Assigning Pets to Fosters

About Foster Assignments

Foster assignments are records that track:

• Which animal is placed with which foster home
• Placement start and end dates
• Current status of the placement
• Special care instructions or notes

Before Creating an Assignment

Verify that:

• The foster's status allows new placements (Active or Training)
• They have available capacity for additional animals
• The animal matches their stated preferences (species, age, special needs)

Creating Assignments

From the Foster Profile

1. Go to Fosters and click on a foster's name
2. In the Fostered Pets section, click the + Add button
3. The assignment dialog will open

From a Pet Profile

1. Go to Pets and click on a pet's name
2. Click the Foster button
3. Search for and select a foster
4. The assignment dialog will open

Assignment Details

When creating an assignment:

1. Select Animals: Choose one or more available animals from the list
2. Set Placement Dates:

• Start Date: When the foster placement begins
• End Date: Anticipated return date (optional)

3. Add Care Notes: Include any special instructions, medical needs, or behavioral notes
4. Click Create Assignment

The assignment will have a "pending" status until confirmed by staff.

Assignment Status

Assignments move through these statuses:

• Pending: Just created, needs confirmation
• Active: Confirmed, pet is with the foster
• Completed: Pet returned or adopted
• Cancelled: Assignment was cancelled

Managing Assignments

Confirming Assignments

New assignments start as "pending":

1. Find the pending assignment in the foster's profile
2. Click the green checkmark button to confirm
3. The pet's status changes to "fostered"

Editing Assignments

Click the edit button on any assignment to:

• Change dates
• Update notes
• Mark as returned

Returning Animals to Organization

When a foster animal needs to be returned:

1. Click Unfoster on the active assignment
2. Confirm the return in the dialog
3. The animal's status automatically updates to "available"

Transferring Assignments

To transfer a pet to a different foster:

1. Click the transfer icon on the assignment
2. Search for and select the new foster
3. Update any notes if needed
4. Click Transfer

Capacity Tracking

The system tracks capacity automatically:

• Each foster has a maximum capacity
• Active assignments count against this limit
• You'll see warnings when capacity is reached
• The foster list shows current capacity usage with color indicators:
• Green: Has room for more pets
• Yellow: Near capacity
• Red: At full capacity

Filtering Assignments

In the foster profile, filter assignments by:

• Status: All, pending, active, completed, or cancelled
• Use the dropdown above the assignment list

Assignment Statistics

Each foster profile shows:

• Total animals fostered
• Currently fostering
• Completed fosters
• Average duration in days

Important Notes

• Assignments can overlap if within capacity
• When a fostered pet is adopted, the assignment automatically completes
• Multiple pets can be assigned in one transaction
• Delete assignments only when necessary (like data entry errors)