We appreciate your interest in becoming a foster guardian with Kitty Devore Rescue! You are the difference that makes all the difference in the lives of homeless, abandoned, and unwanted kitties in need.
The Kitty Devore Rescue Network is a team of dedicated members, foster guardians, and rescue partners who head other 501(c)(3) rescue groups focused on working daily to save the cats admitted to Devore Animal Shelter in San Bernardino, California. The KD team is comprised of members who reside all over Southern California. If you live in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, or San Diego counties, you are eligible to apply as a KD foster guardian. Currently, we cannot accept foster applicants who reside outside these locations.
Upon receipt of your completed fostering application, it will be reviewed, and one of KD’s Foster Officers will contact you with further questions and/or information. Please keep in mind that we are all volunteers, and many of us work full-time jobs. Please allow up to a week for a response from one of our officers. If you have not heard from one of our officers within five days, please check your suspect, junk, or spam mail files.
Kitty Devore Rescue developed and evolved out of a general group forum on Facebook in 2011 that was focused on gaining exposure for the cats admitted to the Devore shelter. For that reason, our entire rescue day-to-day interaction is based on Facebook. All KD foster parents and members must have Facebook accounts. We will only consider applicants who do.
If approved, you will be instructed to send a Facebook friend request to KD’s administrator. She will send you a welcome message via private message on Facebook and provide some basic information about our fostering program.
Additionally, you will receive a PDF copy of our Fostering Handbook. We highly encourage you to download and read the handbook thoroughly. It will answer most questions you may have about our fostering program. As a KD foster parent, you will be responsible for being aware of and following the policies and procedures detailed in the handbook.
The KD administrators and your foster liaison can answer any additional questions you may have throughout the fostering process and continue to assist you after your foster kitties have arrived in your home.
You will also receive an invitation to the Kitty Devore Rescue closed Facebook group. Upon accepting the invitation, we will introduce you to the entire KD team.
This closed group forum is where we coordinate our rescue efforts and daily KD business. The group is a constant network of support. No matter the issue, all team members are there to offer tips, troubleshoot issues, and provide fostering encouragement.
Every day, new cats are admitted to Devore Shelter. Every day, a daily rescue post is posted to the network group forum so that the team is aware of who needs out, why, and who will need out in the week ahead. As a new foster parent, you have the freedom to choose the cat or cats you’d like to foster, but we ask that, if you do decide to foster, you do so with a commitment to seeing that cat or cats through to adoption.
If you cannot make a long-term commitment, please do not offer to foster long-term.
Temporary fostering is also an option, and temporary fosters are often needed before a long-term foster parent can take a cat into their care.
As a KD foster parent, you must have a space in your home where you can isolate new cats coming directly from the shelter for a minimum of 10 to 14 days. Cats coming directly from the shelter must undergo a strict ISO period to ensure they are free and clear of illness and contagion before they can interact with other cats in the home. If you have personal cats, they must be indoor-only, up to date with their vaccines sterilized, and you must show proof of FeLV/FIV testing.
Every KD foster guardian receives a Foster Kitty Care Package when they take in a new foster cat. This package, which contains necessities, is mailed to the foster guardian’s home the day after their foster cat is rescued from the shelter. These basics may include antibiotics and a syringe for administration, topical flea treatment, dewormer tablets and administration instructions, probiotic packets, a microchip if needed, a KD collar and ID tag, kitty toys, catnip, and treats.
As a foster parent, you will be responsible for preparing your kitty for adoption by ensuring they undergo our standard vetting procedures. Standard vetting procedures include spay/neuter, one to three FVRCP vaccines (depending on age), FeLV and FIV testing, microchipping, and all other observable and discoverable issues are addressed and treated at a Kitty Devore Rescue-approved veterinary office or clinic. We pay the veterinary office directly or reimburse you for your expenses, depending on the facility, provided the foster parent receives approval in advance. We will not reimburse costs incurred if the vet visit was not pre-approved.
Many cats rescued from the shelter develop upper respiratory infections (URIs) within a week of their rescue. Occasionally, some cats have issues that are more severe and will require veterinary attention. As their foster parent and your foster kitty’s best advocate, it will be your job to discuss the issues with your foster liaison or KD administrators and, if a vet visit is approved, ensure your kitty sees a vet for that medical treatment.
Once your foster kitty achieves their vetting goals and is cleared for adoption, their bio listing will appear on the Kitty Devore Rescue website, our Petfinder page, both Kitty Devore Rescue Facebook pages, and our Instagram account.
Please complete our foster application to get the ball rolling so that you can become a much-needed Kitty Devore Rescue foster parent for kitties in desperate need.