LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Animal rescue groups across Michigan may soon get some much-needed relief – not just in resources, but in the form of more people willing to foster pets in need.
State Rep. Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park) has introduced House Bill 5063, a bipartisan measure designed to give foster caregivers a break on their taxes while supporting the critical role they play in animal welfare
How the credit works.
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Beginning with the 2026 tax year, Michiganders who foster animals through qualified organizations – including municipal shelters and 501(c)(3) non-profit rescues – could receive a $50 tax credit per animal fostered for at least seven days. For every additional 30 days that the same animal is in care, foster families would receive another $50 credit, for up to five animals per year. The legislation also ties the credit to inflation beginning in 2027, ensuring that support for caregivers keeps pace with rising costs. Verification from shelters or rescues would be required to qualify.
A bridge between crisis and forever homes.
Rep. McFall says the intent of the bill is to recognize that fostering is often the difference between life and death for animals in crisis. He said in his press release, “For thousands of pets each year, foster caregivers are the bridge between life without a family and finding a forever home. This bill recognizes the contributions of caregivers and provides meaningful support to help them continue this life-saving work.”
Michigan Humane, which helped craft the legislation, echoed that sentiment. They highlighted their Safety Net Foster Program, which temporarily houses pets for owners facing emergencies like hospitalization, domestic violence, or housing instability. In just the first half of 2025, the program fostered 42 animals from 21 families, and received more than 440 inquiries – proof of the overwhelming demand for foster homes.
Michigan Humane client, Gaylon Lance, credits the program with saving cats Lydia and Diamond during a period of homelessness. Lance said about the experience, “Without the Michigan Humane Safety Net program, I would have had to give up my cats or keep them in my car during the August heat. Thanks to this program, Lydia and Diamond were cared for and kept together. They’re just like my kids – they mean everything. I’m so lucky to have them and don’t know what I’d do without them; they give me purpose.”
Why it matters.
For shelters and rescues, foster families reduce overcrowding, help rehabilitate animals, and make it possible to save more lives. But many potential fosters sometimes hesitate due to costs and logistics. By offering even a modest financial incentive, HB 5063 aims to encourage more people to open their homes.
“Safety net foster programs are a lifeline for families going through tough times. A tax credit would help recognize the huge difference volunteers make for animals and the families who love them,” McFall explained.
Foster families: the lifeline behind local cat rescue efforts.
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Michigan News Source reached out to Lisa Chimner, the President/Director of TC Paw Cat Rescue in Traverse City, about the bill and she told us, “Local Rescue groups are overwhelmed with the number of homeless cats and kittens. Our rescue is foster- based, which means that our cats are living in foster homes while they are receiving medical care and awaiting adoption. We therefore can have very low overhead without a building or the costs associated with one.”
Chimner went on to say, “Because we do not have a shelter space, foster families are especially vital to our success and ability to accommodate more animals in need. House Bill 5063 acknowledges the importance of these foster families and helps to give them some compensation for the time and effort they put into caring for their foster pets. Although we offer to cover medical costs and supplies for our cats, many fosters also spend their own money to care for their foster cats.”
She added, “Anything that we can do to help enable people to foster and to highlight the critical need for foster homes is really important to our ability to care for more animals in need. At this time we are closed to intake as we have as many cats as we have space for right now.”
If passed, the measure could ease the strain on Michigan’s rescue organizations and animal shelters and encourage more Michiganders to get involved in lifesaving foster care. While the credit won’t fully cover the costs of food, supplies, and time, animal advocates say it’s a meaningful step in acknowledging the value of foster caregivers.
