Getting Acquainted

Dogs may need some time decompressing depending on the situation they’ve come from. Your new foster dog may act differently than predicted, so let him/her settle down and acclimate to your home before seeking out contact and interactions. When the dog is ready, he/she will come to you. You can sit on the floor and encourage the dog with treats or by gently calling his/her name.

Remember to take things slow. No parties, special trips and limited visitors until your new foster dog is more comfortable. When it’s time to introduce your foster dog to your current pets, go slow and supervise at all times, preferably with assistance.

Establish a routine. Dogs have a better time acclimating when meals, walks and bedtime happen at a consistent time. It is normal for your foster dog to have less of an appetite, soft stools, or sleep a lot for the few days or so.

Some dogs may be used to a home environment while others may not. Their backgrounds will vary, with some having had amazing bonds with people, while others may have been abused or neglected. Please remember to give them patience, support and love as you help save their lives.

Cats will also need some time adjusting to a new home environment, especially older cats who may have spent their entire lives in one home before coming to the shelter. A normal reaction for cats may be to hide.

Allow your foster cat time to adjust to your home by giving them a safe space of their own, such as a roomy crate, spare bedroom, or extra bathroom. Block off small areas where the cat may hide and get stuck. Scared cats can hurt themselves by wedging into small areas or escape by dashing out an open front door if they are not confined.

Never try to pull your foster cat out of hiding. Sit on the floor with treats and softly call the cat’s name to try to encourage them. Sit on the floor and read a book or newspaper so the cat gets used to your voice. Once he/she is used to you, the cat will approach you when ready.

When your foster cat is eating, drinking, using the litter box and walking around the room in a relaxed manner, he/she may be ready to explore more of the house (after the initial quarantine period). However, if the cat runs when you enter the room, hides, only eats or uses the litter box at night, slinks around the room with body low to the ground, hisses, growls or cowers, these are signs of fear and means he/she is not ready to come out of confinement yet. Keep him/her confined and contact our foster team if there is no progress after one week.

Introductions

Foster pets should remain separated from resident pets for at least 14 days to prevent possible spread of disease. Moms, babies & neonates should always be separated.

Dogs

• If you have multiple dogs of your own, only introduce one at a time to your foster pet and supervise all interactions.
• Dogs should be introduced outside in a large yard or on a walk, keeping all dogs on leash and giving them enough time to adjust to each other.
• Feed and give treats to dogs separately to avoid aggression over high value items.
• If possible, we’ll set up a meet and greet at the shelter to make sure dogs will get along later at home.

Cats

• Dogs and cats can be introduced slowly after the quarantine period.
• Keep dogs on lead while giving the cat full run of a pet-safe room. Be ready to separate the two animals quickly if introductions do not go well.
• Good introductions consist of brief interactions and nonchalance. Bad introductions include fixating, snapping, growling or attacking. Never leave dogs and cats unsupervised together.
• Cat-to-cat introductions are the easiest. Most cats learn to love each other or avoid each other. Keep cats separated if they are consistently growling or attempting to attack each other.

Children

• We may not know your foster pet’s previous history and behavior around children. We will do our best to match you with a kid-friendly dog or cat, but remember to supervise all interactions at all times.
• Make sure your child is patient and respectful with your new foster pet. Never let your child take food or toys from the animal or disturb him/her while sleeping or chewing. Keep kitty claws trimmed to avoid scratching children.
• For safety reasons, please do not let children walk your foster dog. They may not be experienced or strong enough to handle the dogs, cats or people who may cross your foster dog’s path.

Foster-to-Adopt

Prefer to date before marriage?

Our foster-to-adopt program gives you the opportunity to get to know your foster pet before making the commitment to adopt. While a shelter pet may exhibit certain behaviors during your meet-and-greet, please understand that their personality could be completely different at home. With so many strange sounds, smells and activities happening at our shelter, dogs and cats can often struggle to show their “true personality” until they’re back in a home setting.

During this trial period with your potential adoptee, you’ll get to see if your energy levels mesh, how your foster pet gets along with your current pets and how well they do with your children. Please make sure to refer to pages 5 and 6 for assistance with introductions and how to set your foster pet up for success.

Puppies and kittens under 4 months old are not eligible for foster-to-adopt

Their personalities are still developing and frequent travel makes them more susceptible to disease.

Trial Period Duration

1 day-7 days
You’ll work with our foster team to decide the length of time that works best for you. Most trial periods begin with one week, but please contact us if you need an extension. Alternatively, when you are ready to officially adopt or need to return your foster pet, please contact us at 517-263-3463 to make arrangements.

How to adopt your foster pet
As soon as you know you’ve found “the one” please contact our foster team to schedule your adoption appointment so we can make things official!

When you finalize your adoption, you will:

• Sign the adoption contract
• Pay the adoption fee
• Receive your pet’s medical records
• Take an official adoption picture
• Live happily ever after

Fostering Moms + Babies

Moms with litters require a calm setting with privacy and minimal activity.

Make sure mom and her litter have their own space, separate from the rest of the household and other pets. Stress can cause moms to stop taking care of their puppies or kittens. When you first bring them home, leave them alone in their new space. Mom will need some time, up to a few days, to adjust to her new space. Be sure to offer mom fresh food, water and a clean resting place.

For the first few weeks, mom will do everything to take care of her litter. Puppies and kittens begin nursing very soon after birth. Mom will groom them and make them eliminate. It’s best to leave mom and her litter alone for the first two weeks except to feed. Mama dogs should be taken outside on short walks to go potty.

Possible Issues with Moms

Maternal Neglect can occur sometimes, resulting in the death of a puppy or kitten. Some dogs and cats lack maternal instincts and, in other cases, it is nature’s way of handling sick or weak puppies or kittens. Environmental stress is an important factor, which is why it’s important to create a calm environment for mom and her litter. Foster parents should watch for signs of maternal neglect. Call our emergency hotline if you notice that the mom avoids feeding and grooming her babies and ignores their cries.

Maternal Aggression is common in mothers protecting their litters and may result in aggression towards humans or other animals. Do not try to introduce your pets to your foster mom as this adds too much stress to the environment. If aggression becomes severe, call our emergency hotline.

Weaning

Mom will usually begin weaning at 5-6 weeks by discouraging nursing. She may not completely finish weaning until puppies or kittens are 8 weeks old. You can begin giving her “quiet time” away from her litter at 7-8 weeks. As the puppies or kittens get older, they will need supplemental gruel in order to receive adequate nutrients.

Introduce puppies and kittens to gruel at 4-5 weeks by mixing moistened dry food with water or canned food. Offer this mixture warmed and in a shallow dish. Begin by placing a puppy or kitten to the side of the plate. He or she should start to eat it but may take a few tries. If they are not interested, wait a few hours and try again. After they have accepted the gruel, gradually thicken it by adding less water. Begin to also offer dry food on a free-feeding basis. They should be eating dry food well by 6-7 weeks.

Puppies and kittens have fragile digestive systems. Do not offer them treats or human food.

Bottle Feeding

We will often need foster families for orphaned puppies or kittens under threeor four weeks, or for young litters whose mothers have neglected them. This experience is one of the most rewarding and sometimes heart breaking.

Type of Food

Puppies and kittens who are less than 3-4 weeks are fed a combination of liquid or powder formula provided by Lenawee Humane Society. After a feeding, unused liquid formula can be stored for up to three days in the refrigerator or frozen for future feedings. Frozen formula will last for 6 months. Make sure to have at least two days’ worth of formula on hand at all times while bottle feeding. Contact the shelter at 517-263-3463 to restock before you run too low.

The powder formula must be mixed for feedings. It is important to closely follow mixing directions: one part powder into two parts warm water (as it can cause diarrhea or constipation if not done correctly). When mixing do not use a blender. Any reconstituted powder formula can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Discard unused mixed formula after 24 hours.

Feeding Etiquette

• Make sure kitten or puppy is warm and dry.
• Only use clean nipples and bottles.
• Feed puppies or kittens one at a time. Place them on a countertop and allow them to feed with four paws on the counter and with a level head. This simulates how they would nurse from mom.
• Do not feed a puppy or kitten while he/she is on his/her back. This can cause formula to end up in the lungs.
• Stroking puppy or kitten can help them eat.
• Pull lightly on the bottle. This promotes strong sucking.
• Tilt the bottle up slightly. This prevents the animal from inhaling too much air.
• Do not squeeze the bottle to force formula into the animal’s mouth. This can cause formula to move into the lungs.
• After feeding, burp puppy or kitten by gently massaging his/her back.
• Be sure to stimulate puppy or kitten before or after feeding to help them eliminate. Stimulate with a warm cloth if necessary. This simulates mom licking puppy or kitten.
• Fill out the Daily Weight and Feeding Record.

Amount of Food

Puppies and kittens less than three weeks old should be fed every 2-4 hours around the clock. Sometimes bottle feeding can be challenging, and your puppy or kitten may not take to it right away. If they refuse to eat, try again next time. However, if your puppy or kitten refuses two consecutive feedings, contact our foster team. When he/she does begin to eat, keep in mind that overfeeding is as dangerous as underfeeding. Feed puppies and kittens until they are full but not bloated.

Tips & Tricks

To warm nursing bottles, fill a coffee mug halfway with hot water and place bottle of formula into mug. After a minute or two, test formula by sprinkling a few drops on the back of your hand. Formula should be warm, but not hot.
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Use a zip lock bag to mix warm water and powder formula. It’s easier to squeeze out lumps than to stir them. It makes for easy pouring too!

Cleaning Equipment

Keeping the puppies’ and kittens’ nursing bottles and supplies clean is vital in order to prevent diarrhea, vomiting or infection. Clean bottles and nursing nipples using hot, soapy water and a bottle brush. If you do not have a bottle brush you may wash the bottle and nursing nipple in the dishwasher. You may place them in the silverware rack or in a dishwasher basket.

Some Puppies or Kittens May Not Survive

Please understand that puppies and kittens are extremely fragile and some may have underlying, hidden medical conditions. Some puppies or kittens will not survive no matter how well you care for them (sometimes 1 in 4 in the first week alone). Remain attentive and provide puppies and kittens with the best possible care. As difficult as it is to lose a puppy or kitten, you cannot blame yourself. If you do lose a puppy or kitten, please wrap it in a plastic grocery bag and contact our foster team as soon as possible.

Puppy + Kitten Development

Puppy Socializing

Mouthing

Puppies are born with an instinct to bite. One of the most important things they learn, as a puppy, is how to control the strength of their bite. Puppies naturally teach each other what strength is acceptable. If one puppy bites too hard, the other puppy yelps and stops playing. If you are raising a single puppy, it is crucial for you to step into this role that littermates would otherwise play. When your puppy bites too hard, yelp loudly. If the puppy stops biting, praise him/her lavishly. If he/she continues biting, stop playing and walk away for 10 seconds. Return and resume playing. Keep repeating these steps if needed.

Remember, mouthing is important for puppies to learn their bite strength. Never scold, tap on the nose, or yell “no” at a puppy who is biting. A puppy who is never allowed to bite will grow into an adult with a hard bite because he/she doesn’t know his/her strength. If a puppy continues to bite, simply yell “ouch” and stop playing with him/her for several seconds.

Toys

You should have a selection of toys available for growing puppies, which will be provided for you. A variety of toy types is best, including plush squeak toys, rope toys, stuffed KONGs and teething toys.

Socialization

The most crucial socialization period for puppies is between 3 weeks and 3 months. They are biologically primed to learn that new sights, sounds, smells, objects, environments, people and other animals are fun and safe. Every new person your foster puppy meets should be a wonderful experience with treats and toys. Take things slow if your puppy seems fearful of a new person, place or thing. Note: Puppies under four months old should never go outside due to the high risk of parvovirus and other diseases.

House Training

House Training

Puppies should have frequent breaks and be taken out to the same spot to relieve themselves every 30-60 minutes when active (when waking up from a nap, after eating or drinking, and after a play session). A puppy can generally hold his/her bladder one hour for each month of age (i.e. 2 months = 2 hours, 3 months = 3 hours). However, this does not mean that a one year old dog should be expected to hold his/her bladder for 12 hours! Adult dogs should have at least 6 potty breaks daily. For puppies 5 weeks and younger, place puppies on pee pads about once an hour, including as soon as they wake up and finish eating. Praise the puppy enthusiastically every time he/she urinates or defecates on the pad. Change pee pads frequently to prevent puppies from chewing on them.

Crate Training

A crate can be a great tool to help with house training as long as it is not misused. The crate should be big enough for the puppy or dog to stand up in, turn around and stretch out. It should not be big enough that the dog or puppy can create a “potty area.” We will help you with the correct size crate for your foster dog or puppy. Your foster puppy/dog should have a short-term confinement spot, such as the crate, to be housed in while you are sleeping or away from home. Your foster puppy/dog should also have a long-term confinement area, such as an x-pen or baby gated section of the house.

If you are beginning to crate train, feed your puppy in the crate and provide chew toys/games inside the crate in order to build a positive association. Keep sessions short and fun and have your dog/puppy hang out in the crate for short periods of time while you are home. Never use a crate for “time out” or to punish your foster dog or puppy.

Kitten Care + Socializing

House Training

Small litter boxes should be provided with non-clumping litter. Kittens will eventually learn to use the litter box on their own but accidents are normal for the first few weeks. If they defecate outside the litter box, move the feces to the litter box. You can also place kittens inside their litter box after meals.

Grooming

Kittens can be quite messy as they transition from formula to gruel. They will need to be cleaned often, preferably spot cleaned by rinsing with warm water only where the kitten is dirty (i.e. his/her bottom). If there is food on your kitten’s face, use a warm, damp cloth. Make sure kitten is completely dry when finished. You may use a hair dryer on the lowest setting.

Socializing

It is crucial that you socialize young kittens daily with frequent handling and play sessions. They should learn to enjoy being around people to prevent them from growing up under-socialized.

• Keep kittens confined to a large dog crate for the first couple days to make sure they’re eating well and adjusting to their new environment. Offer them their carrier without the door or a cardboard box to hide in so they feel more secure.
• The crate should be in a secure, cat-proof room where kittens cannot run away or hide once you start letting them out of the crate.
• Once the initial 14-day quarantine period has passed and kittens are eating well and are comfortable, allow them to explore this cat-proof room under supervision.
• Use every meal time as a socialization period. Sit close to them as they eat, eventually putting food on your finger and having them eat from your hand. Once they’re comfortable with you, try holding the bowl so they have to crawl into your lap to get the food. Start slowly by petting them as they eat until you can eventually pick them up.
• Short socialization periods (3-5 minutes) several times a day are better than one or two long socialization periods each day.
• Invite friends and family members over to help socialize kittens.
• Get them used to household noises and voices by slowly introducing them to people talking, the television, the can opener, etc.
• Give them safe objects to explore (paper bags, cardboard boxes).
• Do not allow them to bite or play with hands and feet. This encourages bad behavior and will be painful when they’re older.

Routine Vet Care

Routine vet care is provided by the veterinarians at Lenawee Humane Society’s Hope Clinic. Our foster team will work directly with the Hope Clinic staff to manage the health and well-being of each foster pet or litter. After hours, our executive director will take calls when emergencies arise. Our executive director will instruct the foster family on appropriate actions to take depending on each particular case.

Lenawee Humane Society will not reimburse individuals for vet bills for foster animals when taken for veterinary care without pre-authorization by the Hope Clinic or Executive Director.

Foster animals are required to return to Lenawee Humane Society for vaccinations and/or general exams. We will schedule these appointments with you when you pick up your foster pet(s). If you cannot keep an appointment, please contact us before the day of your appointment so we can reschedule.

General wellness plan for foster pets:

All shelter animals receive:

Before adoption, every shelter & foster pet has

Common Health Issues

Below you’ll find a list of basic health issues that you may encounter with your foster pet.

Finishing Up

Can foster families adopt their foster pets?

We like to give our foster families first dibs when it comes to adopting their foster pet and essentially becoming what we affectionately call a “foster failure.” If you are considering adopting your foster pet, please notify us as soon as possible. We begin advertising puppies and kittens on our website when they are 6-8 weeks old, so it’s possible an application may already be pending for your foster pet. If friends and family are interested in adopting your foster pet, please ask them to submit an adoption application as soon as possible. Never promise a pet to someone until you can verify their status with our adoption counselor.

Spay & Neuter Surgeries

When puppies and kittens are at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 pounds, they are ready to be spayed or neutered at Lenawee Humane Society’s Hope Clinic. We will set up an appointment for you to drop your foster pet(s) off either the day before or the day of surgery. After surgery, they will remain at the shelter to be placed up for adoption. By this point, most young foster kittens and puppies already have forever homes waiting for them!

Adoption Ambassadors

If you are not able to adopt your foster pet but would like to help find a forever home for him/her, we can train you to become an Adoption Ambassador (AA). AA’s are an extension of our foster program, crossing the bridge from simply caring for the animal to promoting him/her and ultimately finding someone to adopt him/her. The main difference is that AA’s receive additional training in order to process a complete adoption. You will learn how to promote your pet via social media and within the community, match your pet with his/her perfect family and complete their adoption paperwork so your foster pet never has to return to the shelter!

Emergencies

Require immediate veterinary attention

During business hours: Contact the Hope Clinic at 517-263-3463 x1030

After hours: Contact emergency hotline at 734-652-0126

• Continuous diarrhea longer than 24-36 hours
• Continuous vomiting longer than 12 hours
• Loss of appetite
• Bleeding of any kind (from nose or in urine/stool)
• Any trauma (hit by car, dropped, limping, unconscious, etc.)
• Difficult breathing or labored breathing
• Dog or cat that is not responsive
• Lethargy with or without fever

Non-Emergencies

Monitor First

If worsens, contact our foster team at 517-263-3463

• Runny discharge from eyes or nose
• Lack of appetite
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss
• Coughing or sneezing
• Lack of bowel movements for more than 24-36 hours or straining to urinate/defecate
• Swollen eyes or eyes held closed