Foster a dog

There are a number of reasons why one of our rescue dogs might need a foster home, and while we do our utmost to find all of our dogs a permanent home, sometimes a foster home is the best temporary solution for their wellbeing. In these instances, our priority is to find them a safe place to live where they will receive the care they need, whilst we find them a permanent home, and that’s where fostering comes in!

The most common reasons a WAHF dog may need a foster home:

• As rehoming remains a core element of our mission, we currently work with a number of partner shelters to rehome as many dogs as we can. With a growing number of unwanted puppies being born onto the streets, we will often be working to rehome litters. Despite our team’s best efforts, sometimes we are not always able to reserve all of the puppies from the same litter. Not wanting to leave one of the litter (or more) behind at the shelter, we will sometimes seek to find them a temporary foster home while we continue to look for their permanent home. This means that all of the puppies will be able to travel at the same time, and experience home comforts and socialisation, which are important elements of their development and progress.
• On occasion, we might have a rescue dog that is struggling emotionally and/or physically in the shelter due to their background, which could be affecting their progress. In this circumstance, we might decide that it is in their best interest to find them a foster home where they can receive the support they need.
• A common reason why one of our rescue dogs might need a foster home, is onward rehoming. This can be due to a change in the adopters circumstance, or from an unrealistic expectation of adopting an overseas rescue dog. In this scenario, easing this transition by providing a safe, loving foster while they wait for their next chapter is a hugely beneficial way of ensuring this change is as easy as it can possibly be for the dog.

How does Wild at Heart Foundation support their fosters?

We’re always delighted when someone is generous to consider welcoming a dog into their home, and we do our best to make the experience as easy and enjoyable for both dog and human as we can!

Our fosters receive:

• Reimbursement for the dogs essential costs on a monthly basis. However, as a charity that is funded entirely on donations, we really appreciate it when people are able to support the costs themselves, although we completely understand and appreciate that this is not always possible
• Basic and necessary items for the dog up to the value of £40, such as collar, lead, harness, bed, bowls etc
• Vet costs not covered by insurance
• Food (we will only reimburse costs for reasonably priced quality of food)
• Proportion of insurance cover incurred during the timeframe of the dog being in foster care
• Access to our Wild at Heart Foundation foster community on Facebook
• Access to our Aftercare service where you will be able to receive support and advice throughout your foster journey

How long does fostering last?

The length of a dog’s stay in your care can vary hugely depending on the circumstances – fostering may only last for a matter of weeks, or can be a longer term commitment. We always take each foster’s circumstances into account before matching them with a dog, and will of course work within your personal timeframes.

However long you’re able to open your home to a dog who needs it most, fostering really does mean the difference between a stressful and confusing upheaval, and a gentle, compassionate transition into a new way of life.