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So You Want To Foster?

Things

To Know

Please take a look through our FAQs before applying to foster. If you do not see your question, please email contact@ruraldogrescue.com
  • Why does Rural Dog Rescue need fosters? As a 100 percent volunteer-based organization, we rely on fosters to provide a safe and loving home for all our dogs in the DMV. We do not have a facility to keep dogs and any dog without a foster must stay at a local boarding facility. While we appreciate our boarding partners, this costs us money, making it harder to save more dogs and ensure current dogs receive the care they need.
  • Does it cost me money to foster a dog? Nope! Rural Dog Rescue covers all foster costs including vet care, dog food, essential supplies, and monthly preventatives.
  • Do you have space/home requirements to be allowed to foster? Fostering a dog doesn’t require that much space! Whether you live in a 400-square-foot apartment or have a house with a yard, we can find the right dog to fit your home and make sure you have the support and resources you need to confidently set a dog up for success.
  • Will I get to choose the dog I foster? Yes. When you join the foster team, the RDR foster coordinator will email you to discuss the kind of dog you’d like to foster and will recommend dogs who might be a good fit. After that initial exchange, you will be added to a weekly foster digest where the foster coordinator shares available dogs you can choose from. You will get the final say on whether you’d like to foster a particular dog.
  • Do I need to have previous dog experience to foster? Nope! Fostering a dog is a great starting point for someone without prior experience. We provide fosters with tons of resources and have a team available to help you with questions, concerns, or struggles. Some of these resources include our Foster Coordinator, the Foster Mentor Team, a private Facebook group for fosters and adopters, a Foster Handbook, and fellow fosters with years of experience.
  • How long should I expect a dog to stay with me? Every dog is different and we cannot guarantee a time range in which they will be adopted. BUT we do offer several types of foster programs so whether you can only commit to two weeks or are willing to hold a dog for as long as it takes, you have options!
  • Will a dog be house-trained or crate-trained? Depending on whether a dog has been in a foster home before yours or not, our knowledge of their skills and needs can be limited. We rely on our fosters to help get a dog started on the right foot and share information about them regularly. We also ensure you have the tools and resources needed to continue their care.
  • What if a dog is not a good fit for my home/lifestyle once I bring them home? Our team will work to transition a dog out of your home as quickly as possible and offer follow-up conversations to help figure out what kind of dog better fits your needs/space moving forward.
  • What happens if I fall in love and want to adopt my foster dog? If you are considering adopting, let the foster coordinator know as quickly as possible. As an approved foster, you are already approved to adopt, but we can’t always guarantee you will get to adopt your foster dog if there are already other pending or approved adopters lined up. However, we do always take into consideration that they have been living with you and have settled into your lifestyle, and at the end of the day we want what is best for them.
  • What additional time/requirements are involved with fostering? To help a foster dog get adopted, we need to showcase them as much as possible. That includes sharing pictures and videos with our social media team, attending at least two adoption events per month, updating the foster dog’s profile regularly, and attending meet ‘n greets with potential adopters.
  • What if the foster dog needs vet care? While we always hope our foster dogs are in good health, we know that “things happen.” For vet questions/concerns, fosters should reach out to the Foster Coordinator for guidance and approval on vet care. Rural Dog Rescue covers the cost of all essential vet care. We handle emergencies on a case-by-case basis and strong communication is key to ensuring your foster pup gets the care they need in a timely manner.
  • What if I need short-term dog-walking or daycare help while the dog is in my care? Rural Dog Rescue has partnerships with daycare/boarding facilities in the DMV and can schedule free daycare for fosters up to three days a week. Fosters must request daycare through the Foster Coordinator in advance. We also have volunteer dog walkers on an “as available” basis.
  • What if I go on vacation/have a trip coming up? No problem! Please let the foster team know about your travel plans and we will find another foster family to fill in. We ask that you give us as much notice as possible - at least one week.
  • What are some tips for preparing for adoption? I’m worried that part will be hard for me. While it can be hard to say goodbye to a foster dog, it’s important to remember your crucial role in their adoption journey as a foster and that our goal is to help a dog find their perfect forever home. A few ways to help with that final handoff include sharing plenty of information about the dog with the potential adopters so you know they are informed about their needs and routine, meeting at an adopter's home for the meet and greet so you can visualize the foster dog in that environment, and sending your foster dog with a little something special like a favorite toy or treat at the adoption handoff to help them settle into their new family. Knowing your foster dog is going to a perfect, loving forever home makes it easier!
  • What if I have other questions? You can always email us! Email contact@RuralDogRescue.com to learn more.
Get A

dog For Life

Sure, it's a long list of questions. But a quick stroll through an dog shelter will help you understand why answering them before you adopt is so important.

Many of a shelter's homeless dogs are puppies, victims of irresponsible people who allowed their pets to breed. But there are at least as many dogs at the shelter who are more than a year old-dogs who were obtained by people who didn't think through the responsibilities of pet ownership before they got the dog.

Please, don't make the same mistake. Think before you adopt. Sharing your life with a companion dog can bring incredible rewards, but only if you're willing to make the necessary commitments of time, money, responsibility, and love-for the life of the pet.

If you're ready to adopt a companion for life, please click the links above at the top of the page to see a sample of our many wonderful dogs available for adoption at the Rural Dog Rescue.

If someone tugs at your heart and you would like to meet him or her, please fill out an Adoption Application.

Ready to Adopt?

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