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 600 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, puppies and rabbits, nursing Moms with babies, as well as adult animals recovering from surgery or illness. 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. Complete the foster care program online foster care training and paperwork. A background check will be completed for all new foster parents.
Foster Program Requirements:
- You must be at least 18 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
April 2021
Meet our April Foster of the Month, Molly R! Molly has been fostering since April 2020. She had wanted to volunteer at Greenhill and thought fostering would be the most pandemic safe way of doing so. She also missed having a pet, but it wasn’t the right time for adopting one, so fostering turned out to be the ideal fit.
When asked about her most memorable fostering experience, Molly shared “Fostering Chloe, a 12 year old cat with a genetic eyelid condition, has been incredible. When she came to me she had had surgery on both her eyelids and was hissing at just about everything. She hid and slept a lot.
“But in a relatively short period of time she has transformed in physical condition and temperament under the care of Greenhill and OVRA. It has been a total team effort of which I am proud to be a part. Chloe is now coming out of her shell, romping around the whole house playfully. It warms my heart. This has been the most enjoyable journey.”
Molly told us that seeing and helping a foster heal is by far the most rewarding thing about her foster experience.
When asked why someone should foster, Molly shared, “Fostering is an amazing experience! Do it because you love animals and want to be a part of a shelter system that values vulnerable lives.”
When not fostering, Molly is an engineer and architect, and has practiced product design for many years. She has taught product design at UO, and has had a dream job designing snowboards. Molly shared that she’s currently at an inflection point in her life and career. “Now, I have become disabled and am at a moment of deciding what direction to take my future. I have applied for a Fulbright in France to study how smart cities can empower people with disabilities. It’d be an incredible and much needed project. The other direction is as a program manager for Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS). They are a Bend based non-profit providing ski lessons, instructions and experiences for people with all kinds of disabilities. It would align all my experience and passion (for skiing!!!) They taught me post-injury, and this is an amazing opportunity to pay it forward.” Whichever opportunity Molly decides to pursue, she will be much missed as a part of the Greenhill Foster Family when she embarks on her new adventures.
