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Fostering for A New Chance Animal Rescue Frequently Asked Questions
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Where do A New Chance dogs come from? We rescue dogs from high kill shelters and other dangerous situations, both in the South and locally.
We rescue all kinds of dogs: big, small and medium sized; shorthaired, longhaired, and sometimes even hypoallergenic; and all with different personalities. Though the majority of our dogs are mixed breeds, we do occasionally get purebreds as well. And of course, many mixed breeds look predominately like a certain breed. Fostering is when a family opens their home and heart to a rescue dog and keeps that dog until it finds its forever home. Their job is to begin the training and socialization process with the dog so that s/he can be successful in his/her adoptive home. By seeing how the dog reacts to the activities of daily life in a real family, A New Chance gains a much better sense of the dog’s personality and is better able to match that dog with an adoptive family. A New Chance does not have a physical shelter to house our dogs and relies entirely on foster homes to do so until they are adopted. We can only save as many dogs as we have foster homes for; every foster home is another life saved. Foster homes expose the dog to the activities and situations that will normally be experienced in his/her forever home in a way that shelter life cannot. Most fosters last about 3 weeks, though they can last anywhere from a week to a few months. It is impossible to know this in advance as the variable that determines when a dog is adopted is when the right home is found. Unfortunately, we cannot allow foster homes to pick their foster dogs because we need to ensure that foster dogs are matched with the appropriate foster home. However, foster homes are asked to provide information on what parameters would work best for them and then, our foster coordinator matches dogs accordingly.
We understand that sometimes you just fall in love with a dog, so foster homes have a week to decide if they want to adopt their foster dog. We prefer that if you keep a dog, you continue to foster because if we lose a foster home, then we lose another dog to euthanasia.
A New Chance has volunteers available to answer questions at all times. We also have professional trainers available to work through difficult situations with foster homes, if needed. While we prefer to work through any issues, we, of course, can take a dog back at anytime if it’s not working out.
We prefer that people keep their fosters until they are adopted because it is very stressful to move the dogs from home to home, but if the foster home needs to give the dog back, we will make arrangements for them to do so.
We list all adoptable dogs on Petfinder, a nationwide website dedicated to helping dogs up for adoption find homes, and on our website, anewchancear.org.
The first step to becoming A New Chance foster home is to submit the Foster Application. Once you have filled out the application completely, we will review it and determine whether you would be a good match for our foster program. We will then get back to you regarding the status of your application. If approved, our foster coordinator will work out the further details with you. All foster families are required to sign a Hold Harmless Waiver. This is an amazing article that captures the essence of fostering. It’s not just a gift for the dog you save, it’s a gift for yourself. Everyday Heroes: Foster Families (Reprinted from StubbyDog.org) StubbyDog pays tribute to foster families They don’t have room, but somehow they find the space. When a dog is stressed from kennel life, or in need a quiet place to heal or a family to teach them the ropes, or a rescue can’t take him unless a foster home is available – these families say, “We can take him home.” They open their houses and hearts to fall in love with a dog that they know isn’t theirs for keeps. They go to work providing crate and leash training, socialization, medication and extra meals as needed. They separate resident pets from foster dogs if they have to, scoop extra poop, write blogs, take photos and spent their weekends at adoption events. They take on all of the work that comes along with bringing home a new dog, and then some. And while they worry they might not be strong enough to let this one go, something special happens: The right adoption application arrives! They lifted a single soul up, out of the crowd and floating on their hands, their foster dog arrived in the arms of the family that has been searching for him. It was all worthwhile. They bridge the gap to a new life. They are foster families – true everyday heroes. And sometimes, they are the bridge to somewhere deeper, a place to rest. They give some very special dogs a loving home before they leave this earth. They commit to walking alongside these dogs until the last moments. What some of us are not strong enough to do for our own pets, they choose to do for dogs they have only known for a month, a week, a day, an hour. Fiercely they say, “I see you. I love you. You are not a number or a mistake or a victim anymore. You are mine and I will walk with you until the end.” They are warriors of the heart. They are compassion foster families. They are everyday heroes.
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| Changing lives... One tail at a time |
