Understanding the Motivations of Foster Caregivers at Animal Shelters

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Foster care programs in animal shelters are important tools to help support animal welfare, reduce the risk of disease, and create more kennel space for incoming animals. However, little is known about what drives foster caregivers to volunteer to care for shelter animals in their homes. This study surveyed foster caregivers within the United States to evaluate their motivations for and expectations of the foster care experience. We found that the most common motivations for fostering were animal- and community-related. Younger caregivers were more likely to expect companionship, emotional support, and to meet other community members through fostering than older caregivers, while male caregivers were less likely to foster for emotional support compared with females. We also found that dog caregivers and those who did not own pets at home were more likely to expect companionship from their foster animal. This study provides a better understanding of the motivations and expectations of foster caregivers and hopes to aid shelters to recruit foster care volunteers more effectively in the future. ABSTRACT: Foster care programs in animal shelters have been shown to benefit animals and shelters, but little is known about what motivates foster caregivers to volunteer. This cross-sectional study explored the motivations and expectations of 131 foster caregivers from five shelters within the United States who completed a pre-foster survey between March 2022 and March 2023. The most common motivations were animal- or community-based, such as the desire to provide an animal with love or do something positive for the community. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between caregivers’ motivations and their prior foster experience, pet ownership history, age, gender, and foster animal species. The 18- to 29-year-old caregivers were most likely to expect companionship (OR 5.18, 95% CI 1.79–15.04), emotional support (OR 4.25, 95% CI 1.40–12.89), and to meet other community members through fostering (OR 5.04, 95% CI 1.85–13.74). Male caregivers were less likely to foster for emotional support than females (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.03–0.48), while dog caregivers (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.04–4.76) and non-pet-owners (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.17–6.05) had greater odds of expecting companionship. This study highlights the importance of animal- and community-related benefits for foster caregivers and provides useful direction for shelters wanting to increase recruitment to expand their foster care programs.