Crisis Foster Care

What is crisis animal foster care?

Our crisis animal foster care program provide safe housing and pet care for pet owners that are facing dire crisis or hardships. Our program offers up to 3 months of care for individuals who would otherwise be forced to relinquish their beloved pets to shelters due to circumstances such as housing loss, mental or physical health treatment needs, domestic violence, and more.

If you are unable to care for your pet(s) due to a temporary crisis, we are here for you. Crisis Foster care is NOT to be utilized for vacations, or a desire to have a “break” from ones pet, but rather for unpreventable and serious matters.

These matters include but are not limited to…

  • Physical or Mental Health Hospitalizations

  • Rehab

  • Domestic Violence

  • Loss of Housing / Home Foreclosure

  • Financial Inability to Provide for Pet(s)

If you believe that Crisis Foster Care is the right fit for your situation, please fill out the intake form below and send 1-2 clear photos of your pet(s) to info@winstonsplacechs.com or 224-215-1019

PLEASE NOTE: We have a significant waitlist and prioritize individuals working with direct service providers. We recommend also registering at Home to Home, where you can request someone to temporarily foster your pet. You can register at home-home.org/register/

 FAQs

  • All pets are either housed in private homes with foster families or at highly-regarded local stay + play boarding facilities. You will be made aware of the location of your pet while they are enrolled in the program.

  • We have found that it actually disrupts the animals routine and ability to “settle in” to have visitation with their families. Therefore, for the duration of their time in our program, we do not permit visitation with family.

  • We are always happy to help you pursue reunification earlier than expected! You will just need to communicate this change with our office staff, and we will help set things in motion.

  • Unfortunately, this does happen from time to time. At the end of the day, while our primary goal is reunification, we understand that this is not always in the best interest of the pet or their family.

    If you are unable to reunite with your pet after their time in our care, we will work to adopt them out to a loving family where they may spend the remainder of their days.

  • Our requirements depend greatly on the circumstances that lead one to enroll in the program. For example, if a person enrolls their pet in the program so that they may complete a 30 day rehabilitative detox program, we would require completion of this program in order to be reunited with their pet.

    Regardless of circumstance, we require all adult participants in the program to meet with our in house social worker to discuss possible resources and supports from the community that can assist you in the future so that this type of crisis does not arise again.

Looking for resources other than crisis foster care?

Please click the link below to explore our Resource Database which includes a plethora of resources for pets and their people in the Charleston area