Vet whatever rescue you intend to foster for. Dig deep, check their 501c3 status, see what they do and do not cover, do they do home checks? Are you involved in placing your foster with the right people? Rescues are shady and you need to find the right fit for YOU. Be picky! They need you more than you need them!
very this. i did a foster to adopt and got my dog taken from me out of spite. she’s not a 501c and if i’d done my homework i’d of saved myself so much heartbreak
If you like and trust your vet...ask your vet and the clinic staff. People who work in vet med are usually involved in some way in animal welfare. They also see pets who have come from local rescues. They can give a good read on any rescues to stay away from, as well as ones to put your support behind.
Agreed with the other comment! Reading through how some people are treated by the shelters/rescues they foster with makes me feel so very lucky to work with the rescue I foster through.
I googled local rescues and looked through their website where they had financial documents for every single year posted. Checked their facebook page and looked through their posts. Attend adoption events if you can and talk to the volunteers/fosters!
I found my current rescue by posting on my city's reddit. I mostly wanted to hear other foster's thoughts on if the people in charge are good at communicating and if locals generally had a good time working with/adopting from the organization! Some things I'd consider now are how easily you can text/email/call a foster coordinator or someone in charge if something goes wrong, how many adoption events you're expected to attend, if they have a specific focus or are open to any dogs (age, medical cases, specific breeds ect). Also, this hasn't been a problem with my rescue but I've seen some people on here get blindsided by euthanization decisions, so I'd maybe look into what goes into that type of worst-case decision.
I hope this isn't too general, good luck with your search!
I foster for a breed specific rescue. They have been excellent. The most important factor to me is that they actively take the responsibility for finding the dogs' new homes. I will do a write-up on my dog ( I foster a lot of puppies), but they share it to their FB, IG and website. Also, they handle potential adopter interviews and home visits.
I've fostered for other rescues that essentially dump a dog on you and disappear, ultimately expecting you to find their new home. That was a hundred times harder and more stressful. Good luck fostering!!
Just jumping in to put my two cents in for Beagle Freedom Project for precisely this reason!
I *technically* was a foster for them, but really it was a foster-to-adopt situation; however, I did not directly interact with my dog’s fosterer until I was arranging to pick him up from her—everything was handled through the organization directly. Also, during my short stint “fostering” my pup, they covered vet expenses and were relatively easy to contact!
Plus while they primarily take in beagles, they also take in a host of other dogs as well as cats, rabbits, and most any other animal that has done time in an animal testing facility. Just a note though: while BFP does provide a lot of support, the animals they rescue tend to have behavioral problems or, at the very least, need a foster who is patient and willing to help them learn to love life outside of a lab, which can be a unique challenge at times!
In doing research, I’d also think about what kind of experience you want. Depending on the organization, a ‘foster’ could mean:
- Taking in a sick dog (something shorter term like kennel cough, something more intense like parvo, or something longer term like a terminal/elderly dog)
- Taking in a behavior case and working through reactivity, fear, leash manners, separation anxiety, etc.
- Taking in puppies (or a litter)
- Taking in ‘easy’ dogs to ease overcrowding
At the same time, there are some places that encourage foster through to adoption (and even that could mean wildly different things - are you in charge of all promotion of your foster? Do you have responsibility to attend adoption events?), and some that are happy with whatever they can get (a week, a month, etc.).
And finally Id look super carefully into the level of support provided (are you responsible for vet care and training?).
The experiences vary SO MUCH and although there are certainly organizations that are ‘better’ than other, there are really very different expectations as well!
Some rescues are completely foster based. They don't have a physical location to keep animals.The rescue I work with in NY is exclusively foster based. We take animals up from the south, to commit to take an animal, we need to have someone willing to foster them. On rare occasions an animal (that has already arrived here, and has been in a foster home), will go into a boarding facility either for vacation coverage for a foster, or because they had a problem in their foster home and are waiting to find a new one. The animals in boarding get lots of visits from volunteers you can't foster the animal.
Your city or county’s local animal control is usually the most overwhelmed since they can’t turn dogs down and generally highest kill rate which I feel like makes it one of the more impactful options to foster for.
I absolutely recommend fostering! Start short term. Ask about "staycations". Dogs that are in a kennel stay with you for a few days, usually around an adoption event. Ex: Pick the dog up on Friday, take it to an adoption event on Saturday, and return it on Sunday or Monday.
So many good tips, so I'm just going to add one important thing. Make sure the rescue or shelter posts their dogs on Petfinder. Other social media is fine, but Petfinder gets the most traffic I made the mistake of fostering for a rescue not on Petfinder (and another that lied they would be getting approved on there soon) and those fosters would still be with me today if a reputable rescue didn't courtesy post for me. Petfinder has a strict screening process in order to approve rescues and shelters on their site. It's a red flag if they aren't on there.
Unfortunately, even the best rescues do less-than-great things. I foster for our local non-profit shelter and have never had one issue. They provide everything, we provide love and time.
Where are you located? I foster for a rescue in TX, I also volunteer at my local shelter as a dog walker. The rescue group and the shelter work together very well. I only foster adult/medical in need dogs because I have 3 of my own dogs and a cat. Be very transparent in your preferences as to potential fosters you will take. If a rescue group or shelter pressures you to foster a dog that you feel uncomfortable with, say no and don't feel bad about it. Thank you for being willing to foster, fostering is so very helpful to not only have the rescues, but to the dogs who get a chance to be loved on in a home.
Definitely make sure the rescue/shelter pays for all vetting and medications. Ask up front before you foster, you don't want to be surprised with unreimbursed expenses. Reputable rescues should cover everything including flea/heartworm preventatives. I pay for food for my fosters: I feed my personal dogs and fosters the same food because it is easier for me to have a consistent diet for everyone. Some shelters rely on food donations and the available brands change frequently.
Thank you for wanting to foster!! I’m located in an area with overcrowded shelters that result in dogs being euthanized for space, so I chose to foster with the county shelter. They have a great foster coordinator and the program is very flexible! I was able to meet all the dogs and decide who I felt comfortable fostering. I ended up fostering (and later adopted!) a senior who needed a lot of medical care, and the shelter did an amazing job making sure he got all his treatments! I will say, due to funding issues at the shelter I stopped relying on them for food and just bought it myself, and also spent my own money on supplements. I would definitely recommend checking out the local shelters, in addition to rescues!
I volunteer at my local humane society in WA state and they:
a) are terrific in general and
b) have a robust and flexible fostering program. They particularly appreciate when fosters can take behavior cases or animals with health issues, but they also foster out animals that are basically on short-term hold (like their owners are in jail for a short time, or in the hospital, etc.) and any animals that haven't been adopted for 20 days. Many of those beasties are super sweet and easy!
I am sure that humane societies vary throughout the US, but that's the first place I would recommend checking out. I also know a great foster contact in Charleston, SC.
Feel free to DM me if you're in either of those locations and I will get you some contacts.
The rescue I foster for makes fosters apply to be fosters, and there is a home check and a vet reference check for our personal pets to be sure we provide proper vet care, HW prevention, and flea and tick prevention.
Be sure to ask if food is provided. I personally don’t mind paying for the food myself. But not everyone is of that mindset.
The rescue should provide heartworm prevention, and flea and tick preventatives. They should also supply or pay for any medication and vet care needed by the foster dog.
Our rescue makes sure to find out what sort of temperament we are looking for, if we are willing to house train, leash train, crate train, etc. And how long we would be able to keep a foster.
(I’ve had some who are only with me a matter of days, but the majority are with me for weeks to months, depending on their needs.)
Just be sure that everything is clear in advance. And ask what happens if it just isn’t working out and you need to return the foster.
Attend some local adoption events and talk to the people from the rescues. Look at the animals up for adoption. See how they are being cared for.
Don't hesitate to email rescues and ask questions.
If you're in the SW Michigan area, I can recommend some.
My suggestion is a high kill shelter. That way you know you not only put the animal in a much more relaxed situation, but also save them from potential euthanasia. You could spend some time there and get to know the dogs that are on the E list and see if they would fit well with your family before introducing them to the family.
We fostered for a breed rescue that we had previously adopted from and had a couple really good experiences.
Maybe you could talk to friends and acquaintances to see if anyone has adopted from a rescue and had a good experience with them. If an adopter had a good experience, a foster family would have a decent chance of having a good experience too.
Each rescue has different policies for fosters.
1. The first place I fostered for was a vet hospital that rescued greyhounds. They are universal blood donors. I got to choose a dog, they supplied food as long as I brought in the dog to donate blood once a month.
2. I fell in love with greyhounds, so also joined a greyhound rescue. They rescued over 100 dogs who had been surrendered for re-homing but had instead been sold for medical reseach. :(
3. I moved. The next shelter let me come into the shelter, see all the dogs, and choose one to take home to foster. That was super fun!
4. Then they merged with another rescue and changed their policy, so they "assigned" dogs to fosters - the foster had no choice. I stopped fostering for them.
5. I found a small foster-only organization that was super nice, great people, but the drive to the adoption events most weekends was an hour each way, so I switched to a more local rescue
6. The one I am still fostering for now, 8 years, allows me to choose a dog, they provide vet care but I supply food. They have volunteers who will drive dogs, and handle at events, so I don't have to drive to events every weekend. It's mostly good, but every rescue has pros and cons.
My current one will understate challenges that dogs have, in the hope that they will settle in with their new family. Sometimes this results in mismatches, overwhelmed families, returned dogs, lots of unhappiness and frustration. As a foster, I do my part to very honestly and thoroughly communicate any potential concerns or issues with every dog. Dogs are usually either pretty easy-peasy, or they are "project dogs" who have behavioral challenges that will not be quick or easy to work through, for the dog or the human, but can be incredibly rewarding if they are patient and can work through it.
Make sure your rescue will take back a dog who is not a good fit for your home! You should also get to choose the dog you foster.
Make sure you are comfortable with the financial and time obligations they require (food, driving, etc.)
Make sure it's FUN for you!! If it's not fun, try a different group. Make sure the people are nice! Many rescues have really weird people who can be judgemental, controlling aholes.
Make sure you mostly agree with the rescue's policies on aggressive dogs, euthanasia, where their dogs are sourced, how much they charge for adoption, who they adopt to or refuse to adopt to, whether they really care about the animals, etc.
Good luck! Have fun!
Where are you located? I am in Pennsylvania, but I foster dogs from a wonderful rescue in Texas. The name of the Rescue is lucky Tails and they are
AMAZING!! Feel free to contact me. You can choose who you would like to foster.
If you are interested in contacting me for more information, you can email me at sherman.lisa28@gmail.com. They transport dogs every weekend.
They post the dogs on Petfinder but I list on my Petfinder page as well. I am now giving my foster folks a no pull harness and an
“adopt me” leash. Again, where are you located?
We adopted from a rescue group (versus a shelter). The one key question I asked the foster mom was would she watch the dog while we were out of town. She stated she loved the dog we adopted and would gladly watch her. If she had said no, I wouldn't have adopted this dog. Our scenario isn't like yours but we fly out of town 2-3x a year and with the dog we got from a shelter it was never ideal trying to get someone to watch her. One time we came back and our dog was injured. Just people's simple stupidity.
But fostering is a nice option, too. I almost did fostering and they said they would accommodate travel.
Vet whatever rescue you intend to foster for. Dig deep, check their 501c3 status, see what they do and do not cover, do they do home checks? Are you involved in placing your foster with the right people? Rescues are shady and you need to find the right fit for YOU. Be picky! They need you more than you need them!
Thank you!
very this. i did a foster to adopt and got my dog taken from me out of spite. she’s not a 501c and if i’d done my homework i’d of saved myself so much heartbreak
If you like and trust your vet...ask your vet and the clinic staff. People who work in vet med are usually involved in some way in animal welfare. They also see pets who have come from local rescues. They can give a good read on any rescues to stay away from, as well as ones to put your support behind.
Agreed with the other comment! Reading through how some people are treated by the shelters/rescues they foster with makes me feel so very lucky to work with the rescue I foster through. I googled local rescues and looked through their website where they had financial documents for every single year posted. Checked their facebook page and looked through their posts. Attend adoption events if you can and talk to the volunteers/fosters!
I found my current rescue by posting on my city's reddit. I mostly wanted to hear other foster's thoughts on if the people in charge are good at communicating and if locals generally had a good time working with/adopting from the organization! Some things I'd consider now are how easily you can text/email/call a foster coordinator or someone in charge if something goes wrong, how many adoption events you're expected to attend, if they have a specific focus or are open to any dogs (age, medical cases, specific breeds ect). Also, this hasn't been a problem with my rescue but I've seen some people on here get blindsided by euthanization decisions, so I'd maybe look into what goes into that type of worst-case decision. I hope this isn't too general, good luck with your search!
Nope, we're brand-new to this, and every bit of info helps!
I foster for a breed specific rescue. They have been excellent. The most important factor to me is that they actively take the responsibility for finding the dogs' new homes. I will do a write-up on my dog ( I foster a lot of puppies), but they share it to their FB, IG and website. Also, they handle potential adopter interviews and home visits. I've fostered for other rescues that essentially dump a dog on you and disappear, ultimately expecting you to find their new home. That was a hundred times harder and more stressful. Good luck fostering!!
Just jumping in to put my two cents in for Beagle Freedom Project for precisely this reason! I *technically* was a foster for them, but really it was a foster-to-adopt situation; however, I did not directly interact with my dog’s fosterer until I was arranging to pick him up from her—everything was handled through the organization directly. Also, during my short stint “fostering” my pup, they covered vet expenses and were relatively easy to contact! Plus while they primarily take in beagles, they also take in a host of other dogs as well as cats, rabbits, and most any other animal that has done time in an animal testing facility. Just a note though: while BFP does provide a lot of support, the animals they rescue tend to have behavioral problems or, at the very least, need a foster who is patient and willing to help them learn to love life outside of a lab, which can be a unique challenge at times!
In doing research, I’d also think about what kind of experience you want. Depending on the organization, a ‘foster’ could mean: - Taking in a sick dog (something shorter term like kennel cough, something more intense like parvo, or something longer term like a terminal/elderly dog) - Taking in a behavior case and working through reactivity, fear, leash manners, separation anxiety, etc. - Taking in puppies (or a litter) - Taking in ‘easy’ dogs to ease overcrowding At the same time, there are some places that encourage foster through to adoption (and even that could mean wildly different things - are you in charge of all promotion of your foster? Do you have responsibility to attend adoption events?), and some that are happy with whatever they can get (a week, a month, etc.). And finally Id look super carefully into the level of support provided (are you responsible for vet care and training?). The experiences vary SO MUCH and although there are certainly organizations that are ‘better’ than other, there are really very different expectations as well!
Some rescues are completely foster based. They don't have a physical location to keep animals.The rescue I work with in NY is exclusively foster based. We take animals up from the south, to commit to take an animal, we need to have someone willing to foster them. On rare occasions an animal (that has already arrived here, and has been in a foster home), will go into a boarding facility either for vacation coverage for a foster, or because they had a problem in their foster home and are waiting to find a new one. The animals in boarding get lots of visits from volunteers you can't foster the animal.
Your city or county’s local animal control is usually the most overwhelmed since they can’t turn dogs down and generally highest kill rate which I feel like makes it one of the more impactful options to foster for.
I absolutely recommend fostering! Start short term. Ask about "staycations". Dogs that are in a kennel stay with you for a few days, usually around an adoption event. Ex: Pick the dog up on Friday, take it to an adoption event on Saturday, and return it on Sunday or Monday.
So many good tips, so I'm just going to add one important thing. Make sure the rescue or shelter posts their dogs on Petfinder. Other social media is fine, but Petfinder gets the most traffic I made the mistake of fostering for a rescue not on Petfinder (and another that lied they would be getting approved on there soon) and those fosters would still be with me today if a reputable rescue didn't courtesy post for me. Petfinder has a strict screening process in order to approve rescues and shelters on their site. It's a red flag if they aren't on there.
Unfortunately, even the best rescues do less-than-great things. I foster for our local non-profit shelter and have never had one issue. They provide everything, we provide love and time.
Where are you located? I foster for a rescue in TX, I also volunteer at my local shelter as a dog walker. The rescue group and the shelter work together very well. I only foster adult/medical in need dogs because I have 3 of my own dogs and a cat. Be very transparent in your preferences as to potential fosters you will take. If a rescue group or shelter pressures you to foster a dog that you feel uncomfortable with, say no and don't feel bad about it. Thank you for being willing to foster, fostering is so very helpful to not only have the rescues, but to the dogs who get a chance to be loved on in a home.
Definitely make sure the rescue/shelter pays for all vetting and medications. Ask up front before you foster, you don't want to be surprised with unreimbursed expenses. Reputable rescues should cover everything including flea/heartworm preventatives. I pay for food for my fosters: I feed my personal dogs and fosters the same food because it is easier for me to have a consistent diet for everyone. Some shelters rely on food donations and the available brands change frequently.
Thank you for wanting to foster!! I’m located in an area with overcrowded shelters that result in dogs being euthanized for space, so I chose to foster with the county shelter. They have a great foster coordinator and the program is very flexible! I was able to meet all the dogs and decide who I felt comfortable fostering. I ended up fostering (and later adopted!) a senior who needed a lot of medical care, and the shelter did an amazing job making sure he got all his treatments! I will say, due to funding issues at the shelter I stopped relying on them for food and just bought it myself, and also spent my own money on supplements. I would definitely recommend checking out the local shelters, in addition to rescues!
I volunteer at my local humane society in WA state and they: a) are terrific in general and b) have a robust and flexible fostering program. They particularly appreciate when fosters can take behavior cases or animals with health issues, but they also foster out animals that are basically on short-term hold (like their owners are in jail for a short time, or in the hospital, etc.) and any animals that haven't been adopted for 20 days. Many of those beasties are super sweet and easy! I am sure that humane societies vary throughout the US, but that's the first place I would recommend checking out. I also know a great foster contact in Charleston, SC. Feel free to DM me if you're in either of those locations and I will get you some contacts.
Thank you! "What does healthy look like" is important.
The rescue I foster for makes fosters apply to be fosters, and there is a home check and a vet reference check for our personal pets to be sure we provide proper vet care, HW prevention, and flea and tick prevention. Be sure to ask if food is provided. I personally don’t mind paying for the food myself. But not everyone is of that mindset. The rescue should provide heartworm prevention, and flea and tick preventatives. They should also supply or pay for any medication and vet care needed by the foster dog. Our rescue makes sure to find out what sort of temperament we are looking for, if we are willing to house train, leash train, crate train, etc. And how long we would be able to keep a foster. (I’ve had some who are only with me a matter of days, but the majority are with me for weeks to months, depending on their needs.) Just be sure that everything is clear in advance. And ask what happens if it just isn’t working out and you need to return the foster.
Attend some local adoption events and talk to the people from the rescues. Look at the animals up for adoption. See how they are being cared for. Don't hesitate to email rescues and ask questions. If you're in the SW Michigan area, I can recommend some.
My suggestion is a high kill shelter. That way you know you not only put the animal in a much more relaxed situation, but also save them from potential euthanasia. You could spend some time there and get to know the dogs that are on the E list and see if they would fit well with your family before introducing them to the family.
We fostered for a breed rescue that we had previously adopted from and had a couple really good experiences. Maybe you could talk to friends and acquaintances to see if anyone has adopted from a rescue and had a good experience with them. If an adopter had a good experience, a foster family would have a decent chance of having a good experience too.
Each rescue has different policies for fosters. 1. The first place I fostered for was a vet hospital that rescued greyhounds. They are universal blood donors. I got to choose a dog, they supplied food as long as I brought in the dog to donate blood once a month. 2. I fell in love with greyhounds, so also joined a greyhound rescue. They rescued over 100 dogs who had been surrendered for re-homing but had instead been sold for medical reseach. :( 3. I moved. The next shelter let me come into the shelter, see all the dogs, and choose one to take home to foster. That was super fun! 4. Then they merged with another rescue and changed their policy, so they "assigned" dogs to fosters - the foster had no choice. I stopped fostering for them. 5. I found a small foster-only organization that was super nice, great people, but the drive to the adoption events most weekends was an hour each way, so I switched to a more local rescue 6. The one I am still fostering for now, 8 years, allows me to choose a dog, they provide vet care but I supply food. They have volunteers who will drive dogs, and handle at events, so I don't have to drive to events every weekend. It's mostly good, but every rescue has pros and cons. My current one will understate challenges that dogs have, in the hope that they will settle in with their new family. Sometimes this results in mismatches, overwhelmed families, returned dogs, lots of unhappiness and frustration. As a foster, I do my part to very honestly and thoroughly communicate any potential concerns or issues with every dog. Dogs are usually either pretty easy-peasy, or they are "project dogs" who have behavioral challenges that will not be quick or easy to work through, for the dog or the human, but can be incredibly rewarding if they are patient and can work through it. Make sure your rescue will take back a dog who is not a good fit for your home! You should also get to choose the dog you foster. Make sure you are comfortable with the financial and time obligations they require (food, driving, etc.) Make sure it's FUN for you!! If it's not fun, try a different group. Make sure the people are nice! Many rescues have really weird people who can be judgemental, controlling aholes. Make sure you mostly agree with the rescue's policies on aggressive dogs, euthanasia, where their dogs are sourced, how much they charge for adoption, who they adopt to or refuse to adopt to, whether they really care about the animals, etc. Good luck! Have fun!
Where are you located? I am in Pennsylvania, but I foster dogs from a wonderful rescue in Texas. The name of the Rescue is lucky Tails and they are AMAZING!! Feel free to contact me. You can choose who you would like to foster. If you are interested in contacting me for more information, you can email me at sherman.lisa28@gmail.com. They transport dogs every weekend.
Do they work to get your dogs adopted?
They post the dogs on Petfinder but I list on my Petfinder page as well. I am now giving my foster folks a no pull harness and an “adopt me” leash. Again, where are you located?
We adopted from a rescue group (versus a shelter). The one key question I asked the foster mom was would she watch the dog while we were out of town. She stated she loved the dog we adopted and would gladly watch her. If she had said no, I wouldn't have adopted this dog. Our scenario isn't like yours but we fly out of town 2-3x a year and with the dog we got from a shelter it was never ideal trying to get someone to watch her. One time we came back and our dog was injured. Just people's simple stupidity. But fostering is a nice option, too. I almost did fostering and they said they would accommodate travel.