The Capital Humane Society’s Adoption Ambassador Program is a specialty division of the Foster Program. As an Adoption Ambassador, our fosters provide excellent in-home care, as well as act as their animal’s primary promoter and facilitator of the adoption process.
Mission Statement
The mission of our Adoption Ambassador Foster Program is to:
- Reduce “in shelter” animal numbers in order to minimize illness and disease.
- Gain more accurate behavioral information regarding an animal in order to facilitate long-term successful adoptions.
- Ensure the highest quality of life for an animal in order to uphold the organization’s core values.
Program Benefits
- Animals are given the opportunity to reside in a home environment away from the stress of the shelter while they await adoption.
- Fosters are able to gain more accurate information about an animal’s behavior in the home allowing them to make successful adoption matches.
- Fosters have the opportunity to build long-term relationships post-adoption.
- Creates ongoing opportunities for community engagement and spreads our message of caring throughout the city.
Program Requirements
- Support of The Capital Humane Society’s mission and philosophies.
- Access to a reliable source of transportation.
- Primary caretaker must be at least 19 years of age.
- Active email address and social media account.
- Proof of up to date vaccination and licensing for all animals already within the household.
- Own home or proof that residence is “animal friendly”.
- Cannot have a documented history of neglect or abuse towards animals.
Adoption Ambassador Responsibilities
- Provide basic animal care.
- Provide behavior modification and medication administration as needed.
- Promote their foster animal on social media, in public, and at adoption events.
- Screen potential adopters and schedule appointments for adoption interactions.
- Facilitate adoption interactions either at their home or the shelter.
- Process adoption paperwork and ready the animal to go home.
Which Animals Are Eligible
Animals whose length of stay at the shelter has already exceeded, or is anticipated to exceed, the current average length of stay are eligible for the Adoption Ambassador Program. All animals in the program will already be spayed or neutered, have received a thorough health check as well as necessary vaccines, and have passed a behavior assessment.
Determination Of An Animal’s Eligibility
Capital Humane Society’s Behavior Coordinator in collaboration with the Adoption Ambassador Committee determines an animal’s eligibility for placement in the program. The following are some general factors that may influence an animal’s length of stay and make them a candidate: age, health, “breed”, size, and/or behavior (observed in the shelter and/or reported by a previous owner).
Foster Length Of Stay
Ideally an animal in this program will be adopted within 1-2 months of being placed in a foster home; however the actual foster length of stay will vary from animal to animal. The program has been designed with the hopes that the animal will continue to reside in foster until they are adopted, even if this exceeds the 1-2 month goal. Fosters participate in regular weekly check-ins with the Director of Community Engagement in order to evaluate the status of the foster and determine if additional support or changes are needed. Fosters should also note that if the animal in their care is not a suitable match for their household or lifestyle they may return the animal at will.
Training
In addition to general foster training, Adoption Ambassador’s receive training in the following areas:
- Behavior modification specific to their animal’s needs, if applicable.
- Administering medication/ general medical, if applicable.
- How and where to promote their foster animal.
- How to recruit, screen, and process an adoption.
Capital Humane Society Provides:
- On-site medical, behavioral support, & supplies for the foster animal only.
- Behavioral support and training with Behavior Coordinator.
- Basic pet supplies including food, litter, bedding, toys and enrichment items for the foster animal only.
- “Adopt me” vests and collars.
- Other customized promotional materials for their specific foster animal.
- Opportunities to attend media and adoption events.
- The animal's adoption profile will be visible on The Capital Humane Society’s website and corresponding third-party adoption search engines. Capital Humane Society will post on the organization’s various social media platforms in order to assist with recruitment of an adopter.
Questions?
Contact Director of Community Engagement, Lindsay Thompson at lthompson@capitalhumanesociety.org.
