What is Fostering and How Does it Work?

Funds for Furry Friends is a registered charity run 100% by volunteers. We do not have a shelter building - all of our animals are cared for by foster families until they find a home.

Foster homes are basically responsible for "babysitting" a cat or dog until a home becomes available. When you foster, you are volunteering from the comfort of your own home, and doing the same things you would be doing with your own cat or dog - without the expenses. The rescue provides everything you'll need - from kennels and food, to bowls and toys - and of course vet care. It's up to you to provide the accommodations, walks, and talks for your foster.

Fostering is a very rewarding. You have the opportunity to have a direct impact on and see the effects of your volunteer work, as you are interacting one on one with your foster. You get to see changes, experience growth and be a part of something very real. There is something very satisfying about see a dog off to his new home - knowing he is going to be safe and happy... And something even more wonderful in knowing you can open your home to another...

Saving one dog may not change the world but the world has surely changed for that one dog. (author unknown)

What is required to become a foster home?

Location - Our foster homes are responsible for taking their foster pets to vet appointments, and rescue is located in Brandon. We do need our foster homes within a reasonable distance from our "home base" in Brandon, and we also need foster homes that can access one of the nearby clinics - in Brandon, Virden, Souris, Boissevain, Melita and Neepawa. We do our best to work the vet appointments around your schedule, however you must be in a location within reasonable driving distance from one of these clinic areas. We prefer foster homes in south-western Manitoba area. There are a number of rescues in other major centers (such as Portage and Winnipeg) that need local foster homes.

Environment - Because we do have animals coming into rescue that need vetting, we require ALL of the animals in our foster homes are spayed or neutered (unless they are show animals or have health reasons for being unaltered) and vaccinated up to date. Before you ask, YES this includes outside dogs and barn cats! We also have very strict spaying and neutering policies and our foster homes are people who represent our rescue and need to be on board with our policies. In addition, sometimes animals new to rescue need initial vetting done and we don't want to take any chances!

Intent - Fostering is intended as an ongoing arrangement and we do not look favorably on fostering with the intention of adopting. There is a trial process in place for applicants and this program is not designed to test out animals you want to adopt. Signing up to foster is signing up to be part of an on-going process of dogs coming in, and dogs being adopted out. You should want to foster to become part of our program, not to foster a specific animal. Foster homes that foster once and then adopt actually cost the rescue more than help...

Contact and Communication - Our foster homes are required to keep us updated on new developments. We ask that any ammendments to the descriptions are sent to us promptly and regularily. It is extremely important we are aware of any changes in the animals in our care. If a foster home has a digital camera, and can send us updated photos - this is super! If the foster home does not, we can arrange to have photos taken...

Patience, Time and Perseverance - There are a variety of animals coming through rescue - some who need lots of work and some who need a little. If you are looking for the perfect dog, fostering might not be for you. We get some phenomenal dogs in rescue and some that are pretty amazing... But we do get a lot of dogs that need some sort of training, and when we do take in dogs from the pound, sometimes we don't discover things until we have the dogs moved into a foster home environment. Part of fostering is helping us learn about the dogs and working through quirks. Note that we do exercise caution and are always careful about the new dogs - if we think a dog will chanse birds, he won't go into a foster home that has parakeets, or if we think a dog will be nervous with quick movements, we will not place the dog in a foster home with small kids, etc.

I am worried about my children (or myself) getting attached?

We get this question a lot, especially where children are concerned. If a family member left his or her dog or cat with you for a couple months while they travelled, you would not worry about getting attached. You know that the dog or cat does not belong to you, and that you are just babysitting - and that's exactly how you have to look at fostering. Each dog and cat in rescue is waiting for his new owner to come and get him - and until then, we are just temporarily babysitting.

We have many foster homes with kids, and I know one little three year old that could easily explain why getting adopted is the "best thing ever!" If the children are made aware that the dog or cat coming over is not theirs, that you are just babysitting (and when that dog or cat leaves, you will help babysit another dog or cat) - most kids enjoy meeting different dogs and cats, and experiencing different breeds. To be very honest, most children grasp the concept of rescue very easily.

It really is all in your frame of mind, and always remembering that the cat or dog you are fostering is not your pet, it is someone else's. Also, keeping in mind that each time a dog or cat finds a home, it makes room for another one to be saved. This is what keeps us operating and allows us to make a difference for so many animals...

How are dogs matched with my home?

The application forms ask a number of questions which are designed to help us determine the age, size, training areas and other issues you are willing to work with. We would not put a dog with a bad or unknown cat history in a home with cats (and likewise with kids or other dogs). We ask that foster homes are honest with us about experience levels and will work to accommodate as best as we can.

What do I do when someone wants to see my foster?

When calls come in about a dog, the foster home's number is provided. The interested adopter can speak with you on the phone and make arrangements to meet the dog with you, should the applicant wish to pursue the adoption. Applications and screening are handled by the rescue and not the foster homes. No dog or cat may leave the foster home without authorization from a rescue director.

I see a dog I want to foster on the website... Can I try that one?

Also, we receive may requests from people who would like to foster dogs already in foster homes - we will not move a dog to another foster home unless the foster home can no longer look after the dog. We do not want to move dogs from home to home while people "try" them out. If you would like to take the dog on trial, you will have to follow the adoption process and then you can take the dog on a two week trial as per the steps outlined in the adoption process.

Dogs who are in boarding are on the virtual foster home page. This is NOT all of the dogs needing foster care - we often have a list of dogs that are waiting for an available space. This list is NOT provided to foster homes, but we will let you know which dogs meet your specified criteria.

What about holidays or if I want to go away?

We will board the dog at one of the local boarding kennels at our expense for you if you need to go away. We only ask that notice is given (especially on long weekends) so we are able to arrange space.

What if things do not work out?

Things don't always work. This happens for a variety of reasons - sometimes there are pet personality conflicts or unanticipated behaviors which show up after a dog is in a foster home... Whatever the reason, there are times when dogs or cats just don't work in their foster home. We will remove a dog that is not working out as quickly as needed. Sometimes the foster family is willing to wait a few days for us to find another space - and when it is urgent, we do move the dog into boarding right away within kennel hours. (The kennel hours are 9:00am - 8:00pm).

After I fill out the applications, what's next?

We check to see if a suitable foster dog or cat is on the waiting list. If not, we will contact you when one becomes available. There is a constant need and the wait is not usually long. However, foster homes with stricter or more specific requirements do limit which animals we can place with them...

We do collect the pen-signature application forms and terms of aggreement when the first foster dog or cat comes into your home. The terms are important and they do further outline the rules and expectations we have of our foster homes.

How long is the average dog in foster care?

Most of our dogs are able to find homes in a reasonable amount of time. However, this can be very unpredictable. We some dogs that are gone in a week or two, and some that stay in rescue several months. This depends on the dog and who is out there looking.

It's impossible to judge and it really depends on what people are looking for at the time. We've had breeds we believed would be very popular in rescue longer than expected, and we've had common harder to place breeds go in days... So it's variable and impossible to judge.

How long is the average cat in foster care?

W e have found cats to be longer term foster animals. There are high numbers of cats being euthanized at the local and surrounding area pounds - and the need for cat foster homes is great. However, the overflow of cats has a reciprocating effect - the need is high, the demand is low. Our cats do tend to be in foster for much longer than our dogs, and anyone interested in signing on to foster cats and even kittens should be comfortable with a longer term foster.

Still have questions?

Please email us at adoptions@fundsfurfriends.com or call 204-573-8333.