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DECEMBER 2015 DOGGIERESCUE.COM MAGAZINE 13
• A home with plenty of space. If a foster carer A final few words from a failed foster carer Dogs
already has their own pet then occasionally there brought to DoggieRescue for rehoming are not always in
may be issues integrating them with a foster animal. the best of health, and may suffer from a whole range of
Therefore, it is a good idea to have a separate room issues such as malnutrition and fear aggression, or need
available in case the foster animal is shy or does time and therapy to recuperate from veterinary treatments
not take well to other pets. undertaken shortly after they were rescued. This can take
a lot of time and effort on the part of the foster carer, and
• The ability to avoid over-attachment. Some in some cases, may also mean that the dog needs to be
foster carers do end up adopting pets in their care; isolated from other dogs while they recover, something
however, it is important to remember that fostering that is hard to properly achieve in a kennel environment.
is meant to be temporary. (It is here where I make
the confession that I totally failed this part of the Further, some dogs that are put up for adoption have
process and ended up adopting Cooper!!) Foster suffered from neglect, poor handling, cruelty, or a simple
carers should aim to help as many animals as they lack of experience of ever having lived within a calm,
can rather than simply "trial" new pets. secure home with proper boundaries. For dogs from this
type of background, simply living within a calm, secure
• An open mind. You may have ideas about the kind and canine-appropriate environment with caring foster
of pet you would like to foster, however it is best to families can make the difference between producing a
be open to fostering pets according to their need dog that is ready to go to their forever home with new
rather than other attributes such as age or breed. owners, and one that is going to be hard to find a match
for due to their past experiences and treatment. My
• Time and commitment. Though it is fun and Cooper (see below) is an excellent example. Coming from
rewarding, caring for a foster animal is hard work. an abusive background, he was a fear biter and it seemed
It can be difficult to predict a homeless animal's that he would never find a forever home. The fact that he
needs so it is important prospective foster carers did find a forever home, albeit with his failed foster carer,
are able to devote a consistent amount of time to was simply a function of moving to a calm and secure
care, training, cleaning and medical requirements. environment with a routine. Any homeless dog can be
homeward bound with the assistance of a foster carer.
What are the costs associated with fostering?
Expected costs vary from animal to animal, but generally
medical care is covered by the DoggieRescue especially
in an emergency situation. Other expenses MAY be
reimbursed, however fostering should be viewed as a
commitment to looking after the dog which unsurprisingly
means you will incur costs – food, grooming etc.
What challenges might I face as a foster carer? For This Christmas, consider fostering a dog it is one of
many, the most difficult part of fostering is saying the most rewarding things you can do. But do it with
goodbye. You should be mindful of the fact that some a realistic understanding of what is involved and the
fostering situations carry on for months, and during that very real prospect that you will be a failure. And if
time you may form a strong bond with your foster pet. It
is important to always remember that fostering is meant you do fail, as I did, revel in it!!
to help as many animals as possible - and that the aim of
your role is to help your foster pet move on to their
forever home so they have a fair second chance at life.
You should accept that whilst you have some say in
where your foster pet ultimately ends up, the best part
about fostering is that you have the ability to make a
difference in the animal’s quality of life. Without foster
carers, many more needy animals would have nowhere
to go – and that means higher kill rates in pounds.
