Most of us don’t plan for the day when we might suddenly be unable to care for our pet.
An unexpected hospital stay. A health problem that makes things difficult at home. Losing your accommodation. Leaving an unsafe situation. These things can happen quickly and leave very little time to work out what happens next.
For pet owners, there is often another question alongside everything else:
What will happen to my pet?
For someone already dealing with a difficult situation, finding somewhere safe for an animal to stay can feel overwhelming. Friends and family may not be able to help. Boarding can be expensive. Temporary accommodation may not allow pets. And permanent rehoming may feel like an impossible decision when the hope is to have their pet home again.
This is where Pet Fostering Service Scotland can help.
Temporary care can make a difficult situation more manageable
PFSS provides temporary foster care for pets when their owners are unable to look after them because of circumstances such as illness, homelessness or domestic abuse.
The aim isn’t to replace the owner’s home permanently. It’s to provide a safe place for their pet while they deal with what is happening in their own lives.
That might mean a few days, several weeks or sometimes much longer.
Every situation is different.
Having somewhere safe for their pet can give owners one less thing to worry about while they attend hospital appointments, work with housing services, find somewhere safe to live or deal with whatever else their circumstances require.
Why planning ahead can help
Sometimes there is warning that a difficult period is coming. A planned hospital admission, for example, can give someone time to think about who might look after their pet.
But many situations aren’t planned.
An emergency can happen overnight. Someone may have to leave their home quickly or suddenly find themselves unable to provide the care their pet needs.
Knowing that services such as PFSS exist can make a difference.
It means pet owners, family members and professionals supporting them have somewhere to turn when informal arrangements aren’t possible.
The people behind the service
PFSS couldn’t provide this support without its foster carers.
Across Scotland, volunteers open their homes to pets belonging to people going through difficult circumstances. They provide food, companionship, walks, attention and a safe place to stay until the pet can return home.
Fostering isn’t about taking someone’s pet away from them.
It’s about helping to make temporary separation safer and more manageable when there isn’t another option.
Our foster carers are also supported by the PFSS team throughout the fostering period. You don’t have to know exactly what to expect before you enquire about becoming a foster carer. We can talk through what’s involved and whether fostering would be suitable for you.
There is still a need for more foster homes
PFSS supports pets across Scotland and the need for temporary foster care continues.
Dogs make up around 75% of the pets we foster, with cats making up around 24% and the remaining 1% made up of small furries and birds.
At the moment, we particularly need foster carers who can accommodate medium and large dogs.
Having more suitable foster homes means we can respond when an owner needs help rather than having to turn them away because there is nowhere appropriate for their pet to go.
You can help even if you can't foster
Fostering isn’t the only way to support PFSS.
Donations help us continue providing the service and our Hardship Fund can help with veterinary costs when an owner is unable to meet them.
You can also help by fundraising, sharing information about PFSS or telling someone you know about the need for foster carers.
Every new person who hears about PFSS is another potential volunteer, supporter or connection to someone who may need our help.
To donate £5, text 4025 to 70970.
A difficult situation doesn't have to mean losing a pet
When life changes suddenly, pet owners already have enough to think about.
Being able to say, “There is somewhere safe for my pet to go” can remove one small but incredibly important worry.
At PFSS, that’s what our volunteers and supporters help make possible.
Because sometimes temporary care is exactly what a person and their pet need to get through a difficult time.
Could you help provide it?
If you’d like to find out more about becoming a foster carer, please contact PFSS at info@pfss.org.uk