How Foster 50 Is Changing the Game for Animals in Need

Anyone who has spent any time in animal welfare knows the truth: fostering saves lives. The research confirms it. Dogs who spend even a short time in foster homes are far more likely to be adopted, with one study showing that even brief stays can make dogs up to 14 times more likely to find families.

Since COVID, something has changed. Fostering is no longer just a quiet, behind-the-scenes safety net — it’s stepping into the spotlight and becoming a nationwide call to action.

In 2025, Adopt a Pet joined PEDIGREE Foundation and a coalition of animal welfare organizations to launch the Foster 50 Challenge, a first-of-its-kind program supporting shelters and rescues across all 50 states. The goal is to help them expand or launch foster programs that bring out pets’ true personalities and give overcrowded shelters and rescues much-needed breathing room.

Adopt a Pet invested $20,000 in technology grants as part of the program, which awarded Foster 50 Challenge grants to 29 shelters and rescues to build, test, and scale smarter, better-supported foster systems. For many organizations facing overcapacity, long-stay pets, and staffing shortages, those resources arrived at exactly the right time.

Read more about this year’s event here.

Thinking About Fostering? Let’s Make It Happen.

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How Foster 50 is shifting the landscape

We’ve long known that having people open their homes to pets at shelters and rescues is a win for everyone involved. In a home, pets can relax, decompress, and show off their personalities, which truly make them shine. This helps match them with the right adopters. Fostering also reduces kennel stress and illness, leading to healthier pets for those still waiting to be adopted.

The Foster 50 Challenge helps shelters and rescues unlock these benefits through its collaboration with Petcademy, an online resource that provides accessible, affordable, high-quality training and behavioral support for pet parents. The Foster 50 Challenge also offers grants to help shelters and rescues make short-term fostering visible, valued, and easy for everyone to try. The program encourages families to say “yes” even if they can’t adopt, and it gives shelters and rescues the tools they need to welcome more fosters — without increasing their workload.

When people embrace the need for fostering:

• Stress drops for pets (especially larger dogs and cats)

• Adoptions increase

• Fosters feel confident and supported

• Staff workloads lighten

• Pets move through the system more smoothly

• Communities reconnect with their shelters and rescues

Personalizing the foster movement

One of the most powerful aspects of the Foster 50 Challenge is hearing firsthand how grantees used their support to strengthen fostering from the inside out. At Animal Care and Control Team in Philadelphia (ACCT Philly), Petcademy became a lifeline for communication. According to the team at ACCT Philly, “[It] facilitated better communications with foster volunteers and helped to get timely updates.” It also surfaced behavior patterns — such as leash pulling or reactivity — that they can now proactively address.

Ohio’s Alleycats & Aristocats saw immediate improvements when their fosters got round-the-clock access to training modules on topics such as litter box challenges and socialization. The rescue explained that this “reduced returns due to preventable issues and ensured fosters were well-equipped from the start.”

Forever Fortunate Felines in the Chicago area found that adopters loved Petcademy, too — using it to troubleshoot questions after bringing home pets. They shared that the added support “helped reduce returns” and allowed them to rescue more cats overall.

And when the only foster coordinator at Knoxville’s Humane Society Tennessee Valley (HSTV) left unexpectedly, Doobert, a software platform for animal rescuers, filled the gap. Foster 50 grant recipients were given access to Doobert, which helped them recruit, manage, and onboard foster volunteers. Thanks to 24-7 support, HSTV says placements “continued smoothly despite the staffing transition.”

Innovation from coast to coast

Across the 29 organizations funded by Adopt a Pet, creative problem-solving is everywhere. Now Jenni’s Rescue Ranch in Texas can offer behavioral advice to their fosters, which gives them the support they need to feel confident, even with dogs who’d survived difficult pasts. During the Foster 50 Challenge, the rescue transported 20 foster dogs to the Pacific Northwest, and every single one found a forever home. The team says the dogs “left as happy, well-adjusted companions,” adding that the pride they saw in fosters “reminds us why this work matters so deeply.”

Southern Pines Animal Shelter in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, used Petcademy’s tools to streamline communication. Before the Foster 50 Challenge, it had always been difficult to consistently gather photos and updates from fosters. Petcademy “prompted them to answer questions and submit photos,” finally creating a one-stop solution.

If you’re curious about the different types of fostering — from the benefits of fostering pets to the ins and outs of puppy or kitten care — Adopt a Pet offers a range of articles and specialized guides to help you get started.

If you’re new to fostering and feeling hesitant, check out our “Questions to Ask Before Fostering a Dog” guide to ease your concerns. Curious about how simple it can be? Ease into fostering a pet by first understanding what to expect. If you ultimately end up falling in love and becoming a foster fail, you’re in great company.

If fostering isn’t the right fit for you right now, there are still plenty of ways to help animals in your community. 

A national effort driven by local passion

Together with the PEDIGREE Foundation and the Foster 50 Challenge partners across the country, Adopt a Pet is helping foster programs rise from quiet helpers to a national lifesaving strategy. One pet, one home, one small step — that’s how movements grow.