Foster a Dog
Who should foster a pet?
Someone who cannot, at the moment, adopt a pet for its entire lifetime.
Someone who is not sure how its pet would get along with a new cat or dog.
Someone who never had the chance to have a pet but would really like to have one now.
Someone who loves pets and has some room to welcome them while they wait for an adoptive home.
How long is a foster period?
The length of fostering can vary from a few days to several months.
What is a pet foster parent?
A pet foster parent provides a safe and loving environment for friendly dogs until they are adopted. In addition to affection, the foster parent provides basic care for the animals such as food, water, and shelter. When fostering a dog, the pet foster parent may teach him basic house manners. The pet foster parent may have to transport their foster animal to adoption events or have potential adopters visit the foster animal in their home. In the event that the foster animal needs veterinary care, or becomes ill or injured, the foster parent may be required to transport the animal to a designated veterinary hospital.
Why are pet foster parents needed?
We can only rescue as many animals as we have room and staffing for. Local animal shelters euthanize dozens of healthy and friendly animals each day to make space for the new ones coming in due to limited holding space. Local animal rescue groups have to turn away dozens of adoptable animals each week because they lack foster parents. Not only do foster parents maximize the number of animals rescued, they also help to care for animals that would be difficult to care for in a shelter or kennel environment: puppies with immune systems not strong enough to fight germs, animals recovering from major surgery, or dogs needing one-on-one behavior rehabilitation or a break from the shelter. And ALL animals in foster homes always find permanent adoptive homes.
Where are the pets that need foster homes?
The pets that need foster homes are in local animal shelters, or with their rescuers (the good Samaritan that saved them), or in a volunteer's home that works with a rescue group. The majority of rescue groups do not have buildings or facilities where homeless animals live.
Without foster homes, these animals have nowhere to stay and will continue to wander the streets, or if they are in an animal shelter, they will have mandated time limits placed on their occupancy. If not adopted or pulled by a rescue group, they will be euthanized.
Some foster homes have pets that are pregnant. Once the babies are weaned, foster homes are needed for these animals, too, so that they will have a safe and loving place to stay until they are adopted.
Many rescue groups pull animals from animal shelters in order to save them from being euthanized. But in order to do that, volunteers (like you!) are needed to open their home to these pets until they are adopted.
Are there requirements people should be aware of before becoming pet foster parents?
Each rescue group we represent has their own requirements. Generally, foster pets are required to remain inside (not to be chained or left unattended outside) and fenced in yards. Because each animal's personality is different, we match them to the best possible foster home to suit the animal and the family. So, if a foster family has young children, then only animals that do well with young children are placed there. The main requirements of people who want to foster is that they be willing to provide a loving, safe environment.
Can I adopt the animal I foster?
Yes. Foster parents who wish to adopt the animal they foster go through the same screening process as adoption applicants.
If you are interested in becoming a Foster please send us an email
with your phone number to info@walkfortheunderdog.org. Please include any
specifics such as I can only Foster small dogs or I have children so
I can only Foster dogs who are good with kids. We will put you in
contact with one of our Rescues who is looking for Fosters. Thank you.
