Foster Team: Canine Foster Volunteer – Always needed!

Canine Foster Volunteers provide a safe, loving and temporary home for puppies, senior dogs and adult dogs with specific needs. You must have the ability to separate the foster animals from any pets in your home by keeping them in a separate room, if necessary. We will provide training and all the supplies you need.

Annually our Animal Care Team look after more than 1500 animals onsite and, thanks to our Foster Volunteers, over 1000 additional cats and dogs are cared for in loving foster homes.

Description

Canine Foster Volunteers are responsible for helping puppies (litter sizes can range from 4-6 puppies), seniors and / or adult dogs in their care thrive until they are ready to be adopted. This will include feeding the animals at least twice a day, possibly more, potty training (for puppies), and exercising and socializing the animals. It may also include bottle feeding and administering oral medications.

Time Commitment

Typically varies from 1 to 4 hours a day depending on the situation. Foster terms generally last between 2 and 10 weeks, and we ask for an overall, combined commitment of 6 months to fostering.

Roles and Responsibilities

Maintain clean and tidy environment
Provide treats, food, clean water and clean bedding as required
Provide puppy pee-pad training, if necessary
Bathe and groom dogs, as necessary and if comfortable doing so
Interact with dogs for walks, training and socialization
Provide a structured environment and reinforce behaviours that make dogs more adoptable
Assist in the maintenance of dogs’ health and welfare
Administer medication, as required and as instructed
Ensure any veterinary appointments are kept
Return dogs to GTHS Animal Centre as required (for surgery, treatment, adoption…)
Ensure dogs are safe and secure
Follow appropriate protocol, policies and procedures

Qualifications

Be at least 18 (younger members of the household may assist the primary Foster Volunteer and gain volunteer hours – please contact volunteer@gths.ca for details)
Everyone in the household must be in agreement
A room for fostering
Committed to animal welfare
Experience fostering puppies and/or dogs is preferred, but not necessary
Dog handling experience is required
Experience interacting with dogs with behavioural concerns is essential (if accepting foster cases of this nature)
Willing to learn to bottle feed (if fostering pregnant/nursing moms or puppies)
Willing to provide medication
Self motivated
Ability to read and follow directions
Ability to follow protocol
Good communication skills

Positions currently available

We’re always looking for Canine Foster Volunteers to join our Foster Team. Our greatest areas of need are caring for: pregnant moms, moms with their puppies and puppy litters. Please apply today to open your heart and home to animals in need!

All applications are acknowledged, so please check your email inbox (and junk/spam folder) for a response. Due to the holiday period, applications and enquiries will be responded to week commencing January 5th 2026.

Foster Team: Canine Foster Volunteer – Always needed!

Description

Time Commitment

Roles and Responsibilities

Qualifications

Positions currently available

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