|  Are
you living in Shanghai temporarily and cannot permanently adopt an animal,
but miss having a pet in your home? Are quarantine laws so strict in your
home country that you can't face putting an adopted animal through
the experience but would love to have pets in your home while posted in
Shanghai? Do you travel too much and think it would be unfair to leave
a pet at home alone too often but miss having a furry friend loving you
whenever you return to your home? If so, then SCAA foster care may just
be the way to help save an animal in need and allow you to have a part-time
pet to share your life while you are living in Shanghai!! Please note
that all foster care parents must sign a waiver.
SCAA Foster Care Programme - Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements to foster an animal?
Foster parents should have the time and patience to foster potentially
sick, timid animals. Many animals are healthy and well-adjusted, but there
are no guarantees.
Dogs and puppies need to be walked at least twice a day and all animals
should be kept away from open windows and balconies.
If you have an ayi, she should be properly instructed on the animal care
standards you expect her to provide when you are not home.
What are my obligations as a foster parent?
Foster parents cover the costs of food, toys and transportation to the
vet and regular Adoption Days. Adoption Days provide us with our main
opportunity to permanently place animals so we ask you to juggle your
schedule to get foster animals there.
If your foster animal gets sick or needs vaccinations while in foster
care, you must arrange a vet visit, covered by SCAA (unless you wish to
donate to medical costs).
Can I choose which animal I foster?
It depends. Fostering a cat or dog is your choice as dogs generally
demand more time and energy.
Requests to foster specific animals can't be accommodated if the
animal is already in foster care. However, SCAA can certainly accommodate
a need to take certain types of animals (e.g. healthy, young, older etc.)
based on your family situation and any current pets.
Do foster animals get a vet check-up before going into foster care?
Foster animals will have received an initial check-up and treatment
for fleas, mites and worms. Sometimes, ongoing medication needs to be
administered by foster parents. Healthy older animals will have been vaccinated.
SCAA can't guarantee an animal won't get sick in foster care
though.
 What
happens if the animal doesn't adjust to my home / family?
Most animals need a few days to adjust to new people and surroundings.
However, if your foster animal is clearly not adapting to you, your family
and any pets, we will re-home the foster animal as soon as possible.
What happens if I have to travel out of Shanghai?
Given enough advance notice, SCAA can arrange for a temporary foster
home to cover you while you are away.
Most times foster homes are scarce, so if you can ask a trusted friend
or neighbor to cover you for a short time, that helps keep new foster
homes free for longer term placements.
Can I adopt my foster animal?
SCAA would love to see a foster animal find a good permanent home. Given
our significant medical costs, we ask for a donation upon adoption to
cover some of the costs we've already incurred as well as to allow
us to rescue more animals in the future.
We cannot "hold" a foster animal for you and unless you decide
to adopt shortly after fostering, there is a chance your foster animal
may be adopted by someone else at Adoption Day.
SCAA is desperately seeking more foster care parents!!! You can make
a difference and save the life of a companion animal in need of your loving
care, no matter how temporary! For more information, please contact SCAA
Foster Care Director, Lee-Anne Armstrong, foster@scaashanghai.org
or SCAA Hotline: 13918552425
| 
