Meet Cailey Muir our new Foster Coordinator

Here’s a number that might surprise you: during kitten season, shelters like ours can see their intake double. Tiny kittens, some just days old, arriving faster than any shelter can realistically care for them.

These kittens need homes. Not forever homes (not yet), but temporary ones. Foster homes.

And maybe baby kittens aren’t your thing. We also have dogs who need a break from the shelter, cats recovering from surgery, and animals who just need a quiet place to show their true personality. Every animal in a foster home opens up space at the shelter for another life to be saved.

Which brings me to some exciting news: PBHSN has a new Foster & Transfer Coordinator!

Meet Cailey Muir

Cailey joins us from a background in dog daycare management, where she spent years working hands-on with dogs of all temperaments. Managing playgroups, reading body language, understanding what makes individual animals thrive. Originally from Michigan and a Florida resident for five years, she’s seen firsthand how thoughtful, consistent care can transform an animal’s wellbeing.

Her job is simple: make fostering work for you. That means matching you with the right animal, making sure they fit your life, giving you supplies and training, and being there when you have questions. Because a good foster program isn’t just about placing animals in homes. It’s about building a community of people who want to help… and making sure they feel supported when they do.

What Fostering Actually Is

Fostering is temporary pet parenthood. You take an animal home, care for them, and when they’re ready for adoption (or when your foster period ends), they come back to us. We find them a forever home. You make room for the next one.

Many of our dogs and cats cannot go directly into our shelter, and the only way we can save these animals is with the help of foster homes.   Others just need some time and space, a calm, safe space to decompress.

What we provide: food, supplies, veterinary care, and a support network. What you provide: a safe space and some love.

We’re looking for a few different kinds of fosters:

Traditional fosters take animals home for a few weeks… maybe they’re recovering from surgery, or they just need a break from shelter stress.

Neonate fosters care for the tiniest kittens (and sometimes puppies) who need bottle feeding and round-the-clock attention. This one’s not for everyone, but if it’s for you, we need you.

Foster ambassadors work with animals who maybe need some extra attention or help promoting the pet. Some dogs and cats just need a calm home setting to let their real personality shine through. A foster ambassador talks to potential adopters about these pets and is their ambassador to adoption.

The Question Everyone Asks

“What if I get too attached?”

You’ll get attached, but that’s okay. You get attached because these are adorable dogs and cats and you love them. That’s why you’re even thinking about fostering. It’s not a defect, it’s a perk!

Here’s what experienced fosters will tell you: watching an animal you cared for go to their forever home is its own reward. You were the bridge. And there’s always another one who needs you.

If you’re nervous about jumping in, that’s okay. We have shorter commitments available. You don’t have to start with bottle babies. Start with what feels right. Cailey will match a pet to you and your life.

How to Get Started

If you’re interested (or even just curious), reach out to Cailey. She’ll answer your questions and help you figure out what kind of fostering might work for you.

Here is the foster email: foster@pbhsnaples.org

Plus, links for foster apps:

Dogs: https://new.shelterluv.com/matchme/foster/HSN/Dog

Cats: https://new.shelterluv.com/matchme/foster/HSN/Cat

Kitten season is almost here. We’re going to need help. And honestly, there’s no better time to try helping shelter pets get adopted as your new hobby!