From the statistics collected by the Humane Society Organization, every year, nearly 2.7 million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters around U.S.A just simply because there is not enough space in shelters for the pets. All pet shelters around our country have to face the overpopulation issue everyday.

When you decide to adopt or foster a pet, you’re doing one of the best things to help the homeless pet communities of our country. However, sometimes, it’s difficult to pick which one is the best for you, adopting or fostering. This post will help you have more insights about what is expected and required for adopting and fostering, and from that you can make a right decision for the sake of your pet’s lifelong wellbeing and your lifestyle.

Time of commitment

The most basic difference between adoption and fostering is the time of commitment. Adopting is about a full-time commitment that should last along the span of the pet’s life. Think about 10, 15 or 20 years if you want to adopt puppies or kittens. In other hand, fostering is about a full-time commitment, which lasts for only a period of time. The time of fostering ranges between a few days to a few months depending on the pet’s conditions and policies of each pet organization. When you find that you’re not ready for a long-time commitment yet because of your school, work, travel or your house already having pets, fostering is better for your situation.

Responsibilities and requirements for adopting and fostering

Adopting and fostering require a number of shared responsibilities and requirements. When you choose to adopt a furry friend, you have to ensure that you can afford time and necessary resources to provide for the pet until the span of your pet’s life. Time and resources are required to provide for the medical treatment, food, toys, training and proper care for your pet. Also, you should discuss in advance with your family about adoption for mutual understanding and consent. Adoption programs will ask you and all your family members including your resident pets go to meet your new pet in order to know about him and welcome him. Many of the pets had rough pasts so they deserve love, care and a welcoming, stress-free environment.

For fostering, the responsibilities and required efforts are not something to be overlooked as well. Many dogs and cats are brought to pet shelters as results of being abused, neglected or a serious lack of proper training. The foster pets need an accommodating, stress-free environment with one-on-one attention to help them restore their healthy conditions and basic socialization skills.

Foster homes are considered the transitory place for pets before their adoptive phase, as they are the places for the pets to heal, grow and learn basic manners as well as socialization skills. This will help the dogs and cats get back quickly to live in harmony with people and other animals. Therefore, as a foster candidate, you have to get prepared to provide enough time and resources for food, toys, and proper care for the pets. In order to help the pets restore their health quickly and find their best matches in adoption, you’re also expected to be able to transport the foster pets to medical treatments (or emergency), and adoptive events. You should help the adoption programs to identify the individual traits of your foster pet in order to find a suitable match in adoption. Last but not least, make sure you’re allowed to have pets in the places you’re residing in.

Many foster pets may not get neutered or spayed yet and some of them are still under medical treatment during foster time. If you have your own pets at home, it’s advisable to design a separate spot for your foster pet during the first days to prevent illness transmission or any potential accident.

Choose one that is right for you

Either adopting or fostering would be exhausting or messy for you at the beginning as your pets are trying to regain control of their physical and mental states. However, adopting or fostering means a lot for the pets and you’re saving their life. In return, this is a rewarding experience for you and what the pets bring back to you is immense and unforgettable. Understand your situations well to pick the right way to help these adorable homeless pets. To know more about specific requirements and processes to adopt or foster, you can check out at your local shelters’ website or big organization like PAWS organization.