Pets and Fostering: Risk Assessments and Best Practice

Welcoming a child into a loving foster home that also has pets can be a real positive. Animals can offer comfort, routine, and a sense of belonging. At the same time, agencies must be confident that risks are understood and managed well. This guide explains how pet risk assessments work in UK fostering, what assessors look for, and the everyday practices that keep children and animals safe and happy.

Why pets can be a strength in fostering

Therapeutic benefits and emotional safety

Many children in care arrive with loss, anxiety, or trauma. Calm, predictable interactions with a pet can help them regulate, feel accepted, and build trust at their own pace. Feeding, grooming, and walking create gentle routines that support attachment and responsibility when carefully supervised.

What assessors look for in a pet risk assessment

Temperament, history, and predictability

Assessors will ask about each animal’s breed, age, training, and behaviour under stress. They will explore bite or scratch history, guarding tendencies, resource possession, and tolerance of handling by unfamiliar people. Evidence of obedience training, desensitisation to noise, and reliable recall all strengthen your application.

Health status and routine care

A current veterinary record is expected. Vaccinations, parasite control, microchipping where applicable, and prompt treatment of illness reduce infection risks. Desexing can lower roaming and dominance behaviours, which supports safer interaction with children.

Environment, containment, and hygiene

Assessors look at practical controls: secure boundaries, safe sleeping areas away from children’s bedrooms, pet-free food preparation surfaces, and a plan for cleaning litter trays, hutches, vivariums, or fish tanks. They will also consider how the home is arranged so a child and a pet can each retreat to a calm space.

Matching matters: child needs and pet profile

Allergies, phobias, and cultural considerations

Some children have allergies, asthma triggers, or strong fears linked to past experiences. Others may have cultural or religious rules regarding animals. Matching decisions weigh these factors carefully. Be clear about your pet and your home routines so placements align with everyone’s needs.

Age and developmental stage

Younger children need closer supervision and simpler rules; teenagers may take on more structured responsibilities with clear boundaries. For children with sensory differences or trauma, a quieter, older animal may be better than a highly energetic puppy.

Dogs in foster households: added considerations

Training, supervision, and safe handling

For dogs, agencies typically expect proof of basic training and a plan for continued work: heel, sit, stay, leave, and drop. Introductions should be gradual, on lead at first, with the dog settled before the child approaches. Mealtimes, resting in beds or crates, and access to toys and chews should be managed to avoid resource guarding.

High-risk contexts and triggers

Common flashpoints include doorbells, visitors, mealtimes, rough-and-tumble play, and overexcitement. Promptly separate dog and child if arousal rises, and teach everyone to recognise early stress signals—lip licking, yawning, turning away, stiffness, or tail tucking—so you can intervene early and de-escalate.

Cats, small animals, birds, and exotics

Scratches, zoonoses, and enclosure safety

Cats can be soothing companions but can scratch if cornered. Provide escape routes and no-pick-up rules. For small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, secure enclosures, hand hygiene, and cleaning routines are essential. Some exotics carry higher zoonotic risks; agencies will expect robust hygiene protocols and age-appropriate access limits.

House rules that protect children and pets

Boundaries, routines, and consistent language

Agree a simple set of house rules and use the same phrases every time. Typical rules include no unsupervised access, no disturbing animals while eating or sleeping, no hugging, ear pulling, or climbing on pets, and hands washed after any animal contact. Visual reminders on the fridge or near the pet area help everyone stay consistent.

Pet-free zones and sleep arrangements

Children’s bedrooms should be pet-free unless your agency agrees otherwise for specific reasons. Many carers use stair gates, baby gates, or indoor pens to create soft separation. Overnight, pets should rest in their own bed or crate to support predictability and reduce risk.

Recording and review within safer caring

From assessment to practice

Your pet risk assessment is not a one-off; it becomes part of your safer caring plan and should be reviewed after any incident, significant change, or new placement. Keep brief notes if you observe tension between a child and the animal, and record what worked to restore calm. Share updates with your supervising social worker at each supervision visit.

Incidents and near misses

If there is a nip, scratch, or alarming near miss, prioritise first aid and reassurance, then separate calmly. Record facts clearly, notify your agency promptly, and review triggers and prevention steps. Transparent, timely reporting builds trust and helps protect future placements.

Hygiene, infection control, and allergies

Everyday routines that reduce risk

Regular vacuuming, washing pet bedding, litter tray management, and handwashing before meals and after play are simple but vital. Keep pet food and bowls out of children’s reach, store medicines securely, and use child-safe disinfectants. If a child has allergies, agree adjustment strategies in advance, such as HEPA filtration, enhanced cleaning, and limiting pet access.

Insurance, legal, and practical checks

Cover, identification, and responsibilities

Public liability cover through your home or pet insurance is a sensible safeguard. Dogs should be microchipped and wearing an ID tag in public. Check your tenancy or mortgage conditions for pet clauses and confirm your agency’s expectations around walking, transport, and holiday cover. If your pet’s breed or type carries additional legal requirements, make sure you are fully compliant and keep documentation to hand.

Introductions: a calm, staged approach

Preparing both the child and the animal

Before the first meeting, exercise the dog, tidy the environment, and have high-value treats ready. Brief the child on the rules in warm, simple language. Start at a distance with parallel presence rather than contact, reward relaxed behaviour on both sides, and build interaction in short, positive bursts. End on a success and allow both to decompress.

Supporting children to build safe relationships with animals

Teaching consent and reading signals

Model gentle touch, show how to ask for “consent” from the animal—inviting the pet to approach rather than moving into its space—and practice stopping interaction when the animal gives calming signals. Celebrate small steps: placing a treat, brushing for a few seconds, or calmly walking past the crate without tapping. Confidence grows through repeated, safe micro-experiences.

When a placement changes—or your pet does

Reviews, retraining, and contingency plans

If a pet develops pain, arthritis, or sensory loss, behaviour may shift. Review your plan after veterinary changes, new equipment, or any notable behaviour change. If a placement ends or a new child arrives, reset the introduction plan and revisit house rules with everyone. Have contingency cover for walks and feeding if you are tied up with meetings, contact, or health appointments.

Building your written plan

What to include and how to keep it useful

A strong pet section within your safer caring plan covers each animal in the household, temperament notes, veterinary status, insurance details, daily routines, child access rules, cleaning schedules, separation measures, walking and transport rules, trigger lists, and step-by-step responses if stress rises. Keep it short, practical, and visible; review at each supervision and after any incident.

The bottom line

Balanced, child-centred thinking and predictable routines

Pets and fostering can be an excellent combination when risk is assessed carefully and routines are consistent. Focus on temperament, supervision, hygiene, and clear rules that everyone understands. Keep records short and factual, share updates with your agency, and review your plan whenever something changes. With thoughtful preparation, pets can bring calm, connection, and joy to foster homes—while children learn trust, empathy, and confidence in a setting that feels truly like home.