Help needed: How to foster a pet from Utah animal shelters

Pet lovers know what an irreplaceable feeling it is when our pets feel safe enough to get zoomies that lead straight into our arms for some snuggles. That’s why KSL Classifieds wants every pet to get the chance for love and security. 

Utah shelter pets need temporary paw-rents immediately, and fostering a pet from the Utah Humane Society is one of the best ways you can help. Whether it’s a playful pup or a shy senior cat, you can be the one to give them a soft landing while on their journey to find their forever home. 

Some pets just need a break from the shelter for a while.

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Pet fostering in Utah is urgently needed

Utah shelters need more foster families to temporarily take in some sweetie pies. It’s short term for you but has a lasting impact on the pets in your care.

Large dog breeds are the No. 1 type of foster animal in need of a temporary home, so if you have a lot of love to give, a big boy or gal will give a large amount of love in return. Additionally, overnight emergency fostering is often needed for kittens or puppies that need to be watched for just a night or two. 

Kittens often need urgent overnight care. Think of the fuzzy snuggles!

Foster families are in a unique position to provide detailed information about pets in their care. To help encourage adoption, you can provide images and video content of your time with the pet. Does Sally sploot when excited? Does Fido fetch really well? Cute photoshoots and video footage can influence potential adopters to take a pet home. 

Share any special information you discover about the pet. Does Scout love cuddling with children? Does Feefee need 15 minutes a day of hide-and-seek or other interactive play time? Give as many details as possible so adopters can get to know the pets.

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What to know about fostering shelter pets

Fostering pets helps the most vulnerable animals. They learn the skills needed to adapt to home life, and it can keep them away from stressful situations in the shelter. It also frees up space in the shelter, allowing more animals to be rescued. 

There are a few reasons why pets in a shelter may need foster care:

• The pet needs time away from the shelter to decompress. 

• They need a patient soul to work with them on behavioral issues.

• They have an injury or illness and need to be away from other animals or cared for while recovering.

• The pet is too young to be adopted and needs attentive care until its old enough. 

“Fostering is at the very heart of animal welfare. Amazing foster volunteers take home our most fragile animals for individual care. Without the love and care our fosters provide these young, injured, ill or just scared animals, many of them simply wouldn't survive to become a beloved new family member,” said Juli Ulvestad, Pet Resource Center director for the Humane Society of Utah.

It takes some patience, but you can help sweethearts such as Squash get on their way to recovery and into a loving home when you choose to foster a pet in need.

Be the one to help a little pupper with some manners or cool tricks.

Caring for an extra little pal is hard work. To make the fostering process easier on you, the Humane Society of Utah provides everything you need to properly care for the pet such as food, medicine and other supplies. If you are unable to foster a shelter pet, consider donating supplies from the Humane Society’s wish list. 

KSL continues our efforts to support ethical animal care and adoption. If you can’t wait a minute longer for a new friend, you can find adoptable shelter pets on KSL Classifieds. Or join KSL for the Humane Society of Utah’s free adoption day on July, 19, 2025, to get a fur baby for free.

Foster a pet today →