Becoming A Foster Carer

[Kiara & Heidi]

Hi :)

I've been thinking of becoming a foster carer for quite a while, and now that I have moved to a bigger property it has become a realistic goal. So it seems like the protocol is to contact a rescue group and let them know I'd like to foster etc., but is there a reason people like to go through rescue organisations rather than foster privately? What's the difference if I just adopt a dog from the pound and re-home her myself?

Thanks in advance! (and sorry if it's a silly question, but I haven't been able to find the answer).

[kelpiecuddles]

If you operate through a foster group you are supported if any issues come up while you are caring or if the dog isn't working out at your house for some reason(eg. dog that was thought to be fine with cats is intent on eating yours for example or even if you end up unable to care at short notice due to going to hospital or some other reason). They can also provide assistance with behaviour and training issues and may assist with vet care too depending on the group. They also help with advertising the dog and directing potential owners in your direction.

[_PL_]

Kiara and Heidi

There's nothing to stop you going it on your own but I'd advise you to foster for a group or two first beforehand. Just to get the feel of how things work.

There's also the realities. e.g If you rescue just 1 dog with parvo and bring the virus into your home it's a no-go zone for bringing more dogs in for 12+ months, and vet treatment for a dog that isn't too far gone will max your credit card.

A rescue group who knows what they are doing practices risk mitigation (as far as health and temperament) and covers all vet bills.

Biggest tip I can give you: Do NOT just put your hand up to take a sad-eyed pound dog unless somebody is there to co-ordinate rescue, vetwork and answer questions. Otherwise you could end up with a dog in your yard 24hrs later and no idea what to do next.

Sign up as a carer first with a group who has the kinds of dogs you would like. Make sure the dog has been properly temperament tested, and is appropriate to live with your dog in your home. And that it has somewhere to go if it doesn't fit in. Because unlike what you may be told they don't just need love to make everything better.

Best of luck :)

xAnna

[Kiara & Heidi]

Thanks guys, those are exactly the answers I was after :) it seems like a massive commitment to make so I want to make sure I'm considering all possibilities first.

[Loving my Oldies]

It is a very big commitment, so go with a Rescue group with experience, good reputation, paperwork all ready for potentials foster carers to sign (by that I mean not just quickly whipping something up). And remember, it is a partnership: you have to be committed to them and they have to be committed to you. And you both have to be committed to the dogs :)

[Little Gifts]

There are some sad realities to being involved in rescue. I loved being a foster carer but don't think I'm made of the strong stuff needed to rescue independently.

Contact a few rescue groups and find out about their values and practices. You want to work with people you are on the same page with because they own the dogs and if something goes wrong or gets messy hard decisions might need to be made and it would be better if you agreed with and supported them. Basically you want to feel you are all working towards the same goal. The other important thing as a carer is to feel the rescue group is respecting you and any other animals you have in your home now. I know of groups that will just dump any old dog on you while others will honour the sex, age, size and behaviours of dog you feel suits your house best. A rescue dog in the wrong foster home can be a disaster. Fights, sickness, damage to property and yet another black mark and home bounce for that poor dog. It might even put you off fostering altogether.

If you have a favourite breed of dog then you could even consider a breed specific rescue group. Or you could do what I did. I have a weakness for SBT's so I fostered for another breed of dog I'd never even seen in real life before in the belief that I would be less likely to fall in love with one. It was the best experience and of course we ended up with a foster failure that first year!

Edited August 19, 2014 by Little Gifts

[Steve]

i will shout you a foster carers course if you like - that will answer all you need to know Go here

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I spent a few years volunteering at a shelter and fostering some of their dogs before I felt I knew enough to set up my own rescue operation.

You definitely want to start off with the right group so that it is a positive experience.

Think carefully about how much you are prepared to offer to a foster dog so that you don't end up in an uncomfortable situation. Do you know how to housetrain a dog/do other training? If the dog stays with you for a while, can you afford flea treatment, food, grooming costs (if applicable) or do you need a rescue group to do all or any of that.

It is definitely something that saves lives but rescue groups also vary in what they offer and also in how they rehome.

Check their rehoming methods before joining - if you foster a dog and grow fond of it, you don't want to be with a group that will just hand the dog to the first seemingly nice applicant without making a very considered match and conducting checks.

No matter what anyone tells you, yard checks are VITAL. They are not the only check but they are really important.

I do them all the time for my own and other groups, the people I've spoken to have seemed quite lovely but then I've done the yard check and discovered all sorts of things that wouldn't have come out during a phone conversation.

Spoke to an applicant for my foster dog last night - they'd said they had very secure fencing but were then telling me a story about their dog loving to swim in the lake - he just went outside and went for a swim. I said "so you have one side of the garden on the water?" "No, he got through a hole in the fence".

After I said those holes would need to be fixed up before the yard check and definitely before adoption of any of my dogs, the applicant who had seemed so lovely suggested they might go somewhere who "didn't ask quite so many questions".

Edited August 19, 2014 by Her Majesty Dogmad

[tdierikx]

i will shout you a foster carers course if you like - that will answer all you need to know Go here

I second this... great offer Steve!

T.

[_PL_]

i will shout you a foster carers course if you like - that will answer all you need to know Go here

I second this... great offer Steve!

T.

thirded! (is that a word?)

Take up the offer for sure. And I'm on PM if you need a hand with what to ask. :)

[Kiara & Heidi]

So I've been thinking about this a lot in the last few days. Went to get my current dogs up to date with vaccinations today in case I decide to go ahead. I also love staffies and that's what I would be rescuing. They are the main reason I want to rescue - it upsets me so much to see so many staffies in the pound

I feel I will be ok to work through behaviour issues and training etc. since I have had experience with a fair few dogs already. I have also put enough money aside in case something unfortunate happens... So really I just have to make up my mind!

Thank you Steve, that's very nice of you :) although, as a uni student I'm not sure I want to add more study to my daily routine at the moment.

I will update if I end up making any progress :)

[tdierikx]

Seriously, I can't recommend Steve's MDBA Foster Carer course highly enough... should be mandatory for ALL prospective carers... it covers EVERYTHING you really need to know!

As for rescuing Staffy types... have you ever seen one in fight mode? Are you able to separate all dogs if the worst case happens and you end up with a dog that simply will NOT get on with YOUR dogs? Quite frankly, I wouldn't take a pound Staffy into MY home straight from the pound... and I have extensive dog handling skills, and a number of years of actual foster caring under my belt.

Can you effectively quarantine a dog coming straight from the pound? It's not as simple as making sure your own dogs are vaccinated - there are some diseases that can come to your home with a pound dog that you really don't want to have to deal with... Parvo is the main one, and is a complete nightmare to get rid of effectively. Kennel Cough is scary for new carers, and it's also highly contagious. And there are many more really fun illnesses, infections, and parasites to contend with too... you REALLY want to know you have great backup if you end up with a dog with ANY of those, as vet bills can get out of hand really quickly.

There is a very large presence/group operating via Facebook who you REALLY need to steer clear of if you are looking at taking in the Staffies they advertise... there have been a number of horror stories about them.

May I suggest you contact either Staffy rescue or the Animal Welfare League, and offer to volunteer with them for a while - both have shelters where you can get a feel for the dogs in care, and can then maybe move into foster caring as you gain more experience... win-win for everyone IMHO...

T.

[tdierikx]

Oh - and you REALLY need to buy and read this book...

http://www.fostermanual.com/

Worth so much more than the asking price... and written by someone who has many years of experience in the field of rescue.

T.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

You could foster for Doggie Rescue if you are in Sydney, they have taken a lot of Staffy crosses lately - I visited recently. There was a very friendly brindle girl running around with other dogs that I patted, she was very sweet but most of them are in kennels on their own as they are not dog social.

[Clyde]

So I've been thinking about this a lot in the last few days. Went to get my current dogs up to date with vaccinations today in case I decide to go ahead. I also love staffies and that's what I would be rescuing. They are the main reason I want to rescue - it upsets me so much to see so many staffies in the pound

I feel I will be ok to work through behaviour issues and training etc. since I have had experience with a fair few dogs already. I have also put enough money aside in case something unfortunate happens... So really I just have to make up my mind!

Tough breed to take on but yes, they do need all the help they can get. If not already, please be aware that the breed is pre disposed to dog aggression and the dogs should not be run together as a general rule, especially in the first instance and/or unsupervised. Very careful assessment needs to be made before pairing dogs up. They are not a breed I would run as a pack in a rescue situation. You would be rewarded ten fold though by helping one at a time, quality not quantity. :)

[louise6616]

Not all groups are "supportive".. Nor do they all help you, but rather some dump the "difficult" dogs on their carers. (i'd like to think they are the minority, but if you are new to this foster thing and, like me a little too trusting, you find out the hard way)

There is nothing worse than having an animal in your care that doesn't get along with your own pets and being "stuck" with them.

Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions before you take on a dog with a rescue group. Find out their expectations of their carers, tell them what you expect, witness a home check, see how other carers keep their fosters etc

Protect yourself so it is enjoyable rather than stressful :)

*edited to elaborate!

Edited September 1, 2014 by louise6616

[Steve]

Not all groups are "supportive".. Nor do they all help you, but rather some dump the "difficult" dogs on their carers. (i'd like to think they are the minority, but if you are new to this foster thing and, like me a little too trusting, you find out the hard way)

There is nothing worse than having an animal in your care that doesn't get along with your own pets and being "stuck" with them.

Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions before you take on a dog with a rescue group. Find out their expectations of their carers, tell them what you expect, witness a home check, see how other carers keep their fosters etc

Protect yourself so it is enjoyable rather than stressful :)

*edited to elaborate!

Yep so many expectations from the foster carer go belly up - because the foster carer THought things would be a certain way when the group do things differently and expected that anyone coming in would know that.