The Animal Welfare League NSW Dubbo branch is urgently calling out for foster carers and for people to adopt

The Animal Welfare League's Dubbo branch say they are "overcapacity" and are urgently calling out for foster carers and forever homes for dozens of dogs and cats.

Until they find homes for these animals they say they will be unable to take any more into their care.

One Dubbo local who is currently providing a foster home for eight cats is IT specialist Justin Root. He says fostering animals is a rewarding experience and he urges others who have the means to give it a shot.

"I love doing it and it's something I've been wanting to get back into for a long time - but I only felt capable to do it again recently with my work and my mental health, because COVID-19 knocked me around for a bit," he said.

"It gives you something to focus on external to yourself and you're really able to help out and make a difference. You can see progress with the animals every day and it's the best therapy ever, you can go and sit down and you have kittens all over you."

Currently, the Animal Welfare League Dubbo branch has almost 40 cats and kittens and 20 dogs available for adoption.

This massive number of animals comes after a surge in surrenders.

Between last Christmas and the 10th of January this year alone, the Dubbo branch of the Animal Welfare League say they received 60 phone calls from people looking to surrender animals.

The Dubbo branch does not have a shelter to house animals which are surrendered and relies solely on volunteer foster carers like Mr Root who use their own homes to provide a safe environment for the animals.

Mr Root says all you need to be a good foster carer is a safe home and a big heart.

"If you think you can't do it because of financial reasons, that doesn't really apply. The Animal Welfare League will provide food, litter and all the vet work, all you need is space, time, love and energy," he said.

"The most important thing is being willing to socialise them. Sometimes some of these cats have come off the streets and can be a bit unsure about people.

"I find with patience and feeding them, eventually almost every cat will accept you."

Mr Root started his Animal Welfare League fostering journey with one cat, a pregnant ginger cat called Blondie. But two days after bringing her home, she gave birth to 11 ginger kittens.

Sadly, one of the kittens was stillborn and two of them died shortly after birth, which isn't unusual in such a large litter, Mr Root says.

"We had no idea how many kittens she would have, we were expecting four to six max. It was a lot of work, it was a bit more than we were planning on, especially my wife," he said.

Now the remaining kittens are all five months old and ready to head off to their forever homes. Their mum is also looking for a home to settle into.

"One of the kittens has already been adopted. It was wonderful, it's the thing I love most about fostering - knowing the cats have found a family and are going to be happy for the rest of their lives," he said.

"Blondie is a couple of years old and she's still a kitten at heart. She loves people, she'll happily be carried around all the time - she is a lovely girl and very calm.

"And there's Bourke, he had to be bottle-fed when he was growing up because he had a rash, and he's a bit of a love bug, to the point of distraction. He's very vocal and purrs madly whenever anyone gives him pats.

"Then there's Tasman - very much like his namesake. He's a brave explorer. He's best friends with another kitten called Mawson. They're always the first to dash around the house."

For more information about how you can become a foster carer or adopt an animal, visit the Animal Welfare League NSW Dubbo Branch Facebook page.

"To me it's just the most wonderful thing to see that cat grow - when you have them from a young age you'll have them for fifteen years, possibly more," said Mr Root.

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