Foster FAQs

Can foster parents adopt their foster dogs?
Yes! As long as foster parents meet our rescue requirements that are necessary, foster parents have the first choice to adopt their foster pets, unless otherwise specified.

Are foster dogs contagious? Will my pets or my health be jeopardized?
It is always a health risk to expose your animal to other animals, whether in any off-leash areas, the vet waiting room or other common animal areas. If your pets are current on their vaccinations, maintain healthy diets and lifestyles, and are not immune compromised, then the health risk should be minimal. lf someone in your home is immune compromised, consult their (human) doctor before fostering.

Are purchases made for foster care tax deductible?
Purchases made for foster care may be considered donations to our rescue and would be tax deductible. As we are a 501(c)(3) organization, you should keep your receipts for any expenses you make towards the care of your foster dog.

What do I do if my foster dog needs veterinary care?
It’s always best to speak to us directly about how to handle emergencies. We’ve included some rough guidelines below, but it’s always best to sketch out a plan ahead of time with us. If you have any emergency during business hours, please call us directly.
If something happens after hours:
Restrain the dog to prevent it from hurting itself or anyone in the area. Evaluate the situation and need for assistance.

Things to look for…
Is the dog’s life in imminent danger?
Is the dog’s airway obstructed or is the dog having trouble breathing?
Does the dog have any broken bones or open wounds?
Is the dog running a fever of 104F or greater?
Are the dog’s gums white or pale pink?
Is the dog eating or drinking?
Is the dog able to urinate and defecate?
Look at the dog’s stool. Is there blood in the feces or urine? Are there obvious parasites present?

If the situation is not an emergency, call the rescue first thing the next day. If emergency medical attention is needed, or if you are uncertain, call the rescue for emergency clearance. Have the dog’s name and any information about the situation available so the volunteer can advise you of the appropriate steps. Once you are cleared to go to the emergency vet clinic, a rescue volunteer will call ahead to let them know you are coming. In many cases, the vet can call the rescue for reimbursement, but sometimes (depending on the vet), we would ask you to pay and we would reimburse you later. Always check with the rescue before making an appointment with a veterinary clinic. Without proper clearance, the rescue cannot reimburse you for any medical costs.

Can I name my foster dog?
Your foster dog may already have been given a name by the shelter, the rescue, or his or her previous owners. Please keep the same name (unless we have approved an alteration beforehand)! The dog may already know his or her name, all the shelter/rescue paperwork will be completed under that name and the dog will be listed on our web site with that name. We want to avoid any confusion among rescue team members, foster families, potential adopters and the dog. If you choose to adopt your foster dog, you are free to change the name at that point in time.

Once approved as a foster home, you will sign a Foster Contract, receive foster care instructions, and pick up your foster dog, along with any supplies. In many cases, supplies will be ordered to be delivered directly to your home. Be sure to keep a copy of the Foster Contract for your records.

You may also be supplied with the following:
. Medical history sheet
. Medical directions, syringes and medicines as needed
. Kibble and/or Prescription food, if needed
. ID tags and rabies tags (if applicable)
. Leash/collar (harness if needed)
. Food/water dishes
. Bedding/Crate

Young children
Always introduce children slowly to the new dog to determine the compatibility and the attitude of the foster dog toward youngsters. Even after the initial introduction, always have an adult supervisor around when your child is with the foster dog.

Foster puppies/dogs
Be certain your pets are up to date on their vaccinations. Direct interaction between older foster puppies/dogs and your healthy, vaccinated pets is totally at your own risk and often, we would require you to keep them separated. There is always a chance that the babies could transmit illness to your pets or that your pets could get the puppies (if applicable) sick. We recommend keeping your foster puppies/dogs separate from your own pets for 7-10 days if possible.

The foster dog and your cat
If possible, we will cat test your new foster dog before you take it home, but this is not always possible. If the dog is known to be aggressive towards cats, it will be better for all parties if you do not take him/her home. Once you’ve brought the dog home, let him or her settle down and get comfortable with the new surroundings before you introduce your cat. Keep them in separate rooms until then. Have the dog on a leash when you bring the cat into the room. The dog may be curious about this new animal and want to sniff. Keep both parties calm and separate them at the first sign of stress. Indifference is good. Remember: a cat sitting still in your arms is not as enticing as a cat bolting away from a dog. It is normal for a dog to attempt to chase any animal if it runs; this can be discouraged with training. Also, be careful when carrying your cat around with your foster dog loose. Many dogs find their instinctive prey drive heightened when another animal is being carried.

The foster dog and your dog
If possible, take your current dog to meet the foster dog before coming home, e.g. if the foster dog is staying at the boarding kennels we use, or if the shelter will allow it (please ask us about setting this up). This is a neutral place, and makes it easier to establish a rapport between your dog and the new foster. Regardless of whether you are able to do this or not, once you bring the foster home, keep both dogs on a leash until you have seen how they will interact in this new setting. The key is to go slowly and supervise until both animals are comfortable with each other.

Body language to look for:
Good-signs: upright ears, tail is relaxed and mobile, face is relaxed. Play bow: front feet set far forward, ears pricked, and head held with eyes forward, mouth slightly open in a ‘grin’. Puppies especially will shift their weight to their back legs and paw at the air. These are both ways of saying: “We’re just playing, not too rough now.”
Bad signs: (separate the dogs and try again later) ears are down/back, tail is tucked down or stiff, face is stiff or lips are pulled back, growling.

Preparing your pets
The first thing you need to do when considering foster care is to protect your personal animals. Dogs end up in shelters or in our rescue from unknown origins, sometimes with underlying medical issues and conditions, so it is important that you protect your family pets as much as you can.
If you choose to foster puppies, you may be exposing your own pets to upper respiratory infections and worms or parasites.
Before bringing home your foster dog, make sure your animals are up to date with their vaccinations. Talk to your veterinarian about fostering and follow their recommendations about any precautions you need to take. The veterinarian may suggest additional vaccinations/immunizations to protect your animal. In most cases, you are responsible for any treatments and costs related to your own animals.

Preparing your home
Dogs are curious creatures. Many are capable of jumping onto high surfaces or squeezing into the smallest of spaces. To protect foster dogs in a new environment and to safeguard your belongings, it is necessary to animal-proof your entire house. NEVER underestimate your foster dog’s abilities! Accidents happen! Once you have chosen an area where you will care for your foster guests, you should ‘pet-proof’ the area. Pay attention to any small or dangerous objects, such as pins, needles, paper-clips, staples, thread, string, rubber bands, caustic/toxic chemicals, moth balls, plants and any other items that are potentially dangerous. Animals are attracted to electrical cords, telephone cords and curtains, so if possible, block these so they can’t get at them. A good rule of thumb is “if you don’t want to lose it, put it away.” Also, to ensure nothing is missed, get down at an animal’s eye level. Look closely for any small holes or dangerous items that may have been missed at your first pass of pet proofing.

Precautions to take by room: Kitchens/Bathrooms/utility Rooms
Use childproof latches to keep little paws from prying open cabinets.
Keep medications, cleaners, chemicals and laundry supplies on high shelves or in childproofed cabinets.
Keep trash cans covered or inside a latched cabinet.
Check for and block any small spaces, nooks or holes inside cabinetry, furniture, floors, appliances, etc. where your foster dog may hide. Also make certain that spaces behind washer/dryer units are closed off so your foster dog can’t get in there either.
ALWAYS keep your dryer/washer units closed!! Make sure your fosters haven’t jumped into the dryer or washer before you turn it on! (Yes, this usually applies more to cats, but dogs can do it too!!)
Keep all foods out of reach and/or in cabinets. Even if the food isn’t harmful to the dog, the wrapper could be.
Keep toilet lids closed to prevent drowning. Curious puppies can easily fall in and drown.

Precautions to take by room: Family/Living Room
Place dangling wires from lamps, VCRs, TVs, stereos and phones etc. out of reach. You can place the cords through PVC pipes to prevent the pets chewing on them.
Keep children’s toys put away.
Put away knickknacks that are valuable to you or understand that foster dogs can easily knock things over. If it is important to you, don’t leave it out.
Block any spaces where your vacuum can’t fit but a foster could.
Remove dangerous items like strings, pins, yarn etc.
Move houseplants – many of which can be-poisonous – out of reach. This includes hanging plants if they can be reached by jumping.
Put away all sewing and craft supplies – especially thread and yarn. If ingested, these items can obstruct dogs’ bowels, sometimes requiring extensive surgery to reverse.
Secure aquariums and cages that house small animals, such as hamsters or fish, to keep them safe from curious paws.

Precautions to take by room: Garage/Basement
Most garages contain too many dangerous chemicals and unsafe items to be an acceptable foster site. For this reason, we advise you to think carefully before housing a foster dog in a garage.
Move all chemicals to high shelves or behind secure doors.
Clean up all anti-freeze from the floor and driveway! One taste can be lethal to an animal!

Precautions to take by room: Bedrooms
Bedrooms are often not ideal situations for foster animals. If scared of the new environment, dogs can hide under beds and are hard to coax out. In worst case scenarios, dogs can burrow into box springs or mattresses where it can be nearly impossible to get them out.
Keep laundry and shoes behind closed doors (drawstrings and loose buttons can cause major problems).
Keep any medications, lotions or cosmetics off accessible surfaces (like the bedside table).
Move electrical and phone wires out of reach of chewing.

Precautions to take by room: other potentially dangerous situations
Be sure to be watchful for:
Closet and bedroom doors
Open doors to the outside
Open dryer doors
Open cabinet doors
Computer wires
Folding chairs
Potted plants (they may be toxic if ingested)

Whatever room you choose to make your foster dog’s new home, make sure that it is easily cleaned. You
should be able to disinfect it if necessary. Carpet and other soft surfaces can harbor disease hosts from foster to foster. It is also more difficult to clean up accidents on carpet, especially when they seep into the carpet pad. Bathrooms and other areas with tile, hardwood or other impermeable surfaces are ideal places to house your foster dog.

Preparing your yard
If you have a fenced in backyard, check there aren’t any holes in the fence or any other escape route. DO NOT leave your foster dog in the backyard without supervision. You will be amazed what little holes a big dog can get out of or what tall fences a dog can jump! Never leave a foster dog unattended or unwatched outside. Keep your foster dog on leash for his/her first few trips outside as he/she explores the new environment.

Do’s

Do keep your foster dog indoors in a location with a crate or x-pen available
Do keep your foster dog in a warm and dry location
Do keep your foster dog on a slip leash and wearing their harness when outdoors at all times, unless in your own secured, fenced yard. When in a fenced yard, you must supervise at all times, and for the first days/weeks, the dog should trail their slip leash. It is very common for a newly rescued dog to try and escape, so supervision outdoors should be given at all times.
Do use baby gates indoors to limit access to other rooms and to limit interactions between the foster dog and other animals.
Do be alert and make dog to dog introductions gradually and calmly. It is common for the resident dog to become territorial in their own home.
If possible, go for a walk around the neighborhood before entering the home, with one handler per dog. The dogs may be walked side by side with a little sniffing allowed but no face to face, forced introductions at this point.
Do give the resident dog encouragement and praise.
Do leave leashes on dogs when you are at home so that you can get immediate control if needed. This may only need be for a day or two, but be prepared, you may need to leave a slip leash on the foster dog (when you are at home) for several weeks.
Do talk normally – letting the dogs know that YOU are in control and everything is fine, with no need for worrying or questioning on their part.
Do be patient and go slowly with the foster dog, as any change in environment can be stressful.
Do remove all toys/treats/chews from the floor so that there are no ‘bones of contention’/resource guarding.
Do use the handling gloves and soft muzzle provided when making any trips to the vet, or other situations (for example, bathing) when close handling is required.

Don’ts

Do not place your foster dog around other strange dogs as we often do not know the dog’s past history. Foster dogs should not be placed in a position of possibly fighting with a strange dog, reducing their chances for adoption and potentially increasing their risks for euthanasia.
Do not allow your foster dog outdoors unless supervised by a responsible adult.
Never take your foster dog to an off-leash dog park – this is a potential liability.
Don’t leave the foster dog unattended with the resident dog(s) when you leave the house – use baby gates and x-pens (and crates if appropriate) to section off areas of the home.
Don’t hold the leash too tensely as some dogs may react negatively with defensiveness.
Don’t feed the foster dog with the resident dog(s) – use x-pens to allow dogs to feed in separate spaces, and ALWAYS supervise.
Don’t over-stimulate the foster dog with introductions to people and other animals too quickly.
Don’t exit doors to the outside without having checked behind you to make sure dogs are not about to slip through. Conversely, when you enter the house, do so with caution, feet first, after having cracked the door and peered through. You may like to use baby gates across outdoor doorways.

Transporting your foster dog

The safest way to transport your dog from the shelter to your home (or anywhere else), is in a secure crate in the back of your vehicle. The crate should be secured so that it doesn’t tip over or move around.
Another option is to use a grille between the back of the vehicle and the back seat. If you have a sedan, then you may be able to secure a crate on the back seat.

It is always a good idea to put a blanket or some old towels down under your crate or in the back section of your vehicle, so that if your dog becomes car sick, or has an accident, the blanket will protect your seats and carpet.

If you can’t fit a crate into your vehicle, your dog is safest in the back seat. Use either a special harness for your dog that hooks on to a seat belt, or tie the leash to the seat belt. Avoid letting your dog ride in the passenger seat next to you. Not only can your view be obstructed, but if you brake suddenly your dog could get injured by hitting the windshield or by the air bag.

You might need a few high-value treats (cheese, chicken breast, hot-dog sausage etc) to encourage a dog to jump into a car.

If you can get a dog to put his front paws up, then you can lift his back end by supporting his hind quarters (as if he were sitting on your crossed arms). If you need to completely lift your dog, the best way is by putting one arm behind his hind legs and one arm in front of his front legs – essentially a scoop. Another way is to have one arm just behind his front legs, and one hand behind his hind legs. This way the dogʹs weight is being supported in the same general area of its legs. Keep in mind, most dogs don’t really like to be lifted. Lifting an unknown dog is potentially hazardous, so make sure you wear the handling gloves (provided to you), and tip the dog’s front end away from you slightly so that it is a little off balance and turn your head to the side (to protect against any bites/reactions from the dog). Remember to always keep a handle on his leash.
If there are two humans present, one can sit in the driver’s seat and you can pass the leash to them – they can then encourage the dog to jump into the passenger seat footwell, as you boost the dog’s rear end, and the dog can then be shunted to the back seat over the central divider.
Blankets/towels can be thrown over the dog’s head too when lifting in/out as these can calm a potentially fractious/nervous animal, as well as protecting you from any bites/scratches the dog may inflict in a panic.

Do not let the foster dog exit the car on its own. If possible, make sure the vehicle is in a closed garage or fenced area before you even attempt to open the car door to retrieve the dog’s leash, then allowing the dog to jump or be lifted out.
Remember: secure all window locks in the car when you are inside as dogs can either knowingly or inadvertently open electric windows, creating an escape route.

The first week

Now that you’re home with your foster dog, you should start a regular routine so your dog can begin to adjust to your household. During this adjustment period, please keep stimulation to a minimum. Some recommendations include:

Find a quiet route to walk or run your foster dog (depending on energy level) to familiarize him with his new environment. This also helps start the bonding between you and your foster dog.
Don’t introduce your foster dog to people you meet on your walk. For the first 7‐14 days (could be more or less) your foster dog should lay low while he tries to figure out just what this new situation is. You may not see any unwelcome behavior initially. Eventually all will be revealed. You may tell people that the dog is ‘in training’ and that’s why no interactions are advised.
Do not introduce your foster dog to other dogs (other than your own resident dog). This includes neighborhood dogs, and dogs belonging to your family or friends. Why?
There is no way to tell how your foster dog will behave when introducing him to other dogs. If your foster dog bites a person or dog you are required to report it to us immediately.
Don’t throw a party, or have a lot of people over to your home. During the first week you should try to spend quality one‐on‐one time with your new foster dog.

The most important thing to do during this initial transition time is to clearly but NON‐confrontationally establish the household rules. As well, take care not to ʺindulgeʺ your foster dog’s timid, tentative or fearful behavior; we understand how tempting this may be as many of our rescues have come from less than ideal situations, but in the long run it does not benefit the dog.