Kentucky Humane Society

Foster Program 

Quick Start Guide

Thank you so much for considering joining our foster team!

We know you may have many questions so we’ve created a short “quick start guide” that covers the most important aspects of fostering with the Kentucky Humane Society.

Please ensure you keep this info handy so that you can reference back to it anytime. For a printable version, click here

We hope this information helps you acclimate as a new foster, we’re so thrilled to have you on our team! 

We are available 7 days a week at KHS!

All foster visits require an appointment. 

The address is 241 Steedly Dr in Louisville. 

All medical care and foster appointments are done here. To ensure the best care and support is provided to each of our foster families and the pets they’re caring for, we require all fosters to make appointments for any visits to the shelter with the exception of sick visits. 

Being on time to appointments is very important.

We frequently schedule appointments every 30 minutes and sometimes are double booked. Any late appointment can throw off our entire schedule and many times cause us to miss lunch or even leave work late. As much as we love our wonderful jobs, our staff does need lunch breaks and to be able to get home to their families on time. 

Communication

Please ensure all communication is going through the two methods below. Email is the most effective method of communication as it is consistently monitored by all members of our foster team. 

Approved Communication Methods: 

We have several staff members monitoring our foster email. Other forms of communication cause confusion among our team and create situations where important details can be missed. Keeping all communication in email will ensure that you receive a timely response and that all foster staff members are aware of your needs. Our goal is to provide our foster parents with the best care and support possible, and proper communication will ensure this happens!

Medical Concerns 

While the shelter thoroughly checks and treats all animals upon arrival to the shelter, most illnesses have an incubation period, meaning they can begin showing signs after arrival to their foster home. Your foster has received all of their initial vaccines, including dewormer and flea preventative. 

Please observe animals carefully and note any changes in their behavior or habits. If you notice any of the following symptoms, contact the foster team immediately.

Important note for all kitten fosters: 

Kittens should be WEIGHED DAILY, REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE.

Any weight loss or signs of illness (noted above) should be reported immediately. Any illness left untreated can progress very quickly, especially with kittens. It’s very important that they receive timely medical care at the first sign of illness.

Behavior Concerns

While animals are in foster, take note of any behavioral issues you observe, and contact the foster coordinator for assistance with training or if behavior becomes severe or dangerous in any way. Any sign of aggression should be taken seriously and KHS should be notified immediately so that we can begin modification on the behavior concerns. Behavior concerns include:

Positive Reinforcement Training

KHS solely endorses the use of positive reinforcement training, free from scolding and harsh correction. Decades of research supports positive reinforcement training as the most humane and effective form of training.

Please do not use ANY negative, fear or punishment based training with your foster pet. 

Please note

After Hours Emergency Line

In the event of an emergency, after hours ONLY, please call our emergency line at 502-515-3135 and leave a message. For emergencies occurring during office hours, please bring the animal directly to our Main Campus. Some medical concerns that constitute an emergency are shown below: 

To avoid the occurrence of emergencies, be aware of your foster pet’s behavior and report any significant changes in their wellbeing to the foster team quickly.  Please be aware that KHS has a policy in place that makes us unable to reimburse foster parents if they take animals to a personal vet or clinic outside of our veterinary network.

Thank you for fostering! Please contact us with any other questions or concerns!