Is Fostering Right for Me?
In our last blog, we wrote about how fostering rescue animals can be a great way to see if adopting a dog is right for you while providing a loving warm home to in-need pups. We are here to help answer the questions you may have to see if fostering a dog is right for you and for the rescue dog.
What is fostering anyway?
Fostering is offering a temporary home to a rescue animal in need, which keeps shelters from overcrowding and allows them to help the millions of rescue dogs in the United States. Foster pets are pets that are up for adoption, so you may have visits from future pet parents, and that means that the foster can end at any given time if they are adopted. Foster pets can live with their foster parents for anywhere from a few days to a lifetime, especially if the family falls in love with their rescue dog–which is often the case!
What do I need to be able to foster?
The most important thing you need if you are considering fostering is a loving, safe, and comfortable home. Many of the dogs in shelters have experienced trauma in the past, so it is hard for them to feel comfortable enough to relax. Of course, you will need to have the basics for your foster dog: bowls, collar and leashes, food, bed, and an appropriately sized crate. Sometimes the shelters will have some of these things available for foster parents, but it is always best to be prepared! While most shelters and rescues prefer foster parents who have experience with dogs, you don’t need to have had a dog in the past; many successful foster parents begin as volunteers at the shelters and rescues.
Does fostering take up a lot of time?
If you are considering adopting a dog, fostering is a great way to see if bringing a dog into your family fits with your lifestyle and schedule. Dogs, in general, require time, especially when they are just getting acclimated to their new home. The amount of time required for your foster dog would be no different than if you were adopting a rescue dog or a young puppy. You will have to establish a routine with them, take them on plenty of walks or to the dog park to socialize, and you will have to spend time with them at home building their trust.
What if the foster dog is not a right fit?
This happens all the time, and it’s not your fault for not having a fairy tale fostering experience. While shelters do a lot of work to make sure that all fosters and adoptees are the right fit and that the pet parents have the tools necessary to succeed, sometimes it just isn’t the right fit. Open communication with the shelter is what is most important in this process because they are the ones who are going to be your and the dog’s best advocates. Just because a foster isn’t the right fit, doesn’t mean that you will never find the right dog for your life!
So, is fostering right for me?
If you are an animal lover looking to help support rescue dogs in your area, then, YES, fostering is right for you. Rescue dogs have so much love to give, they just need the right environment to thrive in. Fostering can help dogs reacclimate to a loving, safe environment as they find their way to their forever home.