to handle ourselves. If you take your foster to an outside vet, we cannot reimburse you for any care you pay for. 

The after hours line is there if your foster gets extremely ill in the middle of the. Please see this page to help determine if your foster is having a medical emergency. Many of these issues can be avoided by notifying us of ANY signs of illness when you first notice them. The big things to watch for are loose stool (even if it isn't full blown diarrhea), not eating much, not as playful, runny eyes, sneezing, or not consistently gaining weight (if a kitten or puppy). If you notice any of those things, please let us know ASAP so we can avoid having a middle of the night medical emergency.

Please note, the emergency line is not for non-emergency after hours care. We understand it may be difficult to get in during shelter hours at times, but we are unable to provide non-urgent medical care after the shelter closes. The line is staffed by our regular foster and vet staff. They are happy to help with emergencies, but otherwise, they need their family time, too 🙂

Yay! We are so happy you or a friend have bonded with your foster! As a foster, you are able to find homes for your animals while they are with you; however, anyone interested in adoption must be approved for adoption by KHS staff. Please contact us when you have found an adopter and we will let you know the next steps.