When it comes to fostering a dog, one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is what lucky organization is going to have the benefit of you opening up your home (and heart!) to one of their adoptable dogs. To make that decision, you’ll need to do some research on the various organizations in your area, and then consider the following….
What’s important to you?
Being the one who busts a dog out of the shelter is an awesome feeling.
It’s probably safe to assume that dogs are important to you, seeing as you want to foster, and that’s a great start! Maybe, though, you really want to feel as though you are saving a life, in the most tangible way possible. If that is the case, then fostering for your local municipal shelter (or a shelter that serves as animal control in your county or city) might be what you are looking for. Or, maybe you’re kind of nervous about fostering (totally normal!) and want to be sure that whatever organization you choose offers lots of training or behavioral support for your fosters. Do your best to soul search and figure out your priorities now, before you meet any dogs in need of foster, because it is very easy to follow your heart rather than logic and end up in a situation that is not ideal for you.
Set clear expectations
Shelters and rescue groups always need foster homes. That said,
you should never feel pressured or forced to take a dog into your home for foster.
If an organization makes you feel that way, then it is probably not a good fit. Instead, you’ll want to make sure that you make clear to the organization, whether in an email or conversation or when filling out a foster application, what your expectations for fostering are. Here are some examples:
- If you have a hard stop date for fostering (perhaps you’re moving, or getting into a busy season at work) let the organization know that right up front.
- Similar to the above, if you are only willing to commit to a certain amount of time (two weeks? a month?) let the organization know that from the get-go, so that they can work hard to get your foster dog adopted or into another placement once that time expires.
- If you have regulations at your home about what kind or size of dog you can have, make sure the organization knows that.
- If you want a specific gender, size, type, energy level, etc. of dog, speak up!
Know your limits
Former foster dog Millie suffered from separation anxiety,
but was adopted by a wonderful older couple who is home
often and she is very happy.
It’s nice to feel like a hero. Believe me, I get it. But in order to have a positive foster experience, and one you’ll want to repeat, you need to know your own limits. For example, when we first started fostering we were both working corporate jobs with commutes that had us out of the house for for 10+ hours per day. Even though we had a dog walker who visited midday, I knew we could only foster dogs who were comfortable being left alone for extended periods of time. Separation anxiety was not something we felt equipped to deal with. Fast forward 4 years, and I began working from home, so we took on a dog with separation anxiety. I quickly learned that, even with the majority of my time spent in my home office, separation anxiety was not a behavioral challenge that we are equipped to deal with for more than a few weeks. Do I wish that I could foster dogs with separation anxiety, and help them find their perfect forever homes? Of course. But, I am a better rescuer and foster for knowing my limits, and expressing them to the rescue we foster through. As a result, we’ve been able to foster many dogs that others may not have been able to (high energy dogs, dogs who need to learn how to play with others, medical cases, etc.) and prepare them for adoption.
Ask questions
Our very first foster dog, Tori, was through
an organization that ended up being geographically
inconvenient for us, as all of their events
were at least an hour away from us, which was
too far on the weekends.
Just like you want to make sure the organization knows your expectations, you’ll want to be sure you know theirs. Here are some sample questions to ask:
- What supplies does the organization provide to fosters, and what are the fosters expected to cover? (Tip: assuming the organization is a 501(c)(3), money that you spend on your foster dog is deductible as a charitable donation when it comes time to file your tax returns!)
- What sort of vetting will your foster dog be given, and what is the expectation as far as getting foster dogs to the vet?
- If behavioral issues arrive with your foster dog, does the organization have resources to help you work through them?
- Are fosters expected to bring their foster dog to adoption or other events? If so, how frequently and how far will you need to travel?
- What sort of exposure will the organization offer for your foster dog – how much of the social media/marketing falls to the fosters?
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