Current Foster Parents: find your foster resource library here!
Have you ever thought about fostering?
Thank you for your interest in the Foster Care Program! Together our foster parents make an enormous contribution to Greenhill and the animals of our community by caring for over 700 animals per year when they need us the most. Without these dedicated volunteers, Greenhill could not provide loving homes to nearly as many deserving animals as we do each year.
We are always looking for foster parents who can open their hearts and their homes to many types of animals such as kittens and puppies, adult animals recovering from surgery or illness, and animals who just need a break from the stress of the shelter environment. Foster stays can vary from 2 weeks to several months, depending on the animal’s needs and the foster parent’s availability.
If you have questions or would like more information about this rewarding opportunity, please contact Kristi Chizacky, Foster Care Manager, at 541-689-1503 
ext. 114 or e-mail foster@green-hill.org. Or click on the Foster Care Application link below to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
Click here to view frequently asked questions about fostering.
Steps to Becoming a Foster Parent:
1. Please review the foster program requirements (please see below).
2. Please complete the online Foster Care Application by clicking here. If you would like to volunteer (not foster), please complete the online Volunteer Application on the Volunteering page.
3. Upon receipt of your Foster Care Application, we will contact you to further discuss your interests and the foster care program with you.
4. Attend a foster care interview and training session (to be scheduled with foster care staff).
Foster Program Requirements:
- You must be at least 19 years of age to become a foster parent. Children are encouraged to participate fully in this rewarding experience with their parents.
- Landlord approval is required for all foster parents who rent their residence. Please confirm with your landlord that you are approved to foster animals prior to submitting a foster care application. We will contact your landlord to discuss any fostering restrictions.
- Current vaccinations are required for all foster parents’ dogs/cats prior to
placing a foster animal in your home. Please confirm that your animals are up-to-date on their vaccinations prior to submitting a foster care application. We also recommend you speak with your veterinarian to make sure fostering is a good fit for you and your pets.
Monthly Foster Spotlight
May 2019
Meet our Foster of the month, Aletta B.! She has been a foster mom since 2004! “My 19-year-old cat had been euthanized several months prior, and I could not yet adopt, as I planned an international trip in the middle of that year. I fostered a litter in March-April and another litter when I returned from the trip. I also wanted to have a new activity in my life to celebrate a milestone.” Aletta said.
We asked Aletta what her most memorable foster experience was and she said: “Last year I fostered a cat who had been hit by a car. A person who witnessed the accident brought the cat into Greenhill. One of the cat’s hips had been dislodged…When I first met the cat, she looked fragile, and I was worried that I wasn’t up to the job of keeping her inactive while she mended from the surgery. She was housed in a large crate, and keeping the crate clean without letting the cat jump or run about while she was briefly outside it was the principal challenge. Somehow the cat and I managed, and when I brought her back to the surgeon who had turned her over to me two months prior, the pin and hip were firmly in place. The cat even managed to jump up four feet onto one of the counters in the vet’s office to demonstrate her renewed agility. I remember how the surgeon smiled when he saw that. The cat is attractive and spirited and was quickly adopted. How satisfying to have been a part of this!”
Aletta is a retired professor of anthropology. She continues research in the Pacific Islands, especially in Papua New Guinea, among an ethnic group that occupies adjacent valleys in the PNG Highlands. “My research has been conducted over a 40-year period, so I am able to write about this group from early contact to the postcolonial present, when gold mining has had a tremendous impact.”
“Greenhill is a wonderful organization devoted to the care of cats and dogs primarily (but also smaller animals such as rabbits and gerbils) and funded entirely through contributions from community members, who also volunteer in droves. Coordinating with Greenhill staff, and/or with other professionals in the area such as OVRA veterinarians, is itself a treat. And then there is the pleasure of meeting the animals and looking after them as they are readied for adoption or, in some cases, to be returned to owners who were unable to take care of them for a period of weeks or months.”