Foster a Dog
Thank you for your interest in fostering an Animal Aid dog!
At Animal Aid, all dogs in our care are placed into foster homes until they are adopted. This is due to the size of our shelter and our commitment to providing the dogs in our care with the space and enrichment they need to put their best paw forward.
Please note: To facilitate the adoption process and veterinary care at our partner vet, we typically limit foster homes to a range of 20 miles from Animal Aid.
Foster applicants should review and understand following information before submitting a foster application.
We need two types of foster parents
We have a need for two types of dog foster parents: longer-term fosters and on-hand fosters.
- On-hand fosters serve as back-ups when longer-term fosters are out of town, such as for vacation, business trips, or other temporary circumstances.
When applying to foster, please indicate which type of fostering you are interested in.
More information dog foster applicants should know
Animal Aid will process a foster application and then conduct a home visit. If an applicant is approved after the home visit, Animal Aid will begin searching for a dog to place with the foster parent.
Animal Aid does not have dogs ready for placement immediately, as we secure a foster parent before a dog. We then match dogs to our available foster homes based on the needs and preferences of both the dog and the foster parent.
Based on Animal Aid’s dog intake process, which routinely rescues dogs from overcrowded shelters, dogs placed in our foster homes may be older, have medical or behavioral needs, and/or prefer to be without certain company (such as wanting to be a solo pet or live in a home without children).
Foster Parent responsibilities
An Animal Aid foster parent is expected to do the following while a foster animal is placed with them:
- Treat the animal as a furry family member with daily care and love until they are adopted.
- Feed and possibly medicate the animal appropriately to their needs.
- Take the animal to any necessary veterinary or other appointments.
- Communicate openly and frequently with Animal Aid coordinators and staff.
- Be available for meetings with potential adopters to show the foster dog.
What Animal Aid providES
- Support for the foster parent through open and frequent communication, including routine check-ins on how the animal is doing in their foster home.
- Coverage for food and supply expenses and veterinary care for the animal at our partner vet. Other costs that may better an animal’s adoptability, such as training classes, are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Help arranging pet-sitting while a foster is away from home, such as placing the animal in the care of an on-hand foster.
