Occassionally the ARL of Marshalltown is in need of temporary homes for our animals. At these times we call on a select group of fostering families to care for animals with special needs. What types of special needs? Sometimes it is a pregnant female ready to give birth or a brand new mom with her babies. The shelter is not the calm peaceful environment that a home is for a new mother and her young. Some animals come to us in depresssed conditions that require some extra TLC to get them ready for a new home. This may be just bringing them up to a safe weight, giving them some obedience and helping them learn to trust people again. Our foster families are invaluable to us and the animals whose lives they touch.
Foster families are required to have an approved adoption application on file, to have agreed to and signed a fostering agreement and be approved for fostering by the Shelter Manager and/or the Executive Director.
If you are interested in fostering please fill out the above forms and return them to us. Fostering situations happen immediately and we need placement to happen quickly. When we need a foster home, we typically need the animal to leave the shelter within 24 hours. It is important that you give serious consideration before commiting to a foster situation. Some of these animals require a great deal of work to help them through their current crisis. Fostering should be a family decision. Remember the purpose of fostering is to provide a ~temporary~ home for the animal(s). Once an animal has been in your home with your family it may be very difficult and hard for your family to return the animal to us. While we work with foster families interested in adopting those in their care, we do not expect that to be the final result.
Foster home policies are regulated rules established and overseen by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.