Thank you for your interest in fostering with our organization. As a foster family, you play an important role in saving the life of a dog – YOU are the one who will give that deserving dog a second chance. We are so grateful to our foster families, without them, these dogs have little to no possibility of finding their forever homes.
Why foster?
Every week, we are asked to help take dogs out of shelter situations for various reasons. Some are running out of time in a shelter that still euthanizes to make space. Some are in need of urgent medical attention or have needs the shelters cannot meet. Sometimes we’re asked to take dogs from situations where animal control has stepped in, seized dogs and they are in need of placements. Others simply aren’t coping well in a noisy, anxious shelter environment and need to get into a family home setting.
Our foster families provide a safe place for these dogs by opening their homes until approved permanent homes can be found. The journey as a foster parent, transforming the life of an animal in need, is one of the most rewarding experiences you will have. In some cases, you will give them their first experience at love and safety, stability and comfort. You won’t truly have a grasp on that sense of pride and accomplishment until you experience it firsthand. It’s incredible.
What will it cost you?
We ask our foster homes to provide plenty of love, patience, and a warm safe place for their foster dogs as they await their forever families.
Our rescue is very fortunate to receive much needed physical/material donations from various retailers and rescue advocates. This allows us to provide most necessary items to get you started: food, bedding, crate, toys, collar, leash, pet waste bags, etc. We also offer gift-in-kind tax receipts to our volunteers who choose to purchase and donate any of these basic items.
While Save Me Dog Rescue does cover the cost of ALL veterinary expenses, we do rely on our foster homes to transport their foster dogs to and from any necessary medical appointments. We do not reimburse for this, unless there are special circumstances.
What do we look for in foster volunteers?
We look for individuals who have the time to dedicate. While basic care of a dog is a serious commitment, we also look for people who have time to exercise and sometimes provide training such as house training, socializing, tricks, etc. They have time to give medical care or attend vetting appointments if necessary. The same amount of time you would provide your own pet, but on a short-term basis.
Dog experience is also a huge benefit, though not a requirement. Our foster homes are asked to write bios for their foster dogs because they know them best. Having dog experience enables our foster homes to understand their foster’s behaviour so they can consider the type of forever home that dog would need. Experience also helps with problem solving and training.
Compassion is a must. While a good number of our foster dogs come into our homes very much adoptable, they still require understanding as they adjust to a new home and new people. Foster homes that choose to help higher needs dogs, such as those that come from hoarding, breeding or neglect/abuse situations, even more compassion is required to help these dogs rehab.
We also look for people who will represent our rescue in the best way possible. Since our adopters will be interacting with our foster homes, we look for people who are well mannered, respectful, and understanding. We want people who listen to what an adopter is looking for in a forever dog to ensure they’re a good match for their foster dog. Foster homes also may do their own screening of adopters, so they need to have good communication skills as well.
What is the process to becoming a foster home?
You’ve read everything so far and you want to get involved. Fantastic!
You will start the process by filling out our application to foster. Put in as much information as you can to help us learn about you.
Our Foster Liaison will reach out to you via email, once they have had a chance to go over your application. If they feel you meet the requirements, they will set up a time to speak with you over the phone. We do a formal screening, as we would for an adopter, because like an adopter, we are entrusting you to provide care for one of our dogs. We do a vet reference to ensure that your pets (if any) are well cared for, altered, and up to date with visits and vaccines. We also reach out to your personal references.
Lastly, a home visit is arranged. We want to see firsthand, the type of home our dogs will be placed in. Ensuring they are in a safe, clean home where they can relax and feel secure, is a top priority of our rescue.
Assuming all goes well, you would be approved to foster.
When do I get my first foster dog, and how will I know what to do?
Once approved, you will work with the foster liaison to choose your first foster.
Our rescue is asked to assist with a wide variety of dogs, in terms of needs. Some dogs come from a situation where they are very much loved and cared for, but their circumstances have changed, and they’ve had to rehome their pet. Others are seized from bad situations, such as hoarding or neglect. Some were not given basic training and owner have surrendered them due to lack of time or time to correct. We provide our volunteers with as much information as possible about the dog, so that you can decided if you think you can help.
Our foster liaison is available from start to finish of your first few foster experiences. She is always available to answer questions, help problem solve if you run into issues, and walk you through the steps of creating a bio, accepting applications and selecting a good forever home for your foster dog.
Whether it is someone’s first foster or their 50th foster, you will always have full support for anything that might come up. Our hard-working board of directors are always more than happy to help and encourage you to reach out. You will also be connected to our community of volunteers who will also be there to support you every step of the way. We pride ourselves on our “welcome to the family” atmosphere, where everyone is warmly welcomed. We all share the same goal. and we all support each other.
Other things to consider:
The time that a foster dog will be in your care can vary, so make sure you have the time to invest. It can be as fast as 3 weeks, or it could be several months or more. We ask that our foster homes see through their foster dog’s journey from intake to adoption. Each foster home chooses their foster dog based on their ability and requirements (for example, good with cats, or children), so moving dogs from home to home may be difficult based on the dog’s needs and the homes we have open. Upcoming holidays should be considered as well. That said, we know that unexpected situations may arise, and we do have temporary foster homes that can help if needed as well.
Do you have room for a foster? Some may require crating for their safety when you’re out of the home, some require crated sleeping space. Other dogs need a place to decompress after arriving. Can your feed your foster separately if needed? Safety is of the utmost importance, so having a safe space for your foster dog is key.
Do your existing pets enjoy new animals in their space? Not all family pets enjoy sharing their home with new animals. Consider how your current pets my enjoy sharing their toys, bedding, the owner’s affection and time.
Are you a good problem solver? If your foster gets into things, can you keep dangerous items out of reach and keep the foster dog safe? If they bark a lot, can you work to manage? If they are not house trained, are you able to provide basic training? Being able to think ahead is super important for success as well.