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What do you do when you are retired, you love pets, and you don’t want to commit to the permanent responsibility or the expense of a pet? You FOSTER!
There are a number of advantages for both the senior foster parent and the shelter animals they foster. Seniors/retirees make the perfect foster parents. They have more time on
their hands to spend exercising, training and caring for the foster animal and for the senior living alone with no family close by, the foster dog or cat becomes their number one companion and vice-versa. The senior foster parent develops a new sense of purpose and a reason to get up and get going every morning. The foster pet is no longer in the shelter and is receiving the love and care they need while waiting for their permanent home.
For those senior foster parents who are able to go out walking, fostering a dog promotes healthy exercise and socialization for both the senior and the dog. Many conversations are started with others when you walk a dog and most times the people you come across will speak to the dog first. This allows for a friendly human conversation about the dog 
and helps to spread the word the dog needs a new home. It is an opportunity to assess how the dog reacts to strangers, children, and other dogs, and much-needed socialization for the dog under controlled circumstances.
Seniors who can’t walk too far can still foster a small dog or indoor cat as long as they are able to provide the care the animal needs. What better image than a senior watching TV with a senior cat or small dog curled up in their lap. A stark difference to that animal being in a noisy, scary shelter.
It is a well-known fact that pets are good for your health. Apart from giving unconditional love, they can lower blood pressure, relieve depression, and generally make you feel better. The animals benefit greatly from the extra attention too!
Pets being fostered by seniors have the advantage of not being left home alone all day. They get the one-on-one attention, guidance, training, love, and care they need in a 
quiet environment. Shelter animals need to de-stress when they leave the shelter and a quiet place or home will help them do just that.
Seniors on low, fixed incomes don’t have to worry about the cost of veterinary treatment and many backing rescues will also provide food, treats, and supplies for the foster animal. The senior foster parent gets all the love and cuddles without the cost, and the pet is no longer in danger of losing its life in an over-crowded animal shelter. It’s a win, win situation for all. (Check the foster agreement to see what will be provided before signing on the dotted line.)
If you are a local (Los Angeles and surrounding area) senior/retiree and would like to help out a shelter animal by fostering one of them in your home, go to www.carsonfosters.com to complete an application form and read more about fostering.
© Rhiannon West
12/29/2017
Hello, I have a Veterinary Clinic in Orange CA. We have heavy traffic out front since we’re located next to a T-Mobile. I would be happy to hang a poster in our front window (if you have one) to advertise your need for fosters. I’ve also had several older clients lately who’ve lost their geriatric pets and don’t want to take on full responsibility for another one. I’ll direct them to your website as well.
Dear Donna,
Thank you for your comment. We don’t have a poster but would be happy for you to send senior foster parents our way. Thank you very much and Happy New Year. :))