What does it mean to be a foster parent for dogs in need? Wow! That's a loaded question and I'm going to try my best to answer it for you. Essentially, it means opening your home to an animal in need while they await adoption. However, there is so much more to it.
I personally believe that helping animals in need is my calling and my special gift from God. We have been fostering for almost 20 years and I’m happy to say that with the help of my husband and two beautiful daughters we have helped close to 400 dogs find their forever home.
Throughout this article I will give you the pros and cons of fostering. By the end of this article my hope is that you have enough information to make an informed decision about whether or not you could be a foster family for puppies and dogs in need.
Here are some drawbacks of fostering:
Time and Commitment: Fostering dogs requires a significant time commitment. Puppies, in particular, demand a lot of attention, training, and socialization. Fostering may not be suitable for people with busy schedules or those who cannot provide consistent care.
Financial Responsibility: Fostering dogs can come with some financial responsibility.
However, almost all of the rescue groups we have fostered for have offered to pay for the dogs expenses, which includes food, veterinary cost, meds, toys, etc.. You should check with the rescue group before you volunteer to make sure you understand what is expected of you.
Behavioral Issues: Some dogs may come with behavioral issues or require extensive training and rehabilitation. This can be challenging for novice foster caregivers or those without experience in dog training.
Household Adjustments: Dogs may require adjustments to your living space, and there may be occasional damage to your home or belongings. Puppies, in particular, may be prone to chewing and accidents.
Health Risks: Fostering dogs, especially if they come from unknown backgrounds, can pose health risks. Dogs may carry parasites or infectious diseases. Foster caregivers should always take precautions to protect their own pets and family members.
Stress on Resident Pets: If you have other pets at home, fostering a dog can be stressful for them, especially if they are not used to sharing their space and resources with other animals. Introducing new dogs to your home requires careful management.
Unpredictable Backgrounds: Dogs in foster care often come with limited or unknown histories, which can make it challenging to predict their behavior, health issues, or compatibility with your household.
Administrative Responsibilities: Foster caregivers may have administrative responsibilities, such as keeping records, coordinating with rescue organizations, and managing adoption inquiries. This can be time-consuming.
Emotional Attachment: Fostering dogs can lead to strong emotional attachments. While this is a positive aspect in many ways, it can be challenging when it comes time to let the dog go to their permanent home. Foster caregivers may experience sadness or grief when parting with a dog they've grown attached to.
Can you say foster fail? We have foster failed four times.❤️
The bright side of fostering:
Providing a Safe Haven: Opening your home offers a safe, healthy environment for dogs and puppies in need. Shelters can be breeding grounds for diseases and are often stressful, leaving lasting scars on these animals.
Easing Shelter Burden: Shelters are overflowing with homeless animals. Each dog in foster care makes room for another at the shelter, reducing the euthanasia rates. You're saving lives!!
Rehabilitation Time: Dogs in a home environment have the chance to be rehabilitated. Socialization and proper care increase their chances of finding a forever home.
Temporary Commitment: Fostering provides a temporary commitment, allowing you to assess if you're ready for full-time pet parenting and if a particular breed suits your lifestyle.
Educational Experience: Fostering is a comprehensive learning experience. It teaches you about dog care, behavior, training, and more.
Matchmaking: Fostering empowers you to pair dogs with their perfect families. It can be a challenge, but when you know the dog, you can make a fitting match.
Love: Ultimately, it's all about love.❤️❤️❤️
Being a foster parent can be a rollercoaster. It's a lot of work, time consuming, messy, and at times it can be overwhelming. However, with that being said, it is the most rewarding thing you can do, and the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives. Our family loves being a foster family. It's been great for our children to learn how to help the community and my girls love being able to play with all the puppies and dogs. Our dogs also love it, no need to go to a dog park. Do our hearts break when we have to hand the pup to their new family? ABSOLUTELY, every time!! However, we know that we have done our job as fosters and that there are other dogs that need our help.
It's crucial to remember that if you ever feel that your foster dog isn't a good fit for your family you can communicate with the rescue organization you're working with, they can often find an alternative placement. Maintaining close contact with the rescue group is essential, as fostering makes you an integral part of a team.
I hope this article helped you to make an informed decision regarding fostering. Even if you've realized that fostering isn't for you or if you're still on the fence regarding fostering there are still other ways you can help. I recommend you reach out to a local animal shelter or rescue group and see how you can get involved, no job is too small. However, if you are now on board with becoming a foster mom or dad, congratulations!!! I’m so happy for you and all the future fur babies you're going to save.
Enjoy the ride.
