UPDATE WITH PICS Anyone with experience fostering dogs?

[skuttle]

DH and I are going to start fostering Boston Terriers through a Boston Terrier rescue group. We have a home visit scheduled tomorrow so we may get our first foster next weekend. We already have two Bostons and a baby on the way, so I'm hoping that keeps me from wanting to keep it! DH makes a good point that the more dogs we foster the more dogs we help so I'm going to try to keep that motto! We've also explained to DS what fostering means and I think he gets it.

 

[Dee & Greg]

We've fostered over 13 dogs.. mostly Great Pyrenees (the huge white polar bears!). When we lived in KY, we fostered puppies for the Humane Society. Our specialty was bottle feeding ones that had been dropped off and not weaned yet. It's a wonderful, time consuming, emotional experience, and one I wouldn't trade for the world. We have been "successful fosters", meaning we haven't kept anyone! I almost always get to meet the "new parents", and I get a bunch of Christmas cards from my fosters and their new families.
Yes, you'll get attached. But remember, when you foster for a rescue, they are very careful about who they place with. Your Boston foster will have a fabulous home. I keep in touch with a couple of families on the East Coast who have adopted some of my fosters, and it's great to hear how much joy they have brought to these families.
Best of luck!!

 

[tammymacb]

I've fostered several greyhounds.

I have kept a foster, I had to as I fell head over heels in love with her. I also gave several others a good, safe home to learn the ropes as being a pet. It's a great thing to be able to do.

 

[skuttle]

Thanks! Our home visit went well and the rescue group said we can pick up our foster next weekend! They rescue group is actually in a neighboring state so we have to wait for the weekend. Should be a 9 month old boy. They say he's already been fixed before being surrendered and seems to get along well with other dogs and kids. Just needs some TLC a fattening up.

Doing it through the rescue group does make me feel better because I know they do a thorough adoption process. After someone's application for adoption is approved by the rescue group, we will actually be the ones to set up a meeting with the potential family and report how they get along with the foster dog. THe rescue group will depend on our thoughts in making the final decision. I think that will make it easier to say good bye being able to meet the family and know they are going to a good home. I would think if we get the 9 month old that we may not have him long as younger dogs tend to be adopted faster.

 

[dakcp2001]

Be careful and get all the details of what to do in an emergency in writing. I fostered a cat for a small animal rescue group ran out of someones home, they made me sign something that stated that I could not keep the cat and the cat was not mine yada yada yada. They left me "emergency " contact numbers & the vet to contact if need be, but when an emergency happened on the 4th of July weekend and I called the emergency numbers, I got 4 answering machines telling me they were away for the weekend and the number of the "vet" was a home phone not a Vetrinary office. After the incident they told me it was just a freak occurance that they were all away at the same time (um hello, it is a holiday weekend) I ended up taking the poor cat to my regular vet for an emergency visit, and ran up a bill of $1000 bucks having her treated. The bill was in my name, they ended up saying they would cover half but they stiffed me, never got a penny. Then after spending all that money we fought over who could keep the cat (at that point I wanted her). The cat was eventually adopted out to a lovely family who still send me emails so it ended well for the cat but I learned my lesson! I did end up doing a fund raiser at a local resteraunt and selling raffle tickets, ended up covering about $600 of the bill. I paid the rest. Looking back, I am glad the cat was with me and not one of those other ladies. She was a lovely sweet cat!

 

[Desiree]

Skuttle,

No advice but THANK YOU for being so kind and opening your heart and your home to those beautiful dogs!

We may be interested in adopting a Boston at some point. Do you know how they do with cats though?

BTW, Congrats on your upcoming addition to the family!

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Skuttle,

No advice but THANK YOU for being so kind and opening your heart and your home to those beautiful dogs!

Thanks to all the rescue groups for the hard/sometimes heartbreaking work they do. It's so good to know kind hearts are looking out for the little (and big! Great Pyrs, wow!) furbabies.

 

[sunlver]

Ive been fostering dogs for the last 5 years. I volunteer with an all breeds doggie rescue. The first dog is hard to let go, but it gets a tad bit easier with each one. We ended up keeping one, after we had her for 2 years. She is a black and tan coonhound. She showed really bad at the adoption shows, always barking, and acted big and tough.Yet at home, she was the sweetest couch potatoe dog you could ever meet..she is the best snugglier...Now I own 3 dogs, and always have a foster. Right now we have a hound mix as a foster, she is as sweet as can be, and we fight for the blankets at night.. I tend to spoil all the fosters who come here.
Each rescue group works differently. With our group, all expenses are paid by them, food, vet bills etc... If we need a crate or something like that, they provide it to us.Basically, we just provide the love and help to make the dog adoptable. If there is a problem with any of the dogs, then they will move it to another foster home..

 

[Dee & Greg]

"With our group, all expenses are paid by them, food, vet bills etc... If we need a crate or something like that, they provide it to us.Basically, we just provide the love and help to make the dog adoptable. If there is a problem with any of the dogs, then they will move it to another foster home.. "

That is the way it is with the Great Pyr Rescue (www.igpr.org) just in case you're wanting a beautiful Pyr!
They pay for all vet bills, crate, etc. Depending on how long I have the foster, I usually just buy the food myself. Most of my fosters are very thin (that's my specialty... skinny and sad!) so they require lots of small meals.

Here's a few of my "babies"... now on to their forever homes![URL=http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2380590660053114520CivReR][/URL]
[URL=http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2863464100053114520xlynPm][/URL]

[URL=http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2259207590053114520SckDsw][/URL]

[URL=http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2014816490053114520hQxfbO][/URL]

 

[skuttle]

Thanks for all if the info. We provide the food but everything else is paid by the rescue. We already have an extra crate so that wasn't an issue.

Desiree, we don't have a cat and our boys have never been around one. I'm not sure what they would do!

I'll post a pic when we pick up our first foster!

 

[Desiree]

Thanks for all if the info. We provide the food but everything else is paid by the rescue. We already have an extra crate so that wasn't an issue.

Desiree, we don't have a cat and our boys have never been around one. I'm not sure what they would do!

I'll post a pic when we pick up our first foster!

Ahh ok off to research if they get along with them! Keep us posted! I do want to see pics of the ones you will be fostering! I think when the time comes we will be intersted in a young adult.

 

[EllenFrasier]

We fostered a Golden Retriever successfully, though I was not happy with the way the organization handled the adoption process. We recently fostered two Beagle puppies and an 8 year old Dachshund. The Dachshund had a happy ending and went to someone who recently lost their dachshund after 16 years. The female Beagle went back to the shelter and got spayed and adopted. The male was not ready to be neutered and stayed with us one week too many - we fell in love with him! So we succeeded a few times and failed once. I won't foster anymore for a while though.
Be warned - no matter what you tell yourself, you will become attached.

 

[skuttle]

We have our foster! We picked up Cooper, a 9mth old Boston, today. I'll post a pic later. He is SOOOOO skinny! Doing great with our two boys. Cooper has played with our boys' toys,eaten out of their bowl and drank some water, too. Our boys haven't even cared so I think that's a good sign! He is just so skinny. Once he fattens up, he'll be ready for adoption. The rescue group thinks after that he'll go pretty fast since he's young and a cutie.

Now we just have to get him trained to use the doggy door!

 

[skuttle]

Here are some pictures of Cooper. The first picture of Cooper is with our Toby and you can really see how small he is! And Toby is the smaller of our two boys (~20lbs).

 

[starrzone]

Oh my gosh, he is ADORABLE! Thank you, on behalf of the dogs who can't, for helping these babies out

 

[JessicaR]

"With our group, all expenses are paid by them, food, vet bills etc... If we need a crate or something like that, they provide it to us.Basically, we just provide the love and help to make the dog adoptable. If there is a problem with any of the dogs, then they will move it to another foster home.. "

That is the way it is with the Great Pyr Rescue (www.igpr.org) just in case you're wanting a beautiful Pyr!
They pay for all vet bills, crate, etc. Depending on how long I have the foster, I usually just buy the food myself. Most of my fosters are very thin (that's my specialty... skinny and sad!) so they require lots of small meals.

Here's a few of my "babies"... now on to their forever homes![URL=http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2380590660053114520CivReR][/URL]
[URL=http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2863464100053114520xlynPm][/URL]

[URL=http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2259207590053114520SckDsw][/URL]

[URL=http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2014816490053114520hQxfbO][/URL]

Absolutely magnificent animals! Thanks so much for helping them!

 

[JessicaR]

Here are some pictures of Cooper. The first picture of Cooper is with our Toby and you can really see how small he is! And Toby is the smaller of our two boys (~20lbs).

Look at that smile! So happy to have you. Thanks for helping.

 

[Mad4Mickey]

What a cutie !

I do foster from time to time but my last real foster came for the "weekend" almost 4 years ago and he is still hogging up my Dh side of the bed LOL .

I did just drop off my DD foster dogs to her tonight though , anyone if the DFW are looking to adopt a pair of weenie dogs let me know

 

[Desiree]

Here are some pictures of Cooper. The first picture of Cooper is with our Toby and you can really see how small he is! And Toby is the smaller of our two boys (~20lbs).

Oh my what an adorable cutiepie! If my husband wouldn't divorce me for bringing another pet home right now, I'd be giving you a call! LOL!

 

[skuttle]

LOL Desiree! You have some time to convince him since Cooper won't be ready for adoption for a few more weeks.