Jail Break & Fostering

Home Care

At Cape Animal Protection Shelter (CAPS), we understand that not every animal thrives in a kennel environment. Our Foster Care and Jail Break Programs provide dogs and cats with the opportunity to experience the comfort, love, and stability of a home environment while they wait for their forever families.

Long-Term or Short-Term Foster Care offers a safe and committed home for animals in need. Foster carers play a vital role in helping animals adjust to family life, build confidence, recover from illness or injury, and learn valuable social skills that increase their chances of successful adoption. Whether you can commit for a few weeks or several months, fostering directly saves lives by creating additional space within our shelter for animals in need.

Our Jail Break Program is designed for those who may not be able to commit to fostering full-time but would still like to make a difference. The program allows shelter dogs to enjoy a break from kennel life for a day, overnight stay, weekend, school holiday period, or even while you're enjoying your days off. These outings provide valuable enrichment, socialisation, exercise, and much-needed one-on-one attention, helping reduce stress and improve the wellbeing of dogs in our care.

Whether you choose to foster or provide a Jail Break adventure, your time and compassion help our animals experience the love and care they deserve while they wait for their forever homes. .

Two Ways to Help

Jail Break or Fostering?

Both options give our dogs a much-needed break from the shelter — the right one for you depends on how much time you can offer.

Jail Break

Taking a dog home, away from the shelter, for a few hours, a weekend, or perhaps a week. They'll be with you most of the time for walks, exercise, and games.

Fostering

A longer-term arrangement, ideally for several weeks, as a trial run for adoption. The dog takes its first steps to being part of a family, and might not be supervised all the time.

A CAPS dog ready and waiting for a Jail Break

Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

See the FAQs below to find out more. Click a question to expand the answer.

How do I get started with Jail Break or Fostering?

The first step is to complete the Jail Break or Foster registration form above, whichever applies to you. We'll then assess your suitability based on things like transport, fences at home, and whether you have other dogs or children, which helps us match you with the right dog.

I have kids at home, does that mean I can't Jail Break or foster?

No, it just means some dogs are better suited to living with children than others.

I have dogs at home, does that mean I can't Jail Break or foster?

No, it just means some dogs are better suited to living with other dogs and pets than others.

I have low fences, does this mean I can't bring a dog home?

Possibly. We need to be sure a dog can't escape. This is less of a concern on a supervised Jail Break, but for fostering, secure fencing is essential.

When can I collect and return the dogs?

Pickup and drop-off is limited to our normal opening hours, when a caretaker is on duty.

What's the difference between Fostering and adoption?

When you adopt a dog, it's yours forever — you become the registered legal owner and are legally responsible for it. A foster dog still belongs to CAPS and can be returned at any time, at your request or at ours.

What happens if the dog gets sick while on Foster care?

If your foster dog becomes unwell, we'll arrange to visit or collect them and, if needed, take them to see the vet — at no cost to you.