Consider the sizes and temperaments of your dogs and potential fosters.
Shelters euthanized nearly four million animals in the United States in 2008, according to the American Humane Association. Shelters euthanize over half of the dogs in their care, according to veterinarian Dave Murakowski, of the Wildcat Valley Animal Clinic. Rescue organizations and individual foster homes help relieve the burden on shelters and improve the chance of a dog finding a home rather than facing euthanasia. Fostering dogs provide a needed service; however, precautions and making informed decisions improve your ability to provide a successful foster home for a dog.
Rescue
You need to determine what kind of fostering you want to provide. Many individuals simply find a dog through advertisements or referrals, and then they find the dog a home. Other people join local rescue organizations or breed rescue groups. One of the advantages of fostering on your own involves making all the decisions about the dog. Advantages of working with a group include assistance in training, finding homes and options if the dog does not work out in your home. Most rescue groups require an application, home evaluation, referrals and other requirements for approval to foster.
Finances
Fostering dogs requires an outlay of money for various reasons that include spaying or neuter expenses; expenses for crate, food, veterinary health checks, vaccinations and treatment for medical problems, such as parasites or worms. Some dogs require minimal care, while others may incur considerable expenses for treatment of medical conditions, such as heartworm disease. A rescue organization may pay all the expenses or they may pay only medical and certain other costs. If you join a group, discuss their financial support. Ask whether they pay the costs upfront or after you submit paid bills for reimbursement.
Type
Foster homes provide various types of care, including geriatric, end-of-life, whelping or rearing litters. Some include small dogs and specific breeds. Some organizations, such as the ASPCA, find foster homes for dogs that need training or time to recover from an injury or medical condition before placement in a home. Other groups provide short-term care for people who need help while hospitalized, who are deployed overseas in the military or for abused spouses living in temporary homeless shelters. Providing a successful foster home requires you to determine your ability, training and commitment for working with different types of situations. Caring for a dying dog or handling a dog with behavioral problems requires a special type of foster home. Contact rescue groups for training or mentoring if you need help determining which types of dogs fit your personality and your home.
Legal
Contact your local courthouse or humane society for information or contacts regarding local laws. Some towns place limits on the number of dogs allowed in a home. Several states place requirements on rescues, including filing nonprofit status, liability insurance and state facility evaluations. Fostering for a group that provides legal support may reduce your financial risks, according to the Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue Inc. Discuss legal liability and adoption contracts with an attorney, if you foster independently.
Considerations
Bringing in a dog for foster may expose your pets to diseases or parasites. Make sure they have current vaccinations and delay fostering if you have a puppy or immune-compromised pets. Young children in your home may become distressed about giving a dog to another home. Expect that some dogs you take to foster may require euthanasia for medical or unsafe behavioral issues.
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