Thank you for being a Foster Hero!

You are an important part of the SICSA pack

Do you have any medical concerns for your current foster animal? If so, please submit a Foster Medical Report. If you have a medical emergency, please call the foster emergency phone at (937) 280-6252. Not sure if it's a medical emergency? Click here.

Foster medical report

Need to schedule your foster pet's vaccination booster?

Make an appointment here

How can I help find my foster pet a home?

See all of the different ways you can make a difference in a pet's life.

Take notes

Provide our SICSA team with notes on how your foster pet is doing in the home. Hearing how great a pet is in a home environment may be just the thing a potential adopter is looking for!

Find the Foster Feedback Form Here

Find the Foster Fieldtrip Form Here

Take photos and video

People love seeing cute and funny pictures and videos of animals! Take some of your foster pet!

See photo guidelines and best practices below:

Share

Foster animals can be posted on your personal social media pages, and mentioned to friends, family members, coworkers and neighbors. Share cute photos and videos, updates on how they are doing, and encourage people to adopt.

Join our SICSA Foster Facebook group!

In our facebook group you will find Foster pleas, cute pictures, and can get to know other fosters that are a part of our program.

join the group here

Foster Coordinator

My name is Dawn and I started working at SICSA way back in 1998 as the Community Education Coordinator. I’ve worked in various roles over the years, but I’ve enjoyed my time as a Foster Coordinator the most. Working with animals is extremely rewarding, but working with our incredible foster volunteers has been an amazing experience as well.

Throughout the years, I’ve fostered just about every size and type of animal possible. Mom cats and kitten litters are my favorite and hold a special place in my heart. I love watching them grow and thrive before moving along to their new forever homes. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling and spending time with my husband. I also love to hang out at home with my very spoiled cats!

Foster Program Manager

My name is Michelle and started at SICSA in 2011 as an Adoption Counselor! I have worn many hats throughout my tenure and joined the Foster Team in April 2024 as the Foster Program Manager.

I started fostering for SICSA shortly after I started working here and I’ve never looked back. I’ve had more kittens in my home than I can count and have recently started fostering dogs, too! My favorite fosters are bottle babies and behavior dogs. Watching neonates grow in size and behavior dogs grow in maturity is such a rewarding experience!

In my free time, you’ll catch me hanging out with my cats and dogs, and Dock Diving with my senior Pittie, Ellie.

Have questions?

You can contact Olivia Lavoie during working hours by calling 937-294-6505 x21 or sending an email to foster@sicsa.org

Emergency Contact Available: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8AM to 4PM at 937-965-8590
For after-hour emergency questions, call 937-280-6252.

Missing or lost foster pet? Notify Olivia Lavoie (Foster Coordinator) at 937-294-6505 ext. 21 and Megan Wyant (Animal Care Manager) at 937-294-6505 ext. 11 then follow our Lost Pet Protocol here.

Know someone interested in adopting your foster pet?

Have the potential adopter fill out a cat or dog pre-adoption questionnaire, including either the animal’s name or your name where prompted.

Dog Questionnaire

click here

Cat Questionnaire

click here

Ready to bring home another foster pet?

As a foster caregiver, you can help our animals learn all about the safety, comfort, and love that comes with living in a stable environment. Our Foster team will provide you with any supplies, resources, and support you may need- all we ask is that you provide a loving home and some TLC!

Find helpful resources below

Resources are provided by Maddie's Fund

medical & wellness - Cats & Dogs

Seeing a very young kitten or puppy in pain or sick can be scary, especially if you are unsure whether the problem is an emergency or not. It is important to be aware of kitten and puppy survival rates, and to understand what the most common emergencies are in kittens and puppies between 0-4 weeks of age. You should know when to seek emergency veterinary care for kittens and puppies between 0-4 weeks of age, and what you can do to help them until emergency veterinary care can be obtained.

More Info Here

There are many causes of diarrhea in cats and dogs. Some, like stress and diet changes, are simple and easy to fix. Others, like inflammatory bowel disease, are more complicated to diagnose and treat. Diarrhea is not exactly a very rewarding part of being a foster caregiver, but having a good plan makes things much easier. Using the Purina Fecal Scoring System and knowing what to look for when examining diarrhea enables foster caregivers to evaluate the situation. Recognizing when veterinary attention is needed and understanding what can be done at home gives a set of tools to address the problem.

More Info Here

Dog foster Training & Resources

Introducing your foster dog to a stranger in your home can be fun and easy; some dogs however might be a little shy or get over excited. With a little training and patience, introductions can be positive and allow your foster dog to make a great first impression. This short video, on introducing your foster dog to a stranger at your house, will demonstrate easy and ultimately rewarding steps to help your foster dog greet new people in a safe and relaxed manner.

Watch Video Here

Having a shy foster dog doesn't mean you can't have people over to your house. In fact, having people visit your house in a controlled setting can actually help your shy foster dog. The goal is to make the experience for both your guest and your shy foster dog as pleasant as possible. The better the experience for your shy foster dog the more comfortable they will be the next time it happens. In this short video you will learn some helpful tools and techniques to make your shy foster dogs interactions with new people a good experience instead of something to fear.

Watch Video Here

Going to a foster home is a great experience for homeless dogs. The foster family provides a comfortable, loving environment while these dogs await their forever home. Occasionally, despite a foster caregiver's best efforts to ensure their new foster dog is comfortable in their home, some dogs can become stressed when being left home alone even to point of becoming destructive. In this short video you will learn some tips on how to best prevent your foster dog from feeling anxious when they are left home alone.

Watch Video Here

cat foster Training & Resources

Cat communication signals can be so subtle, it’s easy to miss or to misinterpret what a cat is trying to say. Learning the must-know cat communication signs, including the initial whispers of fear, anxiety and stress as well as the key signs of calm contentment is protective. Learn ways to better understand your cat in the following cat body language guide for safer, happier interactions and strengthened feline friendships.

Watch Video Here

learn how to understand the various issues related to owner surrender of cats with a history of inappropriate litter box use, the various medical and behavioral causes of peeing and/or pooping outside the litter box, techniques to eliminate behavioral causes of not using the litter box, and how to facilitate a successful adoption of a cat with a history of inappropriate litter box use.

Learn More Here

Bottle baby foster Training & Resources

Transitioning a kitten or puppy to solid food can be an amusing, yet messy and challenging process. When should a young foster be transitioned to solid food? What type of solid food should be used during the transitioning process? This class will cover these questions and more to make the weaning process easier, especially for foster caregivers who are trying to wean kittens or puppies for the first time.

More Info Here

Looking for additional resources?

Find more here!

Thank you for being a Foster Hero!

Need to schedule your foster pet's vaccination booster?

How can I help find my foster pet a home?

See photo guidelines and best practices below:

Join our SICSA Foster Facebook group!

Foster Coordinator

Foster Program Manager

Have questions?

Know someone interested in adopting your foster pet?

Ready to bring home another foster pet?

Find helpful resources below

medical & wellness - Cats & Dogs

Dog foster Training & Resources

cat foster Training & Resources

Bottle baby foster Training & Resources

Looking for additional resources?

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