Foster temporarily. Save a life without adopting.
Spanish shelters are overwhelmed. A foster home frees up space at the shelter for another rescued animal. You provide the home, the shelter provides everything else.
6 types of foster home
When you sign up, filter by the type of case that best fits your life.
One-off / short stay
Days or a few weeks: covering an unexpected situation, a weekend, or just enough time until an adoption closes. A brief, well-defined commitment.
Long / open-ended
A prolonged stay with no set departure date, while the shelter looks for a permanent family. For those who can commit in the medium term.
Post-op / convalescence
Recovery after surgery or illness: a quiet place, medication and care. Access to a network veterinarian included.
Neonatal / bottle-feeding
Orphaned or very young litters that need frequent feedings and a lot of attention until weaning. High dedication for weeks.
Palliative / senior
Older pets or those in palliative care who need calm and affection. Variable duration; cost of medication covered.
Special cases (PPP / exotic)
Dogs requiring special handling (PPP) or exotic animals that require specific knowledge. The shelter advises on the requirements.
What you get
Fostering is not adopting. It doesn't oblige you to anything. But you get a lot.
No cost
The shelter covers all the expenses: food, vet, accessories. You only provide the affection and a place at home.
Your timeframe
From days to months depending on the case. You decide how much you can commit to, with no pressure.
You save lives
A foster home frees up space at the shelter for another animal. Your home = a life saved.
No forced adoption
It doesn't oblige you to keep the pet. It's temporary. If you fall in love (it happens a lot), then yes — free adoption.
Full vet support
Access to medical records + free Mizuu network vets for the fostered pet.
Chat with the shelter
The rescue organisation supports you and answers your questions throughout the fostering period.
The process in 5 steps
From sign-up to your first case in under 1 hour.
- 1
You sign up
Basic details + address + the type of pet you can foster (species, size, children/no children, other pets).
- 2
You wait for cases
When a nearby shelter needs a foster home that fits you, you get a notification. You accept or pass.
- 3
You meet the pet
The shelter makes an in-person handover with all the supplies (bed, carrier, food). They explain its story.
- 4
You foster with peace of mind
You live with the pet for the agreed time. You report progress to the shelter periodically. Access to a network vet if anything comes up.
- 5
Return (or adoption)
The pet finds a permanent family. You return it when the shelter lets you know. Or, if you've fallen in love: adoption.
The Mizuu commitment
- Full reimbursement of unexpected vet expenses during the foster stay.
- No-questions return to the shelter if living together doesn't work out.
- Optional liability cover included (covers material damage).
- Priority to adopt if you decide to keep the fostered pet.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need previous experience?+
It's not required. The shelter guides you before your first foster stay + you're assigned a mentor (another experienced foster home) if you need one.
What if the pet breaks my things or makes a mess?+
It's part of the process. Shelters usually include liability insurance with the foster stay (covers damage). You cover minor damage; major damage is handled through the insurance.
Can I foster if I live in a rental?+
Yes, as long as the contract doesn't explicitly forbid pets. If the landlord asks, it's voluntary temporary fostering, not the same legal status as owning a pet.
What if my own pet doesn't accept the fostered one?+
Not every home is suitable for every pet. The shelter makes a careful match. If serious problems arise, the pet returns to the shelter with no pressure.
How long does a foster stay last?+
It depends on the case: from 5 days (post-op) to 4–6 months (puppies + socialization + finding a family). The timeframe is agreed at the start and respected.
What if I grow attached and want to keep the pet?+
It happens a lot! The protocol at Mizuu is: the foster home has priority to adopt if they wish. The shelter approves you ahead of any external candidate.
Do I receive any kind of compensation?+
It’s not a job, it’s volunteering. What you get: the satisfaction of helping and the support of the rescue organisation. If you need a volunteering certificate, ask the rescue organisation: they are the ones who issue it.
From an overwhelmed shelter to a free space
How a foster case reaches your home
You don't search: the shelter posts the position and Mizuu finds you. Every foster stay of yours is a space the shelter can give to another rescued animal.
- 01
The shelter posts the position
A verified shelter in your area creates a foster position on its dashboard: type of case (post-op, senior, puppy…), estimated duration and which home fits.
- 02
Mizuu finds the home that fits
We cross-reference that position with what you marked when signing up (species, size, children, other pets, distance). You only get cases that truly fit you.
- 03
You accept and free up space
When you accept, the animal leaves the shelter for your temporary home. That free kennel is taken by another rescued animal: your home multiplies the shelter's capacity without it spending a single euro more.
You never foster blind
Fostering a post-op case or a senior on medication can be daunting. That’s why fostering comes with full clinical support from Mizuu, not just a loose piece of paper.
The animal's digital passport
You receive the pet's health record: vaccines, surgeries, allergies, current treatment. Portable between clinics, so if you go to a network vet they already have it all in front of them.
Dose calculator
For foster stays with medication, the dose calculator (based on veterinary reference sources) confirms how much and how often according to weight. Goodbye to syringe doubts at three in the morning.
Back-up vets
Vets from the Mizuu network, free for the fostered pet, with their medical history to hand so you can decide quickly if something goes wrong.
Digital foster agreement
Before the handover you sign a digital agreement with the shelter inside Mizuu. It makes everything clear and in writing, with no paperwork or trips.
- The agreed duration and who covers which expenses.
- That ownership of the animal remains with the shelter.
- Liability cover and what to do in a veterinary emergency.
- Your priority to adopt if you decide to keep it.
It's the "foster" version of the trilateral digital contract Mizuu uses in its adoptions: clarity for you, for the shelter and for the animal.
You don't foster alone
Behind every foster home are other volunteers from the same rescue organisation. If you can’t manage one day, someone from the network can step in for you.
Transport
Volunteers who take the pet to the vet or to its new family when you can't get the car out.
Veterinary assistant
Experienced volunteers who help with the care and check-ups of the most delicate post-op cases.
Relief and walking
Dog walkers and backup foster homes that cover a weekend or a holiday of yours. The shelter posts the positions; you just ask for help.
And if you fall in love and decide to adopt?
It happens a lot. And it's super easy for you: you have priority over any external candidate and your 360 adopter profile is already done. Since you lived with the animal, the shelter already knows your home, so the process is almost immediate.
- Your 360 profile is reused: no repeating forms or interviews.
- The pet already lives with you: no readjustment to a new home.
- The digital passport and the NFC collar transfer to your name when the adoption closes.
Your foster stay is not an island
You're part of Mizuu
Your temporary home frees up a place at the shelter, the animal leaves with a Mizuu passport and collar for their adopter, the network of services looks after them and 15% of the shop's net profit goes back to shelters. All connected.
Rescues
Free software + trilateral digital contract. They list animals, foster placements and volunteering.
Fostering and volunteers
Foster homes that free up space at the shelter and volunteers from their area, coordinated by chat.
Adopter + history
Verified family. The animal arrives with its health record and its chip collar.
Services network
Vets, dog walkers, pet sitters, hotels, daycares, groomers and trainers with reviews and booking.
Neighbourhood rescue
If it goes missing, the whole neighbourhood searches for it in real time: chip collar, map and sightings.
Shop with impact
15% of net profit goes back to shelters (distribution committee + public audit).
And the circle closes: when you buy from the shop, 15% of net profit goes back to shelters. Free software for shelters, funded with purpose.
Ready to open your home?
It takes 5 minutes to sign up. No commitment to accept the first case. We let you know when one fits.
