Has anybody ever done foster parenting for dogs?

Question

What all is involved? Do you pay for the vet bills and expenses? Do you have to take the dogs to meet their perspective new families or do the families come to you? If they come to you, do you let strangers into your home? How hard was it on you and/or your kids to give up your foster dog? How long do you usually have them? How long can you have them? Could you end up having to keep one forever? Thanks!

I don't want to keep the dog forever, I'm asking if I could end up having to keep the dog forever if no one could be found to adopt it. Thanks.

Answer 1

I foster and have for years.
I have a dog anywhere from a week or less to months on end.
Our rescue has a vet that does all the work on our dogs. I have to take them to the vet but the bills are all paid for my the resuce I never see a bill. Rescue will give me food to feed the dog if I want it but I just feed them like my others and I pay for that.
I have people come to my home and they meet the dog outside. We walk and they play with the dog. If they are this far they have already had a home visit and I or someone else has been in their home and they have passed the other requirements at this point I am looking to see how they interact with the dog and if the dog will be ok placed in their home.
Many dogs I take are problem dogs who need to have special training or lots of training done on them before they go to a new home. I get hard headed stubborn dogs who sometimes can be aggressive. They learn to live by new rules in my home and get along with other dogs and a cat and my horses. They learn basic house manners and how to walk on leash with out pulling.
I have had a dog up to four months. I do not have children.
It is hard to see them go as you love them like they were your own. It would be harder with children. You have to look at it like they are only on loan to you until you find them the perfect home.
I am not going to lie some people can not do it as it is to hard to give them up. It is not easy but some people learn to detach an are able to foster some just can not do it very often.
Good luck.

Answer 2

I have and it depends on the organization your fostering for. The one I fostered for had a vet that they worked with who would do everything for free. I took the dog every sat or every other sat to a pet store and people came to meet the dogs. They also offered to pick the dogs up for me. You do fall in love with these dogs especially the ones who don't get adopted for a while. I just looked at it as a way to help them find good homes. Because when a dog is more adjusted to living in a house with a family they have a higher chance for success in their new home. I did keep one because he was so attached to me and I couldn't let him go. I didn't have to keep him but he was so lost. It is not an easy job. You sometimes have to house train them and some may have behaviors so I would really talk to the people you are fostering for. It is very rewarding. The only reason I stoped was because my son has allergies to dogs and more then one at a time bothers him.

Answer 3

Yes, I've fostered lots of rescued greyhounds. With greyhounds, they provide you with food (not including treats, of coures), they pay any necessary vet bills but they have to be approved first except in emergencies. Foster dogs are often taken to "meet and greets" in pet stores on weekends to let people see them, but you do not have people in your house. If the group has an approved home looking to adopt, someone will take the dog over to the prospective home.

As for being hard letting them go, I told myself when the dog came that this was not my dog, I was just looking after him until he got his forever home. I groomed, house trained, walked, played with, taught them how to live in a house and was happy for them when they got a home.

But there was one exception - the first foster I ever had was this sweet, very special little girl that I only had for 10 days when she was adopted. I cried and cried when she left, but I was lucky. Her new family decided after a few months they really didn't want a dog (and this girl had NO bad habits) so I got her back. I've had her for 5 years now. It was just meant to be.

If you're thinking of fostering, good for you - I don't think you'll regret it!! Foster homes do not become a dog's permanent home - if no one adopts it, the foster family does not keep the dog.

Answer 4

I've fostered puppies and kittens through our local humane society. I only kept them if they were too small or they were sick and couldn't have them safely into the shelter until they were well. Usually I kept them 3-4 weeks.

As far as I know, you have no say nor meet any perspective adoptors. You can refer people the humane society for adoption requests tho!! You have to keep in mind that if you foster these animals, to not get too emotionally attached. You have to have faith that after they leave your home and love, that you've done your part to help make their lives a happier, more loved one, regardless of what happens afterwards.

And unless you pay to adopt the animal, no you can't keep it forever! lol But it's a very rewarding thing to do. It's all volunteer, and you have no vet bills nor pay for any medication, but you may have to buy the food.

Answer 5

I would do it. I also foster. I also work with a small rescue. Emergency vet care is approved only after it's deemed a real emergency. They pay for shots and spaying. They pay for food as they can. They provide crates when they can. Personally, I own five crates that I purchased myself. All bowls, leashes, collars, treats, etc, I provide myself. Because my own personal pets have food allergies, generally, I just write the food off and pay for it myself as well. So believe you me, I know where you're coming from when you say small organization and lacking in funding. I've had allergy tests performed on fosters. I've signed and had dew claws removed when medically needed. I'd just go it and call it a day. However, that's me. I've never gotten ANY slack from the rescue, and in most cases, they were very thankful.

Answer 6

You pay all the expenses.
You or the rescue both, take the application for adoption.
You make all the necessary calls to their vets, and reference people. You go to their home and check it out, as well as the neighborhood. THEN you meet up with them again, mid ground area, and allow them to get a feel for the dog and you watch how they and the dog react to one another.. Then another time, they are given their furry angel.

Sometimes, giving them up hurts. But..think of it this way, by doing so, it allows you to continue to help rescue - foster - other angels, and help them find loving forever homes.

Sometimes, you can have these darlings for quite a while. Not all that come into your home are social, house broken; and some may even be puppy mill breeding stock that need to learn to trust humans.

You may need to keep one or more for forever..

go to petfinder.com - Columbus, WI - one starfish rehoming connection.. talk to the woman that runs that rescue. She is straight forward, and honest. Perhaps the only one like that, that I have ever met.

Have a heart filled with love?

What is the price of a puppy mill or pet shop puppy?
The life of its parents!

Are you wanting to help out an animal shelter, and foster .. or help out and be part of a rescue? BIG difference..

Answer 7

I volunteered at a shelter for forty years. I took several dogs and many cats in to my home over the years to foster. No I didn't have to pay for vet care the shelter had a vet on staff. I did pay to feed them. At first it was difficult to give them up but I usually got to meet the new owners because I had to describe the dogs daily routine and tempermant. It got much easier over time to let them go. Good Luck.

Answer 8

Sure! My house is flooding with dogs!!!!!