Supporting Our Hospital Patients and Their Beloved Pets

What will your pet do if you are unexpectedly hospitalized for a month or more? What if your family moves to be closer to the hospital – and you – but the emergency housing is not pet-friendly? Across the country, every day, pet-lovers and animal caregivers are hospitalized, but their animals still need daily food, water, and love. Without a close family member or trusted friend who can care for their pet until the owner recovers, hospitalized pet owners are forced to surrender their beloved companion animal to a shelter and never see them again. The probability of being reunited again is extremely low, as pets are either re-homed or euthanized due to overcrowding in animal shelters. Even today, over one third of animals who enter a shelter are euthanized – and the total loss of a beloved pet because of a temporary illness can be devastating.

Most pet owners consider their pet a member of the family, and knowing that they will see their animal again can give a hospital patient the hope they need to keep fighting for recovery. PACT’s Hospital Foster Program provides the support that is crucial to both the animal’s well-being and the owner’s peace of mind.

How It Works – Fostering a Hospital Animal

PACT works directly with hospital patients, their families, and social workers, to match the companion animal with an appropriate foster home that will give them the care and love they need while their hospitalized owner recovers. We facilitate the foster home placement via our Foster Agreement – a written agreement that outlines the terms of the relationship and protects the interests of all parties involved.

During the foster term, PACT remains in close contact with the foster home to ensure the pet is settling in to a loving and safe environment, and PACT continues to work with the foster home caregivers regarding any issues or concerns that may arise. PACT has a network of animal volunteers to help should an emergency arise at the foster home, and provides the fosters with assistance when necessary by coordinating transport, professional trainers, groomers, kennels, food and supply support, and veterinary discounts for foster animals. Our foster programs are free, however we ask that pet owners cover their beloved animals necessary expenses while in the foster home (food, grooming, veterinarian costs, etc).

While the owner is hospitalized, the foster family provides owners with regular updates on their pet’s well-being, recent activities, and care in the fosters home via emails, texts, photographs and/or video.

Please contact info@pactforanimals.org with any questions you may have. We are happy to hear from you.

Foster Agreement

If you are interested in fostering one of these great animals, then click here to fill out the online application, and contact info@pactforanimals.org about the pet you want to foster. Hospital patients, click here to submit a companion animal in need of fostering.

We need your support!

Help us make a difference by becoming a foster parent to a companion animal of those in need or by financially supporting our foster programs. Please click here to donate whatever you can to continue to keep these emergency services free to all military personnel and hospital patients in need.