GOOD NEWS FROM HOME | COMMUNITY & PETS

No passport required. No embassy assignment. Formal wear is optional, although a bandana probably helps.

A recent story by Alex Rivero of WTOC highlighted an unusual local assignment at the Humane Society for Greater Savannah. The organization’s Adoption Ambassador Program allows approved foster families to take an adoptable animal home and help that pet find a permanent family without returning to the adoption center first.

The title sounds official. The job description is considerably more furry.

A Different Kind of Foster Assignment

According to WTOC, Adoption Ambassadors may care for a dog, cat or even a small animal such as a rabbit. The pet stays in the Ambassador home while the family helps with socialization, promotion and the search for an adopter.

WTOC reported that Ambassador families can help screen prospective adopters, arrange meet and greets and share the animal through social media and personal networks.

That home setting can also reveal the details people really want to know before adopting. Does the dog settle down after dinner? Does the cat enjoy visitors? Is the rabbit comfortable being handled? Does the dog consider every delivery driver a matter requiring immediate investigation?

Those details can help make a better match.

The Goal Is a Direct Trip Home

The program is designed so that an Adoption Ambassador animal can remain in the foster home until a permanent adoption is arranged.

That means less movement for the animal and more opportunity for a prospective adopter to learn what the pet is actually like in a normal household.

The Humane Society continues supporting the animal during the placement. Its official foster program says HSGS provides food, supplies and medical care. WTOC also reported that Adoption Ambassador animals continue receiving behavioral support.

Who Can Foster?

  • Foster parents must be at least 18 years old and complete an application.
  • Reliable transportation is required for appointments and emergencies.
  • Fosters must live in Chatham County or within an approved surrounding area.
  • Foster animals generally remain in the foster home and should not be taken outside the county unless HSGS approves it.
  • Regular communication with the Foster Coordinator is required regarding the animal’s health, needs and appointments.

HSGS says assignment lengths vary and that foster placements are matched with a family’s schedule, availability and interests.

How to Become an Adoption Ambassador

The Humane Society’s public website currently provides one general Foster Application rather than a separate Adoption Ambassador application.

  1. Visit the Humane Society for Greater Savannah Foster page.
  2. Select the Foster Application and complete the requested information.
  3. When HSGS contacts you, tell the Foster Coordinator you are specifically interested in the Adoption Ambassador Program and ask whether an Ambassador placement is available.
  4. Work with HSGS to identify a foster animal and assignment that fits your household and availability.
HSGS Foster Information Open Foster Application

Humane Society for Greater Savannah
7215 Sallie Mood Drive
Savannah, GA 31406
Phone: (912) 354-9515

Helping Without Making a Lifetime Commitment

Fostering can be a practical option for someone who wants to help a homeless animal but is not ready to permanently adopt another pet.

You provide the home, attention and local connections.

The Humane Society provides the food, supplies, medical care and support.

The animal handles most of the public relations.

There is, of course, one known occupational hazard. HSGS confirms that foster families may adopt their foster animals through the regular adoption process.

Animal rescuers commonly call that a foster fail.

The animal may simply consider it a successful campaign for permanent residency.

Professional Sourcing