Does anyone on here foster dogs for rescue ?

[frumpety]

Just wondered how you started doing it ? do you have other pets or children ? Do you work or does there have to be someone around all day every day ?

I foster puppies (under 1 year) for a lurcher rescue. Cats, 11 year old DS, chickens and resident dogs!
We started when they were desperate, and I said something along the lines of 'would love to help, but with the cats..' and the foster co-ordinator who knows us and our dogs said we'd be able to do puppies esp as we were experienced with managing the dog/cat thing.
That was a Thursday, 9am on Saturday we had a phone call to ask if we could have two greyhound girls that morning!
We both work, but there is always someone here as I work from home when I'm not travelling, and when I'm away, DH works from home.

We have four dogs, two cats and two dc. When I started fostering I knew the cats and dc were very confident with dogs, and my own dogs were friendly.
I mostly work from home or can take dogs to work with me. We have plenty of outside space and access to safe spaces for off-lead dog walking. We also had a house that had already been chewed by puppies and were not especially proud of our garden ( though it is securely fenced!)

Ah , well DH is here most days as he works from home , but does have to travel every couple of weeks , I work 4 days a week , so think puppies would be out of the question . Older dogs would probably suit our home better I think , one or two that are quite happy sofa hogging and sneaking onto the bed while DH works .
How would a rescue feel about a foster home using a dog walker do you think ?

Bubble , I certainly wouldn't be concerned about the house or the garden , I keep thinking when the children have all left home I can have a nice clean tidy house , except I will then probably fill it with dogs

I used to, until I got burnt financially, I was fostering a GSD, who needed medication, the rescue asked if I'd pay vet bills and they would pay me at the end of the month, unfortunately the end of the month never came, the cheque was always in the post, they eventually blocked me every which way, I was advised to go to small claims court but taking a 'rescue' to court ?? I'd be lynched .. I'd never foster again

It would depend on the dog and where they had come from.
If you were taking an otherwise well adjusted dog from a family situation they may well be fine with a dog walker. Sadly some of the fosters I've had have been traumatised, most had never been on a lead and I could not have handed them over to a dog walker.

Dimples do rescues not insure their dogs then ? what happens if a dog has an accident when in your care ? or becomes unwell ?

I did wonder Bubble , a dog may get confused by all the comings and goings and new people /situations if they are stressed already . I'm not sure we would be suitable for traumatised dogs , although they would have a very quiet chilled out comfy space for at least 8 hours a day , actually 16 hours if you count when everyone is asleep

The dog came to me, unwell and had recently been spayed at the stray/pound kennels before being released to 'rescue' so no chance of health insurance. The Rescue said they would pay, I had no reason to not believe them. Also I've always been a member of Dogs Trust, for £25 a year you get the public liability insurance

A couple of mine could have gone out with a dog walker who only walked one dog at a time, but I have had several who had never been on a lead before and were like whirling dervishes, one who it needed three weeks before she would walk on a lead, and some on restricted exercise. All have needed intensive input while out to help them socialise and walk nicely.

Obviously my pups are virtually all unhousetrained, but many adults will have lots of accidents from nerves/lack of training/the situation they were in before, so you don't want them just wandering the house!

I just take my fosters to the vets used by the rescue and it goes on the account. I'm not sure how it works for people further away

I tried..... foster fail

I think you would need to speak to a few rescues and find one you were comfortable with, in terms of how vet treatment would be paid, what behavioural backup you would have, what their rehoming process is etc
If I were honest, fostering probably does cost me a fair bit, but I tend to buy toys, good food, supplements etc which I don't have to do but like doing. I usually get 4 weeks free insurance with a new vaccination, but should anything happen I know the rescue would pay.
I have had several cheeky fuckers deluded people ask if I get paid for fostering ... as if that would be a reason for doing it.

Same here fenella and the reason I have four dogs..

We do - our experiences on this thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/3147560-Dog-fostering