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FOSTERING WITH TCPR

When you foster, you save a life.


TCPR rescues animals from overcrowded shelters, stray colonies, and situations of abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

 

Many of these animals would otherwise be euthanized, let free outside, or left to suffer without necessary veterinary care if they were not rescued.

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Thank you for considering fostering with TCPR.
You've come to the right place.

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Twin Cities Pet Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing homeless, abandoned, abused, and neglected companion animals. However, we are only able to help as many dogs and cats as we have open foster home for. Which is why we need your help!

OUR PROCESS

Select the tabs below to learn more about the steps to becoming a foster with TCPR.

01

Submit a dog or cat foster application.

Your application will be reviewed by our home visit coordinator. We will respond to you within 72 hours.

02

Send in a copy of your resident pets' vet records.

Now is a good time to talk with your vet about your plans to foster. Our home visit coordinator will request a copy of your pets' records after reviewing your application.

 

We review vet records to ensure your pets are up-to-date on vaccines, spayed or neutered, and tested for FIV/FeLV (cats only). ​We cannot place a foster pet in your home until we have these records.

03

Complete a virtual home visit.

If your application to foster is accepted, we will reach out to schedule a virtual home visit. During the home visit, you will have a chance to talk with another volunteer about fostering and ask any questions you may have! The volunteer will also cover fostering basics to ensure everyone's expectations are align and to set you up for success.

04

Review the foster portal and sign the foster agreement.

If your home visit is approved, you will be sent information on how to create an account in our foster portal. Within that site, you can review all of our foster protocols and procedures and then complete the foster agreement.

05

Begin fostering!

Once everything is completed and approved, our foster coordinators will be in touch to help place your first foster pet with you!

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ANIMALS IN

NEED

We receive an overwhelming number of requests to take animals into rescue. Click below to view some of the animals in need of foster homes. This is only a small portion of animals in need. So if you don't see one that would fit your home, we will help find a suitable foster pet once you approved to foster!

  • What are your adoption fees, and what do they cover?
    Our adoption fees range from $400-$600 for dogs and $200-$275 for cats. These fees are necessary to cover the high-quality care that our animals receive while they are in rescue, which includes: Examination by a licensed veterinarian Sterilization (spay or neuter) Age-appropriate vaccinations (distemper series and/or rabies) Microchipping Testing and any recommended treatment for common transmissible diseases (FIV/FeLV for cats and heartworm/anaplasmosis/Lyme/Ehrlichia for dogs) Deworming Flea/tick preventative Heartworm preventative for dogs Supplies while in foster care (food, treats, litter, etc.) Many animals require additional veterinary services, which TCPR takes care of prior to adoption. These commonly include dental cleaning and extractions, treatment of any infections, allergy treatment, and more.
  • I've heard adopting is more expensive than other methods of getting a pet. Is this true?
    This is a common misconception about adoption, but the opposite is actually true. Adopting a pet saves money because your family member comes with all age-appropriate vetting to help ensure a healthy start! TCPR also treats any illnesses that arise and provides specialty surgeries as recommended by our veterinarians. For example, an average new pet without any vetting would require 1 or 3 distemper vaccines ($45 each), rabies vaccination ($30), testing for common infections (often called 4DX or snap tests $45), microchipping ($30), preventatives and dewormer ($30-$50), spay or neuter surgery ($285-$625), and exam fees for all of the above ($50 each). This means you could spend anywhere from $610 to $970 on basic vetting alone—plus the added cost of treating any illnesses that crop up. This is more than even our highest adoption fee of $600.
  • Do I need to live in the Twin Cities to adopt through TCPR?
    No! TCPR will consider adoption applicants from many parts of the country. However, preference will always be given to applicants within 100 miles the Twin Cities area, which includes parts of Wisconsin. This ensures that TCPR is able to provide continued support for our adopted animals and their families. Pre-adoptions are restricted to within 60 miles of the Twin Cities area.
  • Why should I adopt a pet through TCPR?
    Twin Cities Pet Rescue has been helping cats and dogs since their forever homes since 2013! We do our best to ensure every animal that comes through our doors receives high quality vetting and are healthy upon adoption. We also work hard to support animals that we have rescued for their entire lives, so in the event that an adoption does not work out, we do our best to welcome them back and ask that they will be returned to Twin Cities Pet Rescue. Our adopters also have access to exclusive benefits post adoption which include: A free vet exam and up to $250 in vetting at VCA clinics if a surprise medical issue is found shortly after adoption Virtual training and behavior support for 30 days which includes access to webinars to help you support your new pet through the transition to their new home Coupons and offers from local businesses to help you save money on your new pets needs!
  • I met one of your foster animals, but they're not listed on the website. Can I apply to adopt that animal?
    Due to the high volume of adoption applications, Twin Cities Pet Rescue only accepts applications for animals that are currently ready for adoption. We are also unable to provide timing updates to the public about when an animal will be ready for adoption as there are a lot of factors that go into the vetting process. Please keep in touch with the foster or keep an eye on our adoptable pets page for updates.
  • How long does it take to complete an adoption?
    The length of time for completing an adoption can vary! But as a general guideline, cat adoptions take anywhere from 3-7 days after the application is submitted and dog adoptions will take 7-10 days from the time the adoption application is submitted. We also require adopters to pick up their new pet within 3 days of completing the adoption to ensure we keep our foster homes and adoption centers open for more animals in need. Please take upcoming vacations, commitments, housing moves, etc into consideration when applying to adopt a new pet to ensure the timing will work out for everyone!
  • Is adopting a pet right for me?
    The America Veterinary Medical Association published this article that goes over things to consider before brining a new pet into your family. This includes pets other than cats and dogs as well!
  • I submitted an application and haven't heard from anyone yet. What should I do?
    Our volunteer adoption coordinators usually respond to applications within 1 business day after they are submitted. But during high volume times, application response times may vary. Please allow 3 business days for a response. If you have not heard from us by then, you can email our adoption teams at dogs@twincitiespetrescue.org or cats@twincitiespetrescue.org.
  • I see multiple animals that I am interested in. Do I need to submit an adoption application for each one?
    If you are interested in more than one of the same species, we only need one application on file. You can submit an adoption application using the "Apply for Adoption" button from one pets profile. Then in the application you can add the other pets names when you get to the "Animal Interested In" field. If you're interested in cats and dogs, we will need a dog and a cat adoption application on file. Please note: We are unable to more animals than you are planning to adopt at one time. For example, if you are interested in three cats but only planning to adopt one, we can only hold one cat at a time for you.
  • I'm feeling disappointed because the pet that I applied for has already been adopted. How can I find a good match for my home?
    Keep an eye on our Adoptable Animals page. New animals are posted regularly! Fostering Is also a great alternative because fosters get first dibs on adopting their foster pet! You can learn more about fostering here.
  • I have an approved application on file, and I see an animal that I'm interested in adopting. What are my next steps?
    Email the cat or dog adoption team to let them know you have an approved application on file and which animal(s) you are interested in! Please make sure you email us from the email that we have on file for you or include your full name in the email. This will help our adoption team find your application faster! Dog Adoption Team: dogs@twincitiespetrescue.org Cat Adoption Team: cats@twincitiespetrescue.org
  • Why do you require kittens to be adopted in pairs or in a home with a young playful cat?
    TCPR requires kittens under 4 months old to be adopted in pairs or into a home with another young, playful cat. Kittens at this age (and all the way into adulthood!) really thrive by having another kitten or young cat around to show them the ropes and teach them how to be a polite kitty. It also helps keep their energy at bay when they have friend around to play with them when their human is unavailable. We understand adopting two kittens at the same time can be a big financial commitment! So our policy also allows families that already own one (or more!) cat to adopt a young kitten by themselves. However, its important that your resident cat is young, and playful so that the kitten doesnt become more of a nuisance than a friend. Older, calmer cats will likely have a different play style than a kitten and could develop unwanted behaviors as a result of the stress the kitten brings. So for this reason, we do require resident cats to be under a certain age limit in order for a family to adopt a single kitten from us. We are unable to place a hold on young kittens for an adopters until they "age out" of this policy. Please note: 4 months of age is our general policy cut off but the requirement can be placed on any cat of any age if the foster feels they would do best with another cat in the home. When looking at adoptable cats on our website, cats that are required to be adopted with a second cat or into a cat with another will have a flag at the top of their bio that states that.

FOSTER FAQs

Answers to the most common questions about fostering through TCPR

 

Can't find an answer to your question? Email homevisits@twincitiespetrescue.org

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