LOOKING FOR COMMITTED FOSTERS – WE NEED YOUR HELP

Foster parents are a critical part of our rescue.  Since we have no facilities/boarding kennels in the UK we rely on dedicated foster families to provide dogs with a temporary home before they get adopted.

Sometimes families/people who have applied for fostering are not really committed and not ready, asking to remove the dog after just a few days, or even more quickly of arrival. It’s not the dog’s fault.

The main reason is that fostering is not easy: it’s not easy to change a family routine, not easy to teach kids how to behave with a dog, not easy to help the dog to decompress after a traumatic trip to the UK. It’s not easy to smoothly introduce a new dog to existing pets, not easy to leave a personal comfort zone. In many cases, time and again,  we are asked to remove dogs almost immediately. We despair when this happens as we TRUST that by applying to be a pet foster, people are COMMITTED and understand that adoption or moving to another foster can cause upheaval and take time which is usually between 2 and 4 weeks.

WHAT DOES FOSTERING MEAN?

To foster a dog means to provide that dog with a loving home temporarily until they get adopted.

Opening your home to a foster pet saves lives, plus it frees up space for another pet to be rescued. Fostering a dog is like owning any pet: it’s going to take up your time: the time to take the dog on walks, play with them, feed, and give the love they deserve. One of the most rewarding things a dog lover can do is foster:

• When you foster a dog, you give that dog the steppingstone to a long, happy life.
• Watching your foster dog blossom in your care and eventually go to their forever home is truly an amazing experience.

HOW CAN I BECOME A FOSTER?

Please complete a foster application and we will put you on our fosters roll and inform as soon as the appropriate dog for fostering will be available.

Filling out an application does not put any obligations on you, but we do ask that applicants considering fostering make a commitment which will allow us to schedule foster dog assignment. We will send you information on dogs available for fostering and you will decide. Video-call and home-check apply.

HOW LONG ARE DOGS IN A FOSTER HOME?

This varies depending on the individual dog. The duration can range from a few days to 1-2 months.

WE ASK THAT FOSTER PARENTS COMMIT TO FOSTERING A DOG UNTIL THE DOG IS ADOPTED OR AT LEAST NO LESS THAN 3-4 WEEKS.

It is extremely stressful for a dog to be moved around once they are in a foster home, plus it’s not always possible to find a new foster immediately and we need to have some decent time to match a new home.

We kindly ask that foster parents only request a transfer when absolutely necessary, such as an unexpected family emergency, significant changes in schedules or unforeseen difficulties in addressing a dog’s specific needs.

Before you make the huge commitment to being a foster parent for a dog, you’ll want to make sure you’re 100 per cent ready:

• You have an open schedule
• You’re emotionally ready
• You have the space necessary
• You’re patient and not easily spooked by challenges
• Your family (including kids and pets) are going to be fine with it, and finally,
• You’re prepared for a few weeks (not just a few hours or days) of commitment.

WE ARE VERY MUCH LOOKING FOR YOUR HELP – lets rescue together and make this world better.

A lot of potential fosters have questions, we will help to make the best match for you – here are some commonly asked questions:

• Can I adopt my foster? Yes!
• Can I help to find my foster dog a forever home? Yes! And we encourage help to promote foster dog to their family, friends, colleagues and the general public through their own social media channels, flyers and even just by walking the foster dog in local neighbourhoods.
• I live in an apartment, can I foster? Yes!
• What if I have children? Fostering is a wonderful family experience and can build a foundation of love for animals in your children. You must also be diligent about providing guidance, instructions and rules to your children about caring for a foster dog.
• If I don’t have a yard, or it’s not fenced, can I foster dogs? Yes!
• If I have my own animals, can I foster dogs? Yes!
• Can I return my foster dog? We really hope that foster parents continue to foster until we find a permanent home for their foster. However, we understand that situations change and it may become necessary to return the dog. We request that a foster parent provides as much notice as possible (at least 10 days) so that we can find an alternative foster home if it is not an emergency.

Essentially, it is better not to foster a dog if you aren’t able to make the commitment to do it correctly. The whole point of taking them in is to help them, and if you aren’t able to do that adequately, then you’re better off not doing it at all. Before you make the commitment to being a foster parent for a dog, you’ll want to make sure you’re 100 per cent ready – we have to be serious about animal welfare.