# Want to start fostering - have questions



## Virginia (Oct 2, 2008)

I’ve given this a lot of thought and I’ve decided that I want to start fostering. A little bit about my situation – I have one male year old rescue GSD X who is good with all dogs and one year old female cat. Because I have one active male, I would like to foster senior female GSDs – preferably the ones who are running low on time and are set to be euthanized. Having dog-sat an extremely trying dog this past week, I know my boy is able to handle sharing his home with another dog. I’m willing to work on housebreaking, training, and behavioral issues but the foster MUST be okay with other dogs and cats. I am in no hurry and will wait for the right dog to come along to satisfy this requirement. 

I’m sick of seeing a valued member of the family being tossed aside in his or her old age for whatever reason and I know I can provide a comfortable home for their remaining years. I am only interested in fostering seniors for this reason, and because I would prefer a dog with lower amounts of energy, instead of a puppy or young adult who would be better suited to a foster home with more time to spare. 

I recently started a new full-time job in which I work from 8AM to 5:30PM, and so for the first time money is not a huge issue. I’m not a big spender and pour most of my money into my animals anyway so I think I can handle some minor health issues (like daily medications or supplements and regular vet checks), and I know I can afford food, vet care, medications, toys etc for 3 animals. This does not mean that I am able to put in thousands of dollars on one dog. Forgive me if that seems callous but I think that much money can be put to better use on multiple animals.

I applied for adoption with the Mid-Atlantic GSD rescue a year ago before I got Bodie, but my application was rejected because my landlord lives in Texas and is extremely difficult to get a hold of. MAGSR requires that the landlord submit written approval directly to the rescue stating that a GSD or GSD X is allowed on the property. Our landlord emailed us with written approval for a GSD, but did not submit one to MAGSR and I am doubtful that he will. (He’s not a great landlord – our water was shut off for 2 weeks this year because he did not pay the bill and would not return our or the water company’s calls. We had to pay the water bill ourselves and take that money out of monthly rent.) I understand why MAGSR has the requirements that they do, but I doubt we’ll be able to nag our landlord into taking the time to contact MAGSR, so I think this will be the biggest hurdle to overcome. I am willing to submit to a home visit and provide numerous personal and vet references. I have not looked into other rescues since but assume that the requirements will be the same.

I've browsed through a few of the threads in this section, most notably how to determine a reputable rescue, but don't have the time to read them all. I have a few questions as I am new to fostering, and sorry if these have already been covered elsewhere. 

Am I being realistic about my ability to take in another dog? Are my requirements unreasonable? I will not take offense to any constructive criticisms.

Is there a chance I would be approved given my landlord situation?

Can you only foster through a rescue? In the urgent/non-urgent sections, there are plenty of senior dogs at shelters with a set euthanasia date – does a rescue have to take in the dogs first or can you foster through the shelter? And if so… what are the chances of arranging transport (most of the dogs seem to be from the south)? 

Any other tips or points in the right direction from more experienced rescuers and fosters would be much appreciated.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Since you rent I would say the majority of rescue groups are going to require approval from the landlord.


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## Virginia (Oct 2, 2008)

We have approval, just not direct landlord-rescue communication. Is there a way to make this work or is it a be-all end-all?


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## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

From my perspective, you have a very long working day. For many seniors, being able to "hold it" that long may be an issue. 

My local shelter has a short-term fostering program for dogs who are recovering from surgery or who are particularly stressed in the shelter environment. My advice to you would be to check with local agencies to see if they need that kind of fostering and get started that way.

Seniors are often very long term fosters. By starting out with shorter term fosters you will be able to see if this is something you can handle along with your long working hours and whether there are some challenges you weren't aware of.


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## mychance (Oct 22, 2007)

I don't know that it is a "pass or fail" situation for you to foster. Some rescue groups may have the same level of landlord approval as MAGSR (direct contact between the two), others may accept the e-mail or a phone call . . .not that it sounds like that is all that much easier to accomplish, ugh - can you move?. 

No, rescue isn't the only avenue to becoming a foster home. Some of the shelters in my area (near Philadelphia) do use foster homes, but I don't know the specific requirements and, again, it's likely to be different from organization to organization. 

As far as arranging transport from other areas, unless you are planning to operate on your own as an independent rescuer (something I would strongly discourage) then you are still in the same position of needing to meet the rescue group's standards. There are many rescue groups of varying structures and sizes on this board; I hope others chime in with their ideas, suggstions, and experiences. 

BIGGGG sparkly, shiny, gold star to you for wanting to do this and for trying to work through the complications. I've been fostering for about 12 years now and still get a thrill from feeling like I get to help "make families".


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

I think the idea to start with short term fosters for the shelter is an excellent one. I would STRONGLY recommend working with some kind of established group if/when you decide to foster. It doesn't have to be a GSD group, it can be an all-breed group, or a shelter, but it needs to be something. There is an enormous amount that goes into responsibly fostering and placing animals which is not a good idea to learn via trial and error. Much better to have a larger umbrella group helping you out and guiding you along. Reputable shelters/rescuers/and transporters are not going to send a dog to a private individual without a rescue group for fostering because they know how important it is for there to be a safety net especially when you are sending a dog some distance away. 

You're also going to want a safety net because shelter dogs are notoriously hard to evaluate accurately and what do you do if you bring home a dog that doesn't get along with cats or other dogs? You want to have a back up plan. 

I'd encourage you to get involved with your local shelter or rescue in a non-fostering capacity first - there are typically loads of different ways to do this, and get your feet wet. See if this is something you really want to do. Most groups/shelters can really use an extra set of hands for adoption events, dog walkers, bathers, etc. It can be time consuming but honestly much less so than fostering is and it'll give you a chance to see if this is really for you. Fostering is incredibly important and rewarding but it's also a lot of work and requires a lot of commitment. Many of the dogs I get have behavioral issues, aren't housebroken, have never lived indoors etc. And many of them are fantastic from the get go, but there's still a period of adjustment and most importantly, you never really know which dogs are which when you commit to taking them home. Some of the dogs I've thought would be easiest have been toughest and vice versa. Expect the unexpected!







So spending a lot of time helping out a rescue or shelter before making the leap to fostering is a great way to get involved first.


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

Your landlord won't even return a phone call? if something happens to the property, like a sewer pipe bursting, who do you contact? I would certainly go the extra mile to make contact with your landlord if you applied to foster for me. But I would absolutely want confirmation from the landlord before placing a foster in your home.
I am glad to see that you are willing to work on housebreaking issues, etc. That is wonderful and will make your foster more adoptable in the run.
I have dogs of my own, as well as indoor cats, and I totally understand why you need to be very clear on those points. I need to tell you that sometimes it can be really difficult to get a true idea of how a dog will react to other dogs and/or cats. Often dogs in shelters ignore other dogs, but once they have settled into a foster home some issues emerge that just weren't apparent in the shelter environment. Same goes with behavior around cats. Some shelters consider it unethical to stress a cat by testing a dog. Others will walk the leashed dog through the "cat room" and monitor the dog's reaction to caged cats. This method can miss the boat at times because many dogs have to have their prey drive tickled a little by the cat running away before showing a response.
Just be really, really clear about what behaviors you won't deal with. And you need to get clear information on how they get a foster removed from your home if it isn't working out. It won't do you or the dog any favors if you find out after the fact that it will take weeks to get the dog placed in another foster home, so make sure that you have the procedure for doing it spelled out before hand. 
I have always maintained that a good foster home is the life blood of any rescue. You will find it so rewarding and I hope that you are able to work it out!
Good luck!
Sheilah


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## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

i see the long workday as a larger obstacle than the landlord, but the landlord is definitely an obstacle nonetheless. many blessings to you for wanting to help. lots of good suggestions so far!


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## Virginia (Oct 2, 2008)

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I like the idea of a short term foster first – I would much prefer to become familiar with the challenges before committing to something long-term, and the idea of a support group to help me along is a necessity.

I have considered the long work-day and I think it will not be as much of an issue. I should’ve mentioned I have an hour long lunch break, during which I go home (I live 10 minutes away) so it would not be 9 straight hours of no bathroom breaks. Additionally I live with someone who is only gone around 4 or 5 hours a day for work or class (and if it’s for class it’s not 4 hours in a row) so realistically we are looking at a maximum of 4 hours in a crate per day.

Regarding the landlord – he does not answer or return our calls, at least not on time. We actually did have a sewer pipe burst in our basement a while back, with an inch of sewage covering the entire floor. We’ve always just called a plumber/handyman/whatever, paid for it ourselves and taken the money out of rent. We usually leave him a message letting him know what we’re doing. He grumbles a bit, but he knows he’s responsible for these issues. He has a liaison – a former tenant – who comes by to ensure that there genuinely is a problem and we’re not just looking for a way to short him on rent.


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