Fostering

Foster pup Pretzel and his surrogate mom, Strudel

Fostering can be a great way to volunteer and help the dogs. It's great for people who don't have dogs of their own due to a busy travel schedule, because you can foster when you're home without the worries of what to do with the dog when you're away! If you've ever been tempted to breed a dog and raise a litter, consider fostering a pregnant or nursing female. You can have the whole experience without breeding a dog, and it's a huge help to the rescue. Fostering can also be a lot of work, but totally worth it when you see the joy on the faces of their adopter when they are ready to go home.

Below is a list of frequently asked questions to help you understand what is involved in fostering a dog for us.

Foster FAQ

What will be expected of me as a foster home?

Youngsters never appreciate moms, do they?

Everything you need to care for you foster dog (crate, food, bowl, etc.) will be provided by CCRC. You will be responsible for making the dog available for medical needs and adoption appointments, helping the dog become as adoptable as possible, and most importantly, providing the TLC many of our dogs have never known. It is most important to realize these dogs are usually not "perfect pets", and it is the hard work the foster home puts in that helps them on their way to becoming one. The dog provides you with love, joy, and the satisfaction of having saved a life.



Where do the dogs come from?

Foster pup Wendy makes herself at home

Our dogs most often come from animal control agencies. We have volunteers that regularly visit these facilities and look for adoptable dogs that are scheduled to be put to sleep. Occasionally, we take dogs from owner surrender situations, but it is rare.





How do I integrate the foster into my household?

Should I be sweeping?

Some fosters choose to treat the foster like one of their own. They let it romp with their dogs and give it lots of house freedom. This is a great way to learn about the foster, and also give it the most attention and training. However, it is not always practical. It is also perfectly acceptable to keep the foster dog separate from your own pets, and keep him or her crated much of the time they are with you. While this is not an ideal way to live long term, it is often the only way a foster can keep them, and the idea is for this to be a short term solution until they can find their forever home.


Who pays the medical expenses of the foster dogs?

All approved medical expenses for the foster dogs are paid by CCRC.

Am I putting my personal pets in danger by agreeing to foster?

Deisel and Willy It must be love

Because our dogs usually come from animal control situations, they have unknown histories and it's quite possible they haven't had their medical needs properly met. They often have kennel cough (the equivalent of a human cold) and worms, among other possibilities. We will provide your dog(s) with the vaccine for kennel cough if they don't already have one, and we will worm your dog if he/she contracts them. We recommend using a monthly heartworm preventative, such as Heartguard Plus or Interceptor, which helps to protect your dog from contracting these other types of worms. We also strongly recommend that your pets be up to date on all vaccinations.

How long will I have a foster dog before it is adopted?

Foster pup Cola learning to play nicely with his buddy Gus

It is very difficult to predict how long a dog will be in our care. We keep all dogs for a minimum of one week while we bring them up to date medically and make sure we have assessed their temperament correctly. Sometimes it can take several weeks for them to find a home. It varies greatly based on age, medical, or training issues. If you have a foster dog and need to go out of town, etc., please give us as much notice as possible so we can make other arrangements.



Is it necessary for me to have a fenced yard to foster?

We do not require a fenced yard. The foster dog must be on a tie out or lead, and supervised at all times when outside of your home.

What kinds of behavior problems might I expect?

Foster pup Wendy takes on Willy

We do a mini temperament test on the dogs before we take them, and in doing so, we do our best to eliminate the possibility of taking aggressive dogs, or dogs that are difficult to adopt. Still, most have one annoying habit or another. Possibilities include separation anxiety (i.e. crying or barking when left alone), marking (with urine), chewing, house training, barking, and dog aggression (among others). We have many ways of managing these problems until they are resolved.

Do I get to choose the dog I foster?

Yes and no. You can let us know the type of dog you will foster (age, gender, and size preferences) and we will attempt to find those types of dogs for you. We will always ask for your willingness to take a specific dog, rather than assign one to you.

Bud with his foster kids 12 year old Paige and 6 year old Zack

What if the foster dog just doesn't work out?

We will help you overcome the situation, whether it requires additional training, or another placement. We will take care not to place a dog with you that you are not ready to handle. From time to time, the dog just isn't a good match. Arrangements will be made to move the dog elsewhere as quickly as possible.

Is being a foster home a good way to find a dog for our family?

If you are interested in adopting, please complete an adoption application - do not complete a foster application. We offer a 30 day full refund and a lifetime 50% refund on all of our adopted dogs so there is no financial risk in completing an adoption, and therefore no need to foster as a means of evaluating a dog.

How can you stand to let them go?

Seeing the dogs go into a loving household is very gratifying and rewarding, and knowing they will have a good home will make it much easier to let go. Also, you will quickly see that there is an endless number of dogs in need, and those dogs all deserve their chance, too. Our foster volunteers have all been through "letting go", and we can help prepare you before, during and after.

If fostering sounds like something you might be interested in, please get our Volunteer Application from the link below, and give us a call or drop us an email.

Volunteer Application

Phone: (248) 834-9419
Email: ccrcdogs@ccrcdogs.com