DuPage County Animal Services relies on a dedicated team of foster caregivers to provide temporary placement in a home environment while animals undergo medical treatment, receive behavioral support, or await adoption. Foster care is a critical piece of our effort to provide animals with a second chance at life. Foster families are needed to provide one-on-one care for kittens, cats, dogs, rabbits, and more!
For more information or if you have any questions, please email us (animalservices@dupagecounty.gov) or call us at 630-407-2800.
Basic Information and Requirements for Fostering
- DCAS provides supplies and medical care. The foster provides daily care, love, training and play time. Rabbit fosters are responsible for supplying fresh greens daily.
- All medical care is done at DCAS. Fosters will need to have flexibility to bring animals in Monday-Friday as needed, for medical appointments.
- It is helpful to live close to the shelter (120 N. County Farm Rd., Wheaton) as foster caregivers will come to the shelter for vet care, supplies and for meet and greets. Some foster animals will make frequent trips to the shelter.
- Foster animals should be separated from resident animals for a minimum of a 2-week quarantine period. It is helpful to have a room that can be dedicated to the foster animal(s).
- Resident dogs and cats are required to be current on their rabies vaccine.
- Landlord approval is required for anyone who rents their home.
- Adoption interactions are currently being done in-person at the shelter, or via Zoom calls. Fosters are encouraged to participate.
- Fosters are welcome to adopt their foster animal, however, will still need to meet all adoption requirements, including legal pet limits.
Cats / Kittens / Rabbits / Small Animals
View a Past Information Session
Animal Services relies on foster homes to help many animals. Shelter pets may require a foster home to monitor medical conditions, provide a place for them to recover from an illness, receive socialization, provide a respite for long term residents or simply to help when the shelter is at capacity.
To learn more, contact Dina Schubert, Rescue and Foster Coordinator for Cats and Small Animals.
Detailed kitten foster information
Dogs
Animal Services relies on foster families to care for adoption dogs that find the shelter environment difficult or overwhelming, dogs awaiting rescue placement and dogs in need of medical care.
Get started fostering dogs today by filling out a Canine Foster Application.
Learn more about the animals in our care that we are seeking foster homes for.
