Information About Fostering

A foster home is a temporary living situation for pets while they’re awaiting placement in a permanent home or to move to a partner organization. Foster homes are crucial for helping the dog’s mental and physical well-being. They also create space in shelters for other dogs in need of rescue. Foster families provide shelter, food, care and love. The number of animals we can save depends entirely on the number of people we have to foster them.

The most important information about fostering is that it saves lives! The more animals there are in foster homes, the less shelters have to euthanize animals because their kennels are full. Also, many homeless dogs are not ready to be adopted. Finding a foster home for them may be the only way for them to get from a shelter, where they may be at risk of euthanasia, to their forever home.

But being a foster parent has rewards beyond saving a life. It can be a chance to have an animal companion without a lifetime commitment—puppies are wonderful, but not everyone wants years of puppiness! A foster dog can be a great temporary companion for an existing pet (if medically and behaviorally safe to introduce the animals). In some cases, you can experience the special challenge of helping a dog recover from illness, injury, or trauma. You can also gain valuable handling knowledge and experience by working to train your foster dog or help them overcome a behavioral issue. And it’s incredibly fulfilling to give extra TLC to these four-legged friends that need our help. Above all, you get the satisfaction and joy of knowing that you have saved a life!

Foster homes are most needed for large adult dogs or orphaned puppies under 8 weeks old. We will occasionally seek fosters for pregnant dogs, moms with newborns, senior dogs, dogs needing medical care, or dogs awaiting transport to another facility.

Basically, foster care is for all dogs who need a little extra TLC! Fosters also help us save many more dogs than we could with just our shelter. Some foster homes choose to specialize in fostering a specific type of dog—for example, only seniors— while others choose to foster any dog in need.

In general, foster homes are responsible for providing foster dogs with adequate food and water, shelter from the elements, exercise, and plenty of love. In addition to providing the basics, foster parents may also be asked to administer any necessary medications or provide other medical care. Foster parents are responsible for picking up their foster dog from Memphis Animal Services and transporting them to and from our clinic for appointments, and in most cases, adoption sites and events. Foster parents are also expected to actively market their foster dog for adoption, be responsive to potential adopters, arrange meet and greets with potential adopters, provide meet and greet feedback to our staff, and arrange hand off with their foster dog’s adopter. It is very important for MAS dog fosters to monitor their email.

In addition, foster parents play a crucial role in rehabilitating rescued animals. They are in a unique position to help our most in need animals learn how to love and trust again. Foster parents can help these animals become more “adoptable” by providing socialization and basic training. By teaching or reteaching a dog how to live in a home setting, foster parents help increase the odds for a smooth and successful transition into a permanent adoptive home.

Fostering is a tremendously rewarding experience, but it takes a lot of time and effort. The basic responsibilities are:

• Provide a safe, clean, and caring environment
• Provide food, water, toys/enrichment, and shelter
• Provide exercise and socialization, as appropriate
• Monitor any medical and/or behavioral problems
• Transport to/from any medical appointments
• Transport to/from adoption sites and events
• Respond to email inquiries regarding your foster dog and communicate with potential adopters within 48 hours
• Arrange a date, time, and place for potential adopters to meet your foster dog and provide meet and greet feedback
• Take pictures/video and create a bio for your foster dog.
• Arrange hand off to your foster dog’s adopter

For more information about fostering, watch the video below!

In addition to the basics, please consider the following information about fostering before deciding if it’s right for you:

• Are you permitted to have dogs in your residence (e.g., if you rent, does your landlord allow dogs)? Are there any restrictions on the type of dog that is permitted (e.g., breed, size, etc.)? If there is a required pet deposit, are you willing to pay it prior to taking a foster dog? If you live in a community with shared walls (e.g., apartment, condominium, townhome), will a dog’s barking or whining present a noise issue?
• If you do not live alone, is everyone in your residence ok with you fostering a dog? Fostering is a household affair. Even if you do all the work, everyone will be affected by having this addition to your household. This is especially important if you have roommates. Everyone in the household needs to consent to your fostering a dog and understand and follow the Dog Foster Program’s protocols for the health and safety of you, the other residents, and your foster dog.
• Do you have the time to devote to caring for a foster dog? Young puppies may need to be fed as often as every few hours. Adult dogs need the stimulation and exercise of daily play. As a foster, you are expected to provide transportation, put forth marketing efforts, and participate in meet and greets with potential adopters.
• If you have other animals:
  • How will they react to a new dog in the home?
  • Are they spayed or neutered? Some of our foster dogs will not yet have had spay or neuter surgery, so we want to ensure that they don’t have contact with any “intact” dogs.
  • Do any of them have any health issues that might make them more susceptible to disease or other medical concerns?
  • Have they been fully vaccinated for DAPP, Rabies, and Bordetella? The latter is for kennel cough and is not a routine vaccine. However, if you board your dog it was probably required. Please check your vet records to see if this specific vaccine has been done. If your dog(s) are not up to date on vaccines, you should wait a minimum of 5 days after your dog’s vaccinations have been administered before taking in a foster dog. We also recommend that you follow your vet’s recommendations regarding the addition of a foster dog to your home.
  • Do you have the ability to separate your foster dog from your resident animals? We recommend that you keep them separate for at least the first week. There are two reasons for this. First, we want to protect your resident animals from any undiagnosed medical conditions. Second, from a behavior perspective, it is usually best to slowly introduce a new dog to the “pack.”