Fostering a dog can bring happiness, responsibility, and for some a little mischief to your home!
PEDIGREE Foundation makes adoptions possible every day through grants to shelter, rescue and foster organizations. For every dog that is fostered, there is one more space in a shelter for another dog that needs a forever home – and our local shelters and rescues need all the space they can get. But that’s not the only reason dogs are fostered. Sometimes the dogs need to be immersed into a family to be healed from a traumatic past or to recover from a life-saving surgery.
Foster homes give dogs a chance to see love in a whole new way while the foster parents can work with them so they can eventually be adopted by their forever family.
We’ve rounded up ten reasons to consider being a foster parent this year:
1. Fostering a dog brings love and joy into your home, and it’s flexible. According to research, dogs really do make us happier.
2. Fostering can fit any lifestyle. Fostering is a flexible way to bring a dog into your home for a limited period of time. It’s not permanent unless you fall in love and adopt the dog!
3. You can help free up a space in a shelter. For every dog that is fostered, there is one more space in a shelter or rescue for another dog that is awaiting its forever home.
4. You can give a dog the one-on-one attention they could not get in a crowded shelter. Dogs often need special attention, especially those who have been injured or are experiencing behavior issues due to their previous housing situation. Some dogs simply don’t react well to a stressful shelter environment.
5. You can give a young puppy a safe place to grow until they are ready to be adopted permanently. Puppies aren’t ready for their forever home until they are at least eight weeks old. An experienced foster parent is able to take care of a puppy’s needs until he or she is ready to be adopted.
6. You will help the shelter learn more about the dog so they can find the best family for the dog. Is the dog shy or does he or she run to greet guests? Does the he act strangely in parks, around children, or have a trigger of some kind that may limit his adoption chances? The key is to learn about your foster pup’s behavior and any training they may have in order to make sure he finds the perfect family.
7. You will get the dog used to being around people and possibly other pets. When the foster parents have pets, the foster dog gets used to being around other animals and being part of a pack. Dogs learn a lot from each other!
8. You can trial whether you are ready to become a full-time pet parent by fostering a dog with little monetary commitment. The shelter or rescue you foster with may reimburse foster families for expenses they incur during the foster process. This allows your family to see what it’s like to have a pet in the house and see if this is the right time for your family to adopt permanently.
9. Fostering will teach your children responsibility and compassion for animals. Children will not only love playing with the dog, but they can learn about the responsibility of caring for a dog while fostering.
10. You might fall in love! You may just fall in love with your foster dog and want to adopt him. We sometimes call this a “foster fail,” but it just means that the dog ended up being a perfect fit for your family and doesn’t need to be placed for adoption.
If you’re looking for a new and different way to give back to your community, foster a dog! It will be a rewarding experience for your entire family as you open your home and your heart to loving a dog in need of a forever home. while making room at your local shelter.