Fosters are essential participants for a successful rescue. Rescued dogs need a place to stay after being pulled from the shelter and before being adopted. Without waiting foster homes, rescues like ours cannot commit to taking dogs from shelters - and when that happens it can be a sad ending for the dogs.
Follow the experience of Henry's foster at: (Henry is AVAILABLE ! )
fosteringhenry.blogspot.com
Read a Tribute to Fosters at :
http://stubbydog.org/2011/10/everyday-heroes-foster-families/
How long will I have a foster dog ?
It varies a lot. It could be as little as 2 weeks or as much as 6 months, but most dogs will be placed in 4 to 8 weeks. It also depends if the dog needs medical treatment, spaying or neutering for example, which can prolong the fostering period.
What are my responsibilities as a foster home ?
You will treat the foster dog just like your own, integrating them into your lifestyle and treting them as you treat your own dogs, if you have any. Many of our rescued coonhounds need to adjust to family life and living inside as pets. They will benefit greatly from affection, exercise, and any training you can give them. Some need help with housebreaking and we can provide guidance with that - crate training is very helpful. Some of our dogs also need to gain weight and just settle down after the stress of being in a shelter or county dog pound.
As a foster, you can provide us with information that will be useful in placing the dog. You'll know more about the dog's behavior, habits and temperment than we can assess if they are in a kennel environment. An NECR volunteer will be in contact with you routinely to see how the dog is doing and to let you know about progress in placing the dog. You will need to make the dog available for vet visits, home visits and adoption events during the fostering period. You can also participate in these events with the dog.
What happens if we fall in love and want to keep the dog ?
This is known as 'flunking fostering' and it happens all the time! Fosters have the right of first refusal in adoption. NECR volunteers working with adopters will keep you informed and be sure not to promise the dog to anyone until they are certain you can release him/her. Most of us in rescue have at least one unintended addition to the pack through fostering.
What if we can no longer care for the dog due to changes in circumstance or the dog not getting along with resident dogs or family members ?
We will remove the dog immediately ( 24 hours) if necessary or refer you to a kennel where the dog can be boarded while other arrangements are made. The sooner you can let us know, and the more time you can give us to find the dog's next residence, the better.
How does NECR support foster homes ?
We will cover the cost of any vetting and medication during fostering. We can also cover the cost of food if the dog is on a special diet. We have an active network of coonhound owners, as well as trainers, who can be consulted for support regarding any behavioral issues that may surface.