We are looking for knowledgeable foster carers with prior experience of caring for dogs and cats.
. By providing a temporary home for rescued dogs and cats and giving them the support and attention they deserve, foster carers provide a lifeline to dogs and cats who prefer or need to be in a home environment, while we work to find them their new forever homes. Being a foster carer is very rewarding but requires time, patience and commitment. Please read further and see if you can make a lasting difference to the life of a rescued dog or cat.
We have three types of animal that might need foster care:
If both parties are happy to continue, we will arrange a virtual home visit. This is to confirm that your home is suitable for animal fostering.
A candidate for dog fostering will:
• Have previously, as an adult, independently owned and trained dogs before.
• Be knowledgeable about dog behaviour, confident with handling dogs of various strengths and sizes and be able to carry out training.
• Have direct access to a private garden.
• Have no other pets in the home.
• Have no children or visiting young children in the home.
• Be able to foster long term (3 months+).
• Be happy and able to give the dog at least one hour off lead (long line) exercise per day.
• Not leave the dog alone for more than a couple of hours.
• Live within an hour from Mayhew. You must be able to travel to our Home for collection and drop off, supply collection and vet visits.
• Keep in contact with the foster care coordinator via phone or email and fill in a weekly feedback form.
• Be comfortable holding video calls with prospective adopters over FaceTime or Zoom.
• Be contactable 7 days a week between the hours of 9am – 5pm
• Be able to meet and introduce the dog to potential adopters at short notice (within 24hrs).
A candidate for cat fostering will:
•Has recent experience of cat ownership or regularly pet sits for other peoples cats.
•An understanding of cat behaviour and health.
•A willingness to follow direction from Mayhew.
•Must live within thirty minutes on public transport or an hour by car,from Mayhew. You must be able to travel to our home for collection, drop off, supply collection and vet visits.
•Be able to commit to a minimum of 6 months fostering (you may have more than one foster placement during this time).
•Keep in contact with the foster care coordinator via phone or email.
•Commit to filling in a behaviour assessment form to help us determine when the cat is ready to be rehomed.
•Be contactable 7 days a week between the hours of 9am-5pm.
•Be able to meet and introduce the cat to potential adopters at short notice (within 24hrs).
•To be able to attend veterinary appointments midweek.
•To be able to send in photographs of the cat that we can use on our website.
•Prior experience with medication and or hand-rearing desirable but not compulsory.
Animals come to Mayhew for many reasons. They may have been found as a stray, been handed over by their owner or rescued from a welfare situation. Some animals wait for permanent homes for longer than others. We are keen for these animals to be fostered to provide more space at Mayhew for animals in need. Please bear in mind that we cannot predict when the animal will find a home. You may take the animal home on a Monday and have to return it on the Friday. In this case, you will be making two return trips within a matter of days.
These are usually done on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. Foster carers can choose to attend a pre-arranged appointment time or return the animal to Mayhew on the morning of the final vet check. They can also collect the animal after their vet check and return them to Mayhew by 11am on the day of the adoption. Some cats may be able to be collected by their adopter from the foster home. Dogs are usually collected by the new owners from Mayhew on a Saturday.
Our Pet Refuge programme offers a lifeline for pet owners in crisis by providing temporary care for their animal. This may be due to illness, mental health, domestic violence or other emergencies. These owners have no family or friends to help during their emergency.
In these cases we always try and find foster homes so that there is no need for the animal to stay at Mayhew. This scheme offers care for up to three months. After this period, we ask the owner to consider rehoming their animal. To be a Pet Refuge foster carer, you can live outside of the M25. But you must be willing and able to travel to and from Mayhew. Once the owner has confirmed that they are able to have their animal back, we will arrange a time for their return.
We are unable to cover your travel expenses but we will provide food, bedding, toys and any other equipment needed. As a charity, we also welcome and appreciate any help towards these items. If your foster animal becomes ill, you must bring it back to Mayhew for veterinary treatment. In case of an emergency out of normal Mayhew hours, please contact RSPCA Harmsworth Animal Hospital on 0300 123 0712. Please note Mayhew will not pay for private veterinary fees.
We work with you to make sure we select the most suitable animal for your circumstances. However we may not always have an animal that is suitable for you. For example, if you are a parent, we may not have a dog that is good with children. In these circumstances, we ask for your patience and will contact you when we have a suitable animal. We know that things may not work out in an animal's foster home.
Do not underestimate the emotional attachment you will form with your foster cat or dog. At Mayhew, we are looking for foster carers who are dedicated to helping many animals, and not an opportunity to try out an animal before deciding to adopt them. You should keep in mind that as a foster carer you will not be given priority for adoption - if a suitable adopter views the animal in your home before you show your interest, they will have priority.
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