We have approximately 30 foster homes that provide loving, secure care for many of our dogs. We are SO SUPER thankful for every one of our foster homes and what they do for this rescue. Fostering is not always easy and our foster families exhibit the most patience and care towards those of us who try and manage this crazy thing we call rescue!
My goal in this blog post is to give you more information on what fostering is really all about. Here are some common questions answered:
-Am I responsible for veterinary care for my foster dog?
No. Hopes Haven covers the medical expenses of the foster dog in your care. We will ask that you take them to the appointment and do whatever aftercare is needed, but the cost is covered by the rescue.
-Is the foster dog going to get along with my kids, cats, dogs and gerbil?
Well, we hope so. But, we don't always know. Many of the dogs we get at Hopes Haven don't have a lot of history or file that comes with them. They may act differently out at HH than they do in your home. We cannot predict a dogs behavior and many times we are surprised to hear that they chased after kitty, didn't like little Billy or tried to eat the gerbil. If that happens, this is when you contact us and we either problem solve or find another foster for you. We try to make the best fit for you, but again, we cannot predict a dogs behavior and do the best we can! Never fear, sometimes it's the perfect fit!
-What if I fall in love with my foster? I just can't imagine fostering a dog and then letting them go...
Believe us when we say that we have ALL been there, if not once, many many times. Fostering is not easy and it's very hard to let your foster go. It's hard not to form a bond with these dogs and many times fostering is best described as "bittersweet". Choosing not to foster because of the pain you will feel when you let them go is something I ask you to carefully reconsider. I would rather love them and cry when they leave than know that another dog has lost it's life because I didn't foster and there was no room for them. It's a sacrifice, but one well worth making. If you do fall in love and it's a good fit all the way around, then yes, please adopt! Those are what we endearingly call "foster failures" and we have all done it!
-What am I required to do as a Foster??
You provide a safe, loving, secure home. Many of our fosters take it upon themselves to feed their foster. We have some that go above and beyond and we appreciate that so much, but each foster and their situation is different. You will be required to provide the transportation for your dog to vet appointments(if needed). If your dog has an appointment for adoption, we will ask that you bring them to that as well, however those appointments will be made around your schedule. We love when our fosters can bring their dog to an outreach every once in awhile, but this is not an exhausting endeavor.
-Do I have to live in Salem to foster?
No. We have fosters in many of the surrounding areas. With that said, it's up to you whether or not you are willing to make the effort to travel to our area to bring your foster to the vet or an adoption appointment if necessary.
-How do I become a foster?
The first step is filling out a formal foster application through our website HERE. After you submit your application, we will be in contact with you about fostering!! Hopes Haven has a foster coordinator that can help answer questions, network your dog, problem solve, etc.
-Are the dogs potty trained?
The answer to this question is....NO! Sometimes we get in dogs that will come in to your home, have no accidents and potty train themselves immediately. Others will pee on the floor and take training, time and patience. This is part of being a foster and to expect anything less is completely unrealistic. Part of being a foster is to teach your dog skills that will get them adopted!! If you REQUIRE a potty trained dog, then you are best not being a foster because many of the times your foster will fail you in this area and unfortunately be returned to HH because they did not receive the patience and training that they have never received. Potty training a dog is not an insurmountable task and saving a life far outweighs cleaning up an accident.
The bottom line is....WE NEED YOU! We have so many fans here on Facebook that are local and have wonderful homes to fill one of our fosters with. ;)
Hopes Haven can only take in so many dogs. When HH is full and we are not able to find fosters for the dogs that need them, we have to say NO to dogs that need our help so badly.
I hope that in this blog we have helped answer some questions people have had about fostering so that it might change your mind and open your home and heart to foster a dog in need! We know that not everyone is in a position(for some reason or another) to foster, but are hoping that we can recruit a few more amazing families to consider fostering.
