Fostering means bringing a homeless dog into your home, caring for them, and providing them with affection and socialization until a permanent family who will love them forever adopts them.
The benefits of fostering are numerous, and not only a wonderful thing for the dog and rescue, but can be beneficial to the foster family in so many ways!
Tails of Hope Dog Rescue has no physical facility, so we rely solely on foster homes to determine how many dogs we can pull from shelters in the area who may be long-term residents and/or at risk of euthanasia due to overcrowding. Fosters are also crucial to our ability to help expectant female dogs, by providing a quiet and comfortable atmosphere to deliver puppies and care for them in those first weeks of crucial development.
Oftentimes, dogs do not "show" well in a shelter environment due to excess energy or jockeying for attention as potential adopters walk by. While fostering a dog, you can provide exercise and stimulation, which in turn creates a calmer dog and provides an opportunity for the dog to learn how to live in a loving home environment. You can also work with the dog on leash training, house training, or other basic command training that potential adopters will find attractive when looking for the perfect dog for their family.
Tails of Hope Dog Rescue relies on our dedicated fosters to help us rehabilitate those dogs who may have endured a difficult past, such as abuse, cruelty, neglect, undersocialization, lack of medical care, etc. As a foster family, you can gain a dog's trust, show them human touch and love, perhaps for the first time, provide an environment to feel safe, and watch them transform before your eyes.
If you have existing pets, introducing a dog can be a great experience for them as an additional companion, an opportunity for socialization, and as an additional playmate! Children can benefit from fostering as a way to introduce responsibility and selflessness and as a way to educate them about animals.
Tails of Hope Dog Rescue has a wonderful group of foster families who will help guide you through the experience, give ideas, answer any questions, and may even become your friends! There is nothing quite like sharing experiences with those who do the same and being part of a community of people with similar passions.
When the day comes that your foster finds that perfect home, the rewarding feeling you will experience is something very special. You will feel a sense of pride in knowing what you helped that dog accomplish during his time with you. You will feel overjoyed that they have found their forever family and happy ending, which all homeless dog deserve. And while some goodbyes can be tough, knowing that a dog has found their happy ending and that another precious life awaits a safe place to live and rehabilitate is as good of a feeling as there is!
