A strong online foster orientation gives prospective volunteers a clear first look at your program, explains how to apply, and prepares them to seek help. It should cover shared expectations and safety—not try to replace staff guidance, veterinary direction, or training tailored to a particular animal. Build it as a short, reusable introduction, then provide current, role-specific instructions as volunteers are approved and matched.
What an online foster orientation should accomplish
Use the orientation to help people decide whether fostering may suit them and to help your team understand their interests and readiness. Best Friends Animal Society identifies flexibility for applicants and less time spent repeating introductory sessions as benefits of an online format; these are stated benefits, not measured outcome guarantees. Its guidance also describes an intake flow that can gather basic information and check understanding before staff follow up.
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Set expectations from the start: fostering is a temporary placement, the animal’s needs can vary, and the organization remains the source for care instructions and support. Make clear that completing a general orientation does not automatically mean approval or replace any required training for an animal or foster role.
Build the flow from introduction to follow-up
Keep the steps easy to understand, and adapt them to your own screening and matching policies. Best Friends gives one example of a sequence; it is not a required template.
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- Introduce the organization and program. Explain the organization’s mission, how placements work, and what fostering may involve. Describe only the foster opportunities your program actually offers—such as short-term care, young animals, medical recovery, or behavior support.
- Collect relevant applicant information. Ask for contact details and the information you need to assess fit and make a match. Depending on your process, that may include interests, availability, household context, and prior experience.
- Present the orientation. Share a video, recorded session, or presentation that covers the program and common expectations.
- Check understanding. A few brief questions can confirm that applicants grasp key procedures and know where to find help. Best Friends’ example includes five short knowledge questions.
- Ask about foster interests. A short survey can help identify the kinds of placements an applicant is interested in and available for.
- Explain and collect the agreement. Give applicants the foster agreement used by your organization, explain what it means, and collect it according to your process.
- Tell applicants what happens next. Identify who reviews submissions, how matching works, how and when applicants should expect to hear from you, and how to ask questions.
Best Friends’ example combines contact information, an orientation video, five knowledge questions, an interest survey, and a signed agreement. Treat those elements as options to adapt, not as a universal screening standard. Keep questions relevant to your program and avoid collecting information you do not need.
Cover the practical expectations volunteers need to know
Use the orientation for information that applies broadly across your program. Pair it with manuals or follow-up materials written for the type of fostering and the individual animal. Best Friends’ Foster Programs Training Playbook, updated May 2022, recommends manuals suited to different kinds of fostering and identifies practical topics to cover.
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- Preparing the home: Explain the setup your organization expects before an animal arrives and where volunteers can find role-specific instructions.
- Routine care: Outline daily responsibilities at a general level, and point to the relevant manual for details that differ by animal or placement.
- Medical responsibilities: State what basic care a foster may be expected to provide and where that care will be provided. Explain how to get direction rather than offering generic medical advice.
- Bringing an animal home: Describe the handoff process and where to find instructions for the animal’s first days in care.
- Behavior support: Tell volunteers how to reach your team for behavior questions and what guidance or training is available.
- Emergencies: Explain how your organization defines or identifies an emergency, whom to contact, and what to do if the usual contact route is unavailable. Include current contact information and the program’s emergency protocol.
Do not rely on a general online lesson to teach case-specific medical or behavior decisions. For example, ASPCA’s Los Angeles kitten-fostering information describes virtual training, follow-up veterinary appointments, emergency veterinary arrangements, and temporary separation from household pets. Those are details of that local program, not universal requirements. ASPCA’s NYC foster information likewise describes an information session and application, with additional training depending on an animal’s needs.
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Choose a format your team can keep current
There is no evidence here that one delivery format works best for every organization. Best Friends describes three workable approaches: create a video with slides and animal clips, record an in-person orientation, or provide a presentation applicants can read. Choose based on your team’s capacity, applicants’ needs, and how clearly you can explain procedures.
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| Format | Useful when | Trade-off to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Video with slides or animal clips | You want a guided introduction that applicants can complete on their own schedule. | Plan how to update the recording when program information changes and how applicants can ask questions. |
| Recording of an in-person orientation | Your team already gives a live introduction and wants to reuse it for applicants who cannot attend. | Review the recording for outdated details; a captured session may not reflect current procedures. |
| Presentation applicants read | You need a straightforward format that is easy to revise. | Provide a clear way to clarify procedures and answer questions that the slides cannot resolve. |
Keep the first version simple enough to maintain. Best Friends advises not letting production complexity prevent a program from getting started. Whichever format you choose, name a staff owner for updates and give applicants a way to get current, program-specific answers.
Plan support beyond the orientation
Volunteers need to know where help comes from after they finish an introductory lesson. Best Friends’ training playbook recommends ongoing connection with the organization and among foster volunteers, including experienced volunteer mentors, regular training, and communication channels. ASPCA’s NYC program also describes additional training and engagement opportunities.
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- Give volunteers a clear route to program staff for routine questions.
- Explain how to access veterinary or behavior support and when to use each route.
- Provide emergency instructions that volunteers can find quickly, not only inside a long presentation.
- Offer further instruction when an animal’s needs or the type of placement calls for it.
- Help new fosters connect with experienced volunteers or other support available through your program.
Close the orientation with concrete next steps: what the applicant should submit, who will contact them, how matching is handled, and where to go while waiting. Do not imply that an applicant is approved, or ready for every type of placement, simply because they watched a video or passed a short quiz.
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Use only as much time as you need to explain the program, key expectations, and next steps clearly. The examples in published program pages are not benchmarks: Best Friends’ online orientation page says its process takes less than 30 minutes and that applicants receive sign-up instructions within 24–48 hours; ASPCA’s NYC page describes a 30-minute Foster Program Information Session. These timings refer to those organizations’ specific processes, not a recommended duration or service standard for every foster program.
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For your own program, test the flow with a prospective volunteer and check whether they can explain how to apply, where to find care instructions, and whom to contact for help. Revise confusing material and keep animal-specific instruction separate so the general orientation stays useful across placements.
Quick Recap
Sources and program examples
- Best Friends: Creating an Online Orientation for Animal Foster Care Volunteers
- Best Friends: Foster Programs Training Playbook (updated May 2022)
- ASPCA: Fosters Needed in NYC
- ASPCA: What Does It Mean to Be an Animal Foster Caregiver?
- Best Friends: Creating an Online Orientation for Foster Volunteers
- ASPCA: Kitten Fostering in Los Angeles
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