How to foster one of NYC's hundreds of cats and dogs up for adoption

The nonprofit Animal Care Centers of New York City says most of the roughly 600 animals currently available for adoption are cats and dogs — and many of them will first need foster homes.

For fostering, the greatest need is typically among large-breed dogs, adult cats and, depending on the season, underage kittens, according to ACC. But the shelter group says other animals, including guinea pigs and rabbits, also need foster care.

Brooklyn native Jazmyn Blackburn is an experienced dog fosterer with ACC who is now fostering a pit bull mix named Oyster. WNYC's Michael Hill spoke with her on "Morning Edition" to get some tips for first-time foster pet parents.

An edited transcript of their conversation is below.

Oyster isup for adoption. Would you tell us more about her?

Unfortunately, pit bulls are a breed that's been overbred in New York, so there's a lot of them in shelters. Oyster happens to be a very spunky and energetic little pup. I've had her in my care for about six weeks and she's been really great at learning different cues and commands, and is just very eager to please. When I first got her, she was pretty timid, as many dogs are when you first bring them into your home. So, I'm looking forward to finding the right person for her.

What's the time commitment for fostering a dog?

The first three to four weeks are called the decompression period. That's where I'd say the heavy-duty time commitment comes in, because you're trying to help your dog feel comfortable in the space. That's the time when the dog is just getting used to being in the new home, what the rules are and what the boundaries are. And every dog has a different length of time for its decompression period.

Fostering really isn't for everybody, just like adoption is not for everybody. You really have to look into your lifestyle and ask some key questions. Like, do I have time to take in an animal? What kind of animal is the best for me? If you're someone who's out during the day, maybe a dog isn't the best option, but maybe a cat is. Or if you're someone who's on the lazier side, then maybe a lower-energy dog or an older dog might be better for you, rather than a younger, more energetic puppy.

If you're new to fostering, the ACC [Animal Care Centers] will try to match you with a dog that maybe has fewer behavior challenges, so it fits more seamlessly into your home.

How long should someone expect to be fostering a pet before it gets adopted?

The very first foster dog I had was in my care for about 14 months. Since then, I've had dogs that have been adopted within three to four months. From speaking with other fosters, I'd say four to six months is the average.

And what about the monetary commitment?

The ACC provides food. They'll pay for any veterinary care, emergency care, regular checkups and vaccinations. They'll also provide basic equipment, like harnesses, leashes, toys and even bathing supplies.

That widens the pool of people who can potentially foster. It's one of the best incentives to foster, over adopting. When you adopt, you're responsible for all the expenses of your pet.

So, by and large, it's a zero-dollar investment. For fosters like myself who are more interested in training our dogs using special equipment and enrichment tools, we make those investments ourselves.

Are fosters required to train the dog?

No, but I'm a firm believer that dog training is a large part of the responsibility of having a dog. We have to understand that these are different species of animal that we've domesticated, and we're bringing them into environments that are pretty overwhelming, especially urban environments.

Training looks like a lot of different things. And you don't have to be a professional. It can just be giving the dog space to learn and grow by giving them feedback for their behaviors. If they do something that you really like — maybe they're calm when there's a person who enters the apartment or your house — then you reward that behavior by simply giving them a treat or saying "good boy" or "good girl."

If they do something that maybe is not so great — maybe they're barking at a stranger who's in the hallway — then you ignore that behavior, and that's also training. So actually, by not saying or doing anything, you're teaching the dog that bad behavior is not going to get your attention.

What about foster "fails?"

I've met quite a few people who have fostered one dog or two dogs, and by the third dog, they're kind of like, "OK, this is my pup, I'm keeping it." We're social creatures. People love dogs. When you get a dog and bring it into your care, you fall in love. And the dog sometimes falls in love with the person, too. If it's a good match, then by no means is foster failing actually a failure. It's really beautiful when that happens.