Does anyone Foster?

[Tw1nkle]

Foster homes are needed locally - how does fostering dogs work, how long do you normally keep each dog for?

Any advice appreciated!

Most rescues have clear guidelines for foster carers -you can often find them on their websites. Generally, when you volunteer, the foster co-ordinator will find out what you are interested in - short, medium or long term fostering. Short term could be as little as one night, but it's more typical for a foster placement to last for at least a fortnight while the dog is being assessed before being ready for homing. At the other end of the spectrum, we have three long term fosters - the rescue funds vet care but the dogs will be here for the rest of their lives. For two of them, they came in as emergency fosters when their owner was rushed into hospital - sadly the owner's health deteriorated to such an extent that returning the dogs wasn't possible, and as they are elderly and had been together for many years, it was felt sensible to leave them where they were. I must stress though that as foster carers we were very closely involved in these discussions and would never have agreed to it unless we were 100% happy.

While with you, you will be expected to provide care and possibly start basic training - things like loose lead walking for instance. The rescue will provide you with an allowance for food or even supply the food directly to you and will arrange with you about vet care - sometimes they will say which vet you need to attend as many rescues have accounts with particular vet surgeries. You will be expected to provide regular updates on how the dog is settling in and any issues that have come up, and things like photos, videos are very useful these days for websites and FB pages. Good rescues will provide training and support for foster carers and will always make sure you are matched with a suitable dog - if for any reason you can't cope, or have problems then the dog will be removed, but there will always be support and advice available.

Foster carers also provide a lot of care to dogs with medical/recuperation issues. Sadly, rescues often take on dogs that have been starved, neglected or are ill. This is a more specialist role where you will be working closely with vets, to make sure that once the dog is well enough/stable to leave vet surgery care, they can recuperate in a home environment. You might have to do things like look after wounds, feed very special diets, administer drugs etc - again, this is NOT something you will ever be forced to do - but it's hugely rewarding to see dogs that were in a dreadful condition get their health back and recover. To do this you need to be patient, observant, not too houseproud, and willing to work in partnership with your vet.

Foster caring is incredibly rewarding and a wonderful thing to do. You will meet some gorgeous dogs and there is no finer feeling than seeing a dog you have fostered happily settled in a home. Bear in mind though that most foster carers will "fail" at least once and end up keeping a foster dog permanently.

Good luck!

Fostering is fantastic.

I constantly have foster dogs and love having them all. You get to have more dogs in your house (without OH getting a bit miffed, "they are fosters they won't be here forever"......... glances at long term foster who has been here 6 years)

I echo what Scuttle says you meet gorgeous dogs, and seeing them settled into a new home is fantastic.

I tend to get the fosters that need a bit of behavioural work but that is not generally the case. So I will have them for a while work through some issues and then they are rehomed and more likely to stay in their new home.

We have a summer party each year where all the foster dogs are invited back and it is a fantastic social event, we have made human friends and doggy friends.

You will never forget your first foster dog and that is probably the hardest to let go but it really is worth it.

Go for it.........

I fostered for 3 years while l lived in Texas - HUGE unwanted dog problem there. I loved it. I have 2 of my own, and I fostered about 10 dogs over the 3 years including a litter of abandoned puppies for a couple of nights while they arranged transport to a more experienced puppy fosterer.

My last one, Muffin, was adorable - but had the most awful hip dysplasia which no-one had noticed because they were all falling in love with her eyes and her smile and her waggy tail at the pound. She should never really have been pulled, but the rescue charity I fostered for started a special fundraising appeal, and with me nursing her, she had two hip operations 12 weeks apart, and was with me for a total of 9 months instead of the usual 10-14 days!! They did check that I was able and happy to nurse her.

Once she was finally ready for adoption people asked me how I could bear to part with her. I admit I cried buckets and I still get this squeeze in my chest when I think of her, but she went to live with the most marvellous couple up in Connecticut. The lady had fostered and raised 9 children and her last was about to go off to college, so she was looking for a companion. Her health was declining so no more children for her. She walked with a zimmer and couldn't climb stairs. She wanted a dog who would just shadow her, ride in the car with her to run errands, and be showered with love.

It was the perfect home. She sent me photos after Muffin got there - the two of them walking very slowly to the park, where Muffy got to run off-leash and her favourite thing of all, to swim in the lake, which meant she gets the perfect exercise for her hips, and doesn't tow her new owner around with too much energy.

Matchmaking like this is the perfect ending to a foster. I highly recommend it.

Personally I've never had a foster failure as 2 dogs is enough for me - I love having a 3rd occasionally, but I liken it to having kids for a sleepover - you love the kids, you love the fun and chaos, and then you love it when they go home the next day and the house is quiet again

Thanks for the advice - really appreciated!

We've been accepted to foster from this weekend - a puppy, just for a couple of weeks!

I'm so excited! My Daughter is really nervous of dogs, so I'm hoping she will be ok. My Husband is pleased we're only fostering, as although he realy wants a dog, I don't think he's ready to commit yet (because of Daughter being so nervous I think).

Fostering could be perfect for us!