Foster!
The Washington Ferret Rescue & Shelter has a network of more than 20 active foster homes throughout the Puget Sound region. We are so very, very grateful to these incredible volunteers and thank them for their commitment to helping ferrets.
Foster parents are a special kind of volunteer. Fosters at WFRS are not a temporary placement as in some shelters. For us, a foster is a permanent placement of a special-needs ferret who otherwise wouldn't have a chance for a home. Some have severe behavioral issues, some have chronic ailments that will need medication and treatment for life, and some are hospice - or as we say, fospice!
By placing the ferret in a foster home that is tightly involved with the shelter, we accomplish several things:
- Ferrets get to live in a home environment with someone who is watching them closely, and who has been trained to deal with their issues, and who has access to the shelter medical resources.
- The shelter ensures that the fosters get the medical care they need, and can monitor them closely.
- The shelter has more space for adoptable ferrets, which can be placed in permanent adoptive homes.
Get Started
Please understand that fostered ferrets are never going to be young, bouncy babies. They will be older, with specific needs. While there are several tiers of difficulty in ferret fostering, from a once-a-month injection to end-of-life care, some qualities will be very helpful (but are not required) if you are considering fostering.
- A medical or veterinary background.
- No fear of needles.
- Existing experience with ferrets and ferret care.
Our volunteers will teach you what you need to know, but fostered ferrets must be seen by the shelter director or another shelter representative at least once a month, to be sure that the ferret's needs are being met.
If you think fostering might be a good option for you, please contact us by phone or email, or schedule an appointment to stop by the shelter. We'd love to introduce you to our ferrets and talk with you about our foster program.
Paperwork
While these forms are currently under revision as of August 2023, you can take a look at them for more information about fostering for WFRS: