Fostering at MAC
McKamey Animal Center’s lifesaving efforts are made possible through the many fosters who care for our animals on a short- and long-term basis.
If you are able to foster for any length of time, from days to weeks to months, you are making an impact and directly contributing to McKamey Animal Center’s mission of saving animals, helping people.
Studies prove that inviting a shelter animal into your home for a short period of time can change their life – fostering increases their chance of adoption!
Cats & Kittens
Fosters for these neonatal kittens essentially act as a surrogate mother. Bottle babies must be fed formula every two-to-five hours, stimulated to go to the bathroom, kept on a heat source, and closely monitored for illnesses. Bottle babies are some of the most fragile, bust most rewarding animals to work with. This is often the type of cat foster we need most, especially during kitten season (March to October).
When kittens are old enough to eat on their own but not yet old enough to be spayed or neutered, they benefit from living in a foster home where they can continue to grow and play until they are ready to be adopted. Keeping them out of a shelter environment is critical to keeping them healthy and happy.
When a new mom and her babies come into our care, placing them into foster care is critical to ensure that the babies (and mom!) stay healthy and learn proper socialization skills for a home. The best part? Mom does all the dirty work for you!
Cats and kittens recovering from a special life-saving surgery or injury, or cats with a specific medical concern who need a calmer environment can benefit from living in a quiet, non-stressful environment where they can heal. All veterinary care is provided by McKamey Animal Center.
Whether they are kittens who need additional socialization, adult cats who could use time to relax and decompress or elderly cats who need a calmer environment, cats with special needs benefit from living in a quiet, non-stressful environment where they can relax and be happier, healthier cats. ultiamtley these cats will be made available for adoption with your help!
Fospice fosters provide loving homes for a shelter pet who has received a terminal diagnosis. Instead of a noisy shelter environment, these pets will spend their remaining time in a loving home where they thrive. Being a fospice foster can be emotionally challenging, but is equally rewarding. McKamey Animal Center will provide all medical treatment and humane euthanasia.
Dogs & Puppies
Shelter dogs often can use a much needed break from their stressful environment. Letting a shelter pup spend the night, weekend, or even a week in your home has amazing benefits and helps us to learn more about their personality in a home environment.
Fosters for these neonatal puppies essentially act as a surrogate mother. Bottle babies must be fed formula every two-to-five hours, stimulated to go to the bathroom, kept on a heat source, and closely monitored for illnesses. Bottle babies are some of the most fragile, bust most rewarding animals to work with.
When puppies are old enough to eat on their own but not yet old enough to be spayed or neutered, they benefit from living in a foster home where they can continue to grow and play until they are ready to be adopted. Keeping them out of a shelter environment is critical to keeping them healthy and happy.
When a new mom and her babies come into our care, placing them into foster care is critical to ensure that the babies (and mom!) stay healthy and learn proper socialization skills for a home. The best part? Mom does all the dirty work for you!
This is the type of foster we are most in need of for dogs!
Dogs recovering from a special life-saving surgery or injury, or dogs with a specific medical concern who need a calmer environment can benefit from living in a quiet, non-stressful environment where they can heal. All veterinary care is provided by McKamey Animal Center.
Fosters who have no other dogs, no younger children in their homes, and are interested in helping dogs that are having a hard time in the shelter would be the perfect fit for our behavioral dogs. These dogs often prefer a home as the only pet, no children, and may be working through a behavior modification plan from our Behavior and Enrichment Team. Some behaviors that you may encounter would be nervousness, resource guarding, etc. This is the type of foster we are most in need of for dogs!
Fospice fosters provide loving homes for a shelter pet who has received a terminal diagnosis. Instead of a noisy shelter environment, these pets will spend their remaining time in a loving home where they thrive. Being a fospice foster can be emotionally challenging, but is equally rewarding. McKamey Animal Center will provide all medical treatment and humane euthanasia.
The Process
If you are interested in signing up to be a foster, please submit the application below. A member of our foster team will reach out to to go over your application details and next steps. From there, you will be added to our Foster groups and made aware of when an animal is in need of your foster care!
“Fostering is so rewarding. It is one of the happiest things in life for me when I see a baby I have cared for since they were a week old, grow up and be adopted into a loving home.” – Foster Lauren, fostering since 2018
The Expectation
MAC will provide all preventative care and medical needs to the foster animal in your care. We ask that fosters provide blankets, litter, litter boxes, food, toys, and other necessities while in your care. This is considered a donation to MAC. If you are fostering a neonate we will provide all necessary equipment such as formula, bottles/nipples, and a heat source as we have supplies available.
Click below to make an appointment for:
Foster pick-up/drop-off
Routine Foster Vet Treatment
Foster Health Check
Foster Cat/Dog adoption (with approval from the foster team)
Click Here to Download the Guide to Weaning Puppies & Kittens!
Contact Us
McKamey Animal Center
4500 N. Access Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37415
(423) 305-6500
McKamey Animal Center was founded in 2008, serving the pets and people of the cities of Chattanooga, Red Bank and Lakesite, Tennessee. MAC is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization.
