Fostering a dog is one of the most precious ways you can help a dog move from a bleak situation to the brightest of futures. As a foster carer, you welcome a dog into your home and treat him (or her) like your own pet dog. He will live in your home, go for walks and adventures with you, play in your garden, cuddle with you and learn plenty of life skills, until we find his perfect forever home.
Fostering has so many positive implications – dogs can find the kennel environment difficult because it can be noisy, lonely, confusing and scary. Many dogs become bored or stressed and they crave the home comforts and extra human attention that a cosy home environment provides.
When you choose to foster, you will be offering a dog an important stepping stone from an unhappy past to a loving home. Your role is to help him with that transition and demonstrate to prospective adopters what kind of dog he is – whether he’s a comical character, a playful whirlwind, or a fire-side snuggle monster.
Homeless Hounds offers full support to our foster homes. We provide you with advice and can arrange for you to have all the necessary equipment, toys and food. All veterinary treatment is covered by Homeless Hounds whilst our dogs are in foster. We ask that you try to make a start with any training gaps your foster dog may have, such as basic commands and house training. You may even want to expand their social skills by introducing them to new people, dogs, cats and other animals (where appropriate).
That warm fuzzy feeling inside!
There really is nothing to rival that warm fuzzy feeling you get inside when you see your foster dog fall in love with his new family, who will give him the future he deserves! Your reward for your time and love, is knowing that you helped that boy in an incredibly special way and you will be forever in his heart.
You can foster a dog on behalf of Homeless Hounds if your children are over 5 years old, or if you have other pets. We are always keen to hear from adult only foster homes for those dogs who need a more one-to-one lifestyle.
If you would like to become a foster carer, please complete the Fostering Application Form and we will be in touch. Thank you
Notes from our Foster Carers
It’s so uplifting to watch a foster dog’s personality unfold and see them relax into family life. Fostering dogs is probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. I’m so proud of the dogs as they learn new skills and it’s always a pleasure to show them off to potential adopters. I have three of my own dogs who bring an extra dimension to the picture – sometimes they make great play mates and other times they teach the newbie some doggy manners! Some dogs need some help adjusting to home life, a bit of training and coaching – some of the dogs have had health problems to overcome, so when they’re ready to leave, I have a song in my heart, knowing that their life has been saved by Homeless Hounds. It’s a privilege to be a small part of their journey to true happiness. Rachel
My family have been fostering dogs for Homeless Hounds for over 5 years, mum has been a volunteer for around 7 years. My experience with being involved in fostering initially seemed like an emotional process in having to create a bond with a dog and know you’ll have to let them go. But after the first few dogs it comes as a relief knowing you’ve helped these dogs, just providing a sense of home and love for them, for a short period. To then watch them find a forever home and be able to see them grow a bond with their new owners and find happiness, which most of these dogs haven’t been able to experience before. All in all it’s seems like a difficult thing to be involved in but once you start you reap the benefits of knowing, while only for a short time, you’ve brought this dog into your life to ultimately give it a second chance at life that all the dogs at homeless hounds deserve. Max
We have been volunteering at Homeless Hounds for just over 4 years. Initially this was on a dog walking capacity, but we soon realised that we would love to welcome one of the kennel dogs into our family home, on a fostering basis. Fostering has been an amazing experience. To watch a sad and deflated pooch transform into a confident and loving campanion, just by offering them a safe and loving temporary environment….you can’t beat it. We’ve fostered almost 40, some for just a couple of nights, with the longest stayer, Rocky, who stayed with us for 9 months, until he sadly passed. I have been asked on many occasion, how do we not want to keep them. We love nothing more, than to see one of our fosters, settling into their forever home. I always think of the other kennel dogs, which haven’t been fortunate to enjoy the luxury of our settee and for this reason we bring another home. Tony