GENERAL INFORMATION

1.      Title of Dataset: The characteristics, motivations, and experiences of foster caregivers at animal shelters

2.      Principal Investigator Contact Information
Name: Lauren Powell
Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Address: Philadelphia, PA USA
Email: lrpowell@vet.upenn.edu

3.      Dates of data collection: March 2022-May 2023

4.      Geographic location of data collection: Continental United States

5.      Funding sources that supported data collection: Nestlé Purina PetCare Global Resources, Inc, Award: PD10084618.

6.     Links to publications that cite or use the data:
Ackerman, R., Watson, B., Serpell, J., Reinhard, C. L., & Powell, L. (2023). Understanding the Motivations of Foster Caregivers at Animal Shelters. Animals, 13(17), 2694. DOI:10.3390/ani13172694

Powell, L., Ackerman, R., Reinhard, C. L., Serpell, J., & Watson, B. (Under Review). A prospective study of mental wellbeing, quality of life, human-animal attachment, and grief among foster caregivers at animal shelters. 

DATA & FILE OVERVIEW

1.      File List:
FosterDatabase_Deidentified

2.      Are there multiple versions of the dataset? No

DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

1.      Number of variables: 151

2.      Number of cases/rows: 131

3.      Data format: wide

4.      Variable List:

• ShelterID: unique identifier for each animal shelter where foster caregivers sourced their foster animals
• Baseline Date: date of baseline survey completion (MM/DD/YY)
• FosterStartDate: date that foster caregiver took foster animal home from shelter per shelter records (MM/DD/YY)
• Nanimals: number of foster animals housed with foster caregiver during study period per shelter records
• FosterSpecies: species of foster animal housed with foster caregiver during study period (“Cat”, “Kitten”, “Dog”, “Puppy”, “Rabbit” “Guinea” for guinea pigs, “Other” for all other species)
• Gender: gender of foster caregiver (“Female”, “Male”, “Non binary”, “Prefer not to answer”)
• Age: age group of foster caregiver in years (“18-29”, “30-39”, “40-49”, “50-59”, “60-69”, “70+” for all participants aged 70 years or older)
• Race: race of foster caregiver (“Asian”, “Black or African American”, “Hispanic or Latino”, “Mixed Race”, “Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander”, “Prefer not to answer”, or “White”)
• FosterExperience: foster caregiver’s experience fostering animals prior to study (“Yes” for any previous experience caring for a foster animal, “No” for no previous experience caring for a foster animal)
• FosterExperienceSpecies: species and age group of foster animals that foster caregiver has fostered prior to study (“Neonatal kitten (≤3 weeks)”, “Kitten (4 weeks–6 months)”, “Kitten with mum”, “Cat (>6 months)”, “Neonatal puppy (≤3 weeks)”, “Puppy (4 weeks–6 months)”, “Puppy/s with mum”, “Dog (>6 months)”, “Other”, “None”)
• FosterExperience_Behavior: foster caregiver’s experience fostering animals with behavioral condition/s prior to study (“Yes” for any previous experience caring for a foster animal with behavioral conditions, “No” for no previous experience caring for a foster animal with behavioral conditions)
• FosterExperience_Medical: foster caregiver’s experience fostering animals with medical condition/s prior to study (“Yes” for any previous experience caring for a foster animal with medical conditions, “No” for no previous experience caring for a foster animal with medical conditions)
• PetOwner: species of pets currently owned by foster caregiver (“Cat”, “Dog”, “Other”, or “Non-owner” if caregiver does not currently own any pets)
• PreviousOwner: species of pets owned by foster caregiver prior to study (“Cat”, “Dog”, “Other”, or “Non-owner” if caregiver has never owned any pets)
• Motive1: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to provide a good home for an animal” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive2: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to provide an animal with love” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive3: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I have enough time and space to be a foster caregiver” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive4: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to provide a home to reduce an animal’s risk of euthanasia” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive5: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I considered adopting and thought foster caring was a good way to start” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive6: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I am not in a position to have a pet of my own (e.g., financially, level of responsibility)” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive7: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to care for a pet but I do not want permanent responsibility” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive7: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to care for a pet but I do not want permanent responsibility” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive8: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to have company for my own pets” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive9: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want a foster pet for companionship” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive10: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want a foster pet for emotional support” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive11: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to care for a foster pet to improve my level of physical activity” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive12: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to meet new people in my community” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• Motive13: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I want to do something positive for my community” motivated them to provide foster care on four-point Likert scale (“Not at all true”, “Somewhat true”, “Moderately True”, “Very True”)
• MotiveOther: open-text response describing any other reasons that the foster caregiver was motivated to care for a foster animal
• TIPI_1: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Extraverted, enthusiastic) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_2: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Critical, quarrelsome) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_3: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Dependable, self-disciplined) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_4: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Anxious, easily upset) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_5: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Open to new experiences, complex) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_6: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Reserved, quiet) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_7: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Sympathetic, warm) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_8: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Disorganized, careless) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_9: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Calm, emotionally stable) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_10: extent to which foster caregiver felt a pair of personality traits (Conventional, uncreative) applied to them on a seven-point Likert Scale (“Disagree strongly”, “Disagree moderately”, “Disagree a little”, “Neither agree not disagree”, “Agee a little”, “Agree moderately”, “Agree strongly”) based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_Extra: average of TIPI_1 and TIPI_6 reverse-scored to provide a mean extraversion score based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_Agree: average of TIPI_2 reverse-scored and TIPI_7 to provide a mean agreeableness score based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_Consc: average of TIPI_3 and TIPI_8 reverse-scored to provide a mean conscientiousness score based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_Neuro: average of TIPI_4 reverse scored and TIPI_9 to provide a mean emotional stability score based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• TIPI_Open: average of TIPI_5 and TIPI_10 reverse-scored to provide a mean openness to experiences score based on the Ten Item Personality Inventory at baseline
• PANAS1_1: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Upset” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_2: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Hostile” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_3: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Alert” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_4: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Ashamed” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_5: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Inspired” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_6: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Nervous” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_7: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Determined” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_8: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Attentive” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_9: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Afraid” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• PANAS1_10: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Active” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at baseline
• RecordedDate2: date of second survey completion (MM/DD/YY)
• FosterReason: primary reason that foster animal needs foster care (“Medical condition”, “Behavioral condition”, “Socialization”, “To make room in the shelter”, “Other (please specify)”)
• PrimaryFosterReason_Other: open-text response for foster caregivers who selected “Other (please specify)” for FosterReason to explain the primary reason their foster animal needed foster care
• HealthCondition: foster animal/s current health status (“No health condition”, “Minor health condition/s”, “Moderate health condition/s”, “Serious health condition/s”)
• HealthCondition_Text: open-text response for foster caregivers to describe the health condition/s.
• BehaviorProblems: foster animal/s current behavioral status (“No problems”, “Only minor problems”, “Moderate problems”, “Serious problems”)
• BehaviorProblems_Text: open-text response for foster caregivers to describe the behavioral problem/s.
• PANAS2_1: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Upset” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_2: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Hostile” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_3: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Alert” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_4: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Ashamed” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_5: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Inspired” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_6: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Nervous” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_7: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Determined” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_8: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Attentive” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_9: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Afraid” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• PANAS2_10: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Active” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point two
• DOQOL_1: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Provides me love and affection” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• DOQOL_2: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Provides me companionship when I want it” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• DOQOL_3: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Provides me emotional support” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• DOQOL_4: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Improves the amount of social activities I perform” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner Quality of Life Scale
• DOQOL_5: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Improves my ability to do things for fun outside my home” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• DOQOL_6: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Improves my level of physical activity” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• DOQOL_7: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Interferes with my other household responsibilities” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• DOQOL_8: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Results in damage to my belongings or property” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• DOQOL_9: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Interferes with my ability to go on vacation or leave my house” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• DOQOL_10: extent to which foster caregiver felt their current foster animal “Increases my level of stress” on a seven-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Mostly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Mostly agree”, “Strongly agree”) based on the Dog Owner-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
• EmotionalQoL: score for emotional quality of life based on the mean responses to DOQOL_1, DOQOL_2 and DOQOL_3
• SocialPhysicalQoL: score for social/physical quality of life based on the mean responses to DOQOL_4, DOQOL_5 and DOQOL_6
• StressQoL: score for stress/interference quality of life based on the mean responses to DOQOL_7, DOQOL_8, DOQOL_9 and DOQOL_10
• PAQ_1: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Being close to my foster animal is pleasant for me” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_2: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I’m often worried about what I’ll do if something bad happens to my foster animal” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_3: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I prefer not to be too close to my foster animal” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_4: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Sometimes I feel that I force my pet to show more commitment and desire to be close to me” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_1: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Being close to my foster animal is pleasant for me” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_5: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I prefer to keep some distance from my foster animal” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_6: extent to which foster caregiver felt “If I can’t get my foster animal to show interest in me, I get upset or angry” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_7: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Often my foster animal is a nuisance to me” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_8: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Signs of affection from my foster animal bolster my self-worth” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_9: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I feel distant from my foster animal” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_10: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I often feel that my foster animal doesn’t allow me to get as close as I would like” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_11: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I’m not very attached to my foster animal” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_12: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I get angry when my foster animal doesn’t want to be as close to me as much as I would like it to” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_13: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I will be able to give away my foster animal without any difficulties” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_14: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I get frustrated when my foster animal is not around as much as I would like it to be” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_15: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I have no problem patting with my foster animal for a long duration” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_16: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I need shows of affection from my foster animal to feel there is someone who accepts me as I am” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_17: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I get uncomfortable when my foster animal wants to be close to me” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_18: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I feel frustrated if my foster animal doesn’t seem to be available for me when I need it” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_19: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I get nervous when my foster animal gets too close to me” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_20: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Without acts of affection from my foster animal I feel worthless” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_21: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I want to get close to my foster animal, but I keep pulling away” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_22: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I am worried about being left alone without my foster animal” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_23: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I try to avoid getting too close to my foster animal” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_24: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I need expressions of love from my foster animal to feel valuable” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_25: extent to which foster caregiver felt “When I’m away from my foster animal for a long period of time, I hardly think about it” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_26: extent to which foster caregiver felt “I need a lot of reassurance from my foster animal that it loves me” (seven-point scale from 1 “Not at all” to 7 “Very much”) based on the Pet Attachment Questionnaire
• PAQ_Avoid: score for avoidant attachment to the foster animal based on mean of PAQ_1, PAQ_3, PAQ_5, PAQ_7, PAQ_9, PAQ_11, PAQ_13, PAQ_15, PAQ_17, PAQ_19, PAQ_21, PAQ_23, and PAQ_25
• PAQ_Anxiety: score for anxious attachment to the foster animal based on mean of PAQ_2, PAQ_4, PAQ_6, PAQ_8, PAQ_10, PAQ_12, PAQ_14, PAQ_16, PAQ_18, PAQ_20, PAQ_22, PAQ_24, and PAQ_26
• OtherComments: open-text response for the foster caregiver to share any additional notes at time-point two
• RecordedDate3: date of third survey completion (MM/DD/YY)
• FosterOutcome: foster animal/s outcomes from shelter. Caregivers could select separate outcomes for each animal. (Select all that apply from “Adopted by me/my household”, “Adopted”, “Transferred to another foster caregiver”, “Transferred to another foster shelter/rescue group”, “Returned to shelter”, Died in care”, Euthanized”)
• OutcomeText: open-text response for foster caregivers to provide any additional details about foster animal’s outcomes
• FosterOutcomeDate: date of final foster animal’s outcome per shelter records (MM/DD/YY)
• ContinuousHousing: foster caregiver reported whether foster animal/s spent any time at the shelter or with another foster caregiver during the study (“My foster animal was housed with me continuously”, “My foster animal spent at least one night back at the shelter”, “My foster animal spent at least one night with another foster caregiver”)
• OtherDates: open-text response for foster caregivers to report the dates of any period in which their foster animal was not housed with them.
• Satisfaction: how satisfied foster caregiver was with their foster experience during the study period on five-point scale (“Very unsatisfied”, “Somewhat unsatisfied”, “Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied”, “Somewhat satisfied”, “Very satisfied”)
• Challenging: how challenging the foster caregiver found their foster experience during the study period on five-point scale (“Not at all challenging”, “Slightly challenging”, “Somewhat challenging”, “Moderately challenging”, “Extremely challenging”)
• FutureCare: how likely was the foster caregiver to provide foster care to another animal in the future on five-point scale (“Very unlikely”, “Somewhat unlikely”, “Neither likely nor unlikely”, “Somewhat likely”, “Very likely”)
• TypeAnimalLikeToAdopt: whether foster animal was the type of animal that the caregiver would like to adopt as a pet (“Yes”, “No”)
• NotAdoptReason: if selected “No” in TypeAnimalLikeToAdopt, why would foster caregiver not like to adopt this type of pet (Select all that apply, “Activity level”, “Age”, “Appearance”, “Breed”, “Behavior”, “Medical conditions”, “Size”, “Other”)
• Adopt_Other_TEXT: if selected “No” in TypeAnimalLikeToAdopt and “Other” in NotAdoptReason, open-text response for foster caregiver to describe why they would not like to adopt this type of pet.
• TypeAnimalFutureFoster: if foster caregiver was to foster again, would they foster a similar type of pet (“Yes”, “No, but I would foster a different type of pet”, “No, I am not interested in fostering again”)
• NotFosterReason: if selected “No” in TypeAnimalFutureFoster, what type of pet would you consider fostering in the future (Select all that apply, “Different species”, “Different age group”, “Different needs (e.g., medical, behavioral)”
• Grief_1: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I miss my foster animal since it left my home” on a five-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Strongly agree”)
• Grief_2: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I have periods of tearfulness as I think about my foster animal” on a five-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Strongly agree”)
• Grief_3: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I feel I have adjusted well since my foster animal left my home” on a five-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Strongly agree”)
• Grief_4: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I feel a sense of relief since my foster animal has left my home” on a five-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Strongly agree”)
• Grief_5: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I often think about my foster animal and wonder if it is doing well” on a five-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Strongly agree”)
• Grief_6: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I feel lonely without my foster pet” on a five-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Strongly agree”)
• Grief_7: extent to which foster caregiver agreed “I had to mentally prepare myself for my foster animal leaving the home” on a five-point scale (“Strongly disagree”, “Somewhat disagree”, “Neither agree nor disagree”, “Somewhat agree”, “Strongly agree”)
• PANAS3_1: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Upset” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_2: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Hostile” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_3: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Alert” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_4: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Ashamed” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_5: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Inspired” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_6: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Nervous” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_7: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Determined” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_8: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Attentive” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_9: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Afraid” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PANAS3_10: extent to which foster caregiver felt “Active” (five-point scale from “Never” at 1 to “Always” at 5) based on the short-form Positive and Negative Affect Schedule at time-point three
• PostFoster_Other: open-text response for any additional comments about foster experience at time-point three
• PAS1: sum of PANAS1_3, PANAS1_5, PANAS1_7, PANAS1_8, PANAS1_10
• NAS1: sum of PANAS1_1, PANAS1_2, PANAS1_4, PANAS1_6, PANAS1_9
• PAS2: sum of PANAS2_3, PANAS2_5, PANAS2_7, PANAS2_8, PANAS2_10
• NAS2: sum of PANAS2_1, PANAS2_2, PANAS2_4, PANAS2_6, PANAS2_9
• PAS3: sum of PANAS3_3, PANAS3_5, PANAS3_7, PANAS3_8, PANAS3_10
• NAS3: sum of PANAS3_1, PANAS3_2, PANAS3_4, PANAS3_6, PANAS3_9

5.      Missing data codes: n/a