- 550 Route 22 Pawling NY, 12564
- 845-493-0094
- Contact@happylifeanimalrescue.org
Somewhere in the Hudson Valley tonight, a dog or cat is waiting for a warm bed instead of a kennel run. You can be that home — for a few weeks, no strings attached.
Foster With Us!Fostering is what lets us say yes to one more animal. Happy Life Animal Rescue is a limited-intake shelter — we only bring in as many animals as we can properly care for — and every open foster home directly expands that capacity. We place 600–700 animals a year, entirely on donations, and fosters are the reason many of those animals had anywhere to go while they waited for their forever home.
When you foster, you're not just housing an animal. You're giving a dog or cat pulled from an overcrowded shelter or a dangerous situation the calm, individual attention that helps them decompress, get healthy, and become ready for adoption.
Fill out our foster application so we can learn about your home and availability.
Our foster team matches you with an animal that fits your home, schedule, and experience.
Bring your foster home. We cover vetting and supplies — the foster team and our private Facebook group are there for questions along the way.
Your foster gets adopted into their forever home, and you've opened a spot to help the next animal in need. Fall in love? Fosters are welcome to adopt after fostering at least three times.
The average foster stay is approximately 2–3 weeks, though some animals may need more time depending on their situation. All animals that come to us are held for about a week before they're available for adoption. If you can only foster for a shorter period, let us know in advance so we can plan accordingly.
Fosters must be at least 18 years old. If you rent, we require landlord approval to have an animal in the home. Fosters are expected to be able to attend adoption events as well as any necessary vet appointments.
Happy Life provides a crate, leash, collar, and food, and covers all vetting costs. We ask fosters to provide a safe and loving environment. If your foster needs to see a vet, get in touch with us.
For medical or other serious questions, email the foster team and they'll follow up with you. For general questions, fosters are encouraged to join the foster group chat on Band, our volunteer app.
Not exactly. We typically prioritize placing animals that have been with us the longest and have completed their vetting, since fostering helps get them ready for adoption sooner. We'll still take your home and experience into account when matching you.
First-time fosters aren't permitted to adopt their foster pet. We ask fosters to foster at least three times before adopting. It can be hard to let your first foster go, but remember — you're changing lives by making room for the next animal who needs you.
Every foster home means one more animal gets a second chance.
Foster With Us!