I Need A Foster Home For My Dog
Since
this website went up several years ago, I have received numerous
emails from people seeking temporary homes for their dogs. For the
most part, these are good, decent people who are trying to do their
best for their furry family members while dealing with circumstances
beyond their control. They go the extra mile to try to find a better
option than dropping their pets off at the local shelter.
This page is meant to be a resource for those seeking temporary
homes for their dogs. However, I hope it's also a good reference
for rescuers.
Common reasons that people seek
temporary foster homes for their pets
Unfortunately, many good pet owners will need to find temporary
care for their pets at some point in their lives. Here are some of
the more common reasons that pet owners have found themselves in
this unenviable position:
- Moving (temporarily) to a no-pets apartment, or currently keeping
a dog in a no-pets apartment and the landlord found out
- Military deployment
- Unemployment / layoffs / lack of funds
- Medical issues (major surgery, hospitalization)
- Incarceration
- Fire or natural disaster
- Domestic abuse
Do I need a foster home
or long-term in-home boarding?
There are certain circumstances in which it would be appropriate
to ask for free assistance with your pets, such as a flood or fire...
something completely unexpected and out of your control. In some
instances, your insurance might even cover the cost of boarding your
pets.
In other circumstances, it would be inappropriate to expect someone
to care for your pets for free, but due to the length of the stay,
a traditional boarding kennel might be prohibitively expensive or
detrimental to the dog's health or well-being. One such example would
be moving overseas temporarily for a job. In this case, long-term
in-home or home-style boarding would be a possible solution. Long-term
boarding facilities (including some traditional boarding kennels)
typically offer reduced rates depending on the length of the dog's
stay. Home boarding arrangements ("in-home," "home-style" or
"host family" boarding)
allow the dog to spend all or most of its time in a home setting,
interacting with people, with leash walks and access to fenced outdoor
areas for exercise. Some dog daycares and pet sitters are able to
offer home-style boarding on a limited basis.
I received an email from someone in New York (I live in Pennsylvania)
who wanted me to keep his pup for six months, for free, because he
was moving into a no-pets apartment while his new home was being
built in Florida. He wanted to drop the dog off at my house on his
way down south, because he hadn't thought to make arrangements for
the dog until a few days before he was moving. This was not a case
of a natural disaster or even a lack of money; it was simply thoughtlessness
and poor planning that got the dog's owner into this situation. Make
no mistake -- finding a foster home is not a way to get free dog
boarding. In this instance, seeking long-term boarding at a reasonable
fee, and ideally in a home setting, would be one possible solution.
Finding an apartment that allows pets -- even if it isn't in your
ideal location -- would be another possible solution. (In this particular
instance, finding a new home for the dog might have been the best
solution.)
Where to find help
The best place to start your search is probably with your local
shelter or rescue group. Some shelters can provide emergency boarding
in truly dire circumstances, such as a house fire or domestic abuse.
If they don't have an appropriate program, they might be able to
point
you
in the
right
direction.
A web search
for local dog-related email lists or websites might turn up more
suggestions. Some boarding kennels, petsitters, dog daycares, or
in-home boarders may be willing to negotiate a special fee based
on the length of your dog's stay and your personal circumstances.
Our links page includes a number of local
and national groups that can help pet owners in various circumstances.
Some will provide foster homes, while others may be able to provide
other types of support so that your animals can stay with you.
Foster care contracts
When you find someone to care for your pet temporarily, a contract
between the owner and the foster home is strongly recommended. A
contract outlines the rights and responsibilities of both parties.
This type of fostering arrangement is different than most, since
the dog does have an owner who hopes to reclaim him at some point.
Here is one example of this type of contract.
Some points to consider include:
- Length of the foster period
- Responsibilities of both parties (who pays for food, vet care,
etc.), and what happens if these responsibilities are not met
- Any applicable fees or donations
- What if the dog becomes injured, ill, or lost during the foster
period? Can the pet owner sue for damages?
- What happens if the owner is unable to reclaim the dog at the
end of the foster period?
- Who is liable for the actions of the dog while it is in foster
care? What if the dog bites a person or another animal?
From the foster home's
perspective
I commend pet owners who try to locate a foster home for their pets
in these tough situations, rather than simply dumping them at the
local shelter or giving them away to the first taker in a "free
to good home" ad. However, there are some issues to be aware
of if you choose to go this route:
- Shelters and rescues are filled to overflowing and may not have
any foster homes available. If they do have space, most will be
hesitant to take an animal that they know they will have to keep
for a long period of time without any possibility of placement.
Your dog could, in effect, prevent the foster home from taking
in and placing several shelter dogs that are scheduled to be euthanized.
Please keep this in mind before becoming angry at a foster volunteer
for not immediately agreeing to take your dog.
- Most foster homes are just that: Homes. In most cases, foster
dogs do not live in kennels. They live inside the foster volunteer's
house and are treated as one of his or her own pets. This is why
we ask you for your pet's medical and behavioral history. Questions
about your dog's age, sex, size, temperament, and training are
vital because they help us to determine whether we could safely
integrate your dog into our own "pack."
- It costs the foster home money to care for your pet. At the very
least, you should make arrangements to pay for your dog's food
and vet care during the fostering period. An additional donation
to the rescue group, or volunteering your time, would be very much
appreciated.
- Are you sure you will be able to care for your pet again within
a reasonable period of time? Do you have a plan in place to make
it happen? If not, you should consider finding a new, permanent
home for him. It's not fair to the dog, or to the foster home,
to live in limbo.
Info for rescuers and foster
homes
Rescuers, keep in mind that dogs in these situations today may become
your "rescue dogs" of tomorrow when their owners finally
run out of options. If you have the necessary resources, consider
starting a reduced-cost boarding program to meet the needs of beloved
pets whose owners are temporarily in bad situations.
Consider offering a rate reduction after a certain period of time,
to make long term boarding an affordable option for the owner. You
can choose to board all breeds, or to specialize in your breed. By
taking in the occasional paid boarder (even at reduced rates), you
can help to offset the costs of your "real" rescues. Everybody
wins.
As always, make sure you are in compliance with your state and local
laws.
