Realities
of Fostering
REALITIES
OF FOSTERING
Foster families have many responsibilities.
We clean off weeks if not years of neglect and dirt.
We take care of
the physical needs of our charges and make right what others
have allowed to go wrong. But underlying all of those issues,
and superseding them, is our responsibility to know the
temperament of our foster dogs inside and out.
 All of
the dogs brought into the FFN foster care program are temperament
tested at the shelter where they are pulled
from. FFN will not ask any foster home to take in a dog
that
has any aggression issues at the shelter. We screen to
the best of our ability prior to transport. A dog that
doesn’t
pass the basic temperament test is not admitted into the
FFN program.
As a
foster parent, you have accepted the responsibility to
put a dog/cat through its paces, see what makes it tick,
what it likes and dislikes, and to discover hot button
issues.
There
are many, many questions you need to ask of yourself
and your foster animal. These are just a few examples
of things you need to look for in your foster dog:
How does the dog handle having his feet touched? Is
the dog calm? Will he bite someone if they handle his
feet?
Can I
desensitize him to this issue? Or will this always
be a serious issue, rendering him unsafe in certain
environments?
Your
female doesn't seem to like other female dogs. Does she
respond to correction? Can she be taught
to
control
herself on a leash around other females? Can she
learn to break off
her posturing before she becomes aggressive?
 Can
you put your hand in your foster dog's mouth? If the
answer is no at the beginning, has it gotten
better?
Can
you touch your foster dog while he is eating? Can
you take food out of his bowl? Can you push your
foster
dog off
the bed or other furniture with impunity? Does
your foster dog
try to stare you down when you are correcting him/her?
Will your shy foster dog snap when frightened or
pull back her
lip?
Foster
cats may have similar issues that need to be explored,
but the most important thing is to
know the
temperament
and issues of each one of your foster animals
so that an appropriate
home can be found.
As a
foster parent, you need to know the limitations/baggage
your foster animals may have.
If a foster dog is
going to fail anywhere, he/she should fail in
foster care.
We cannot
as foster parents "skirt around sensitive
areas." The
excuse "Fido doesn't like it when I do X,
so I never do X", does not work with a foster
dog. It may work with our own pets, but we can
never guarantee that an adoptive
home or their friends or family will do the same
thing.
You should
always feel comfortable around your foster dog and never
have to "manage" your
foster dog. Any concerns that you have about
your foster dog's behavior need
to be brought to our attention. If there is
a problem, you need to consult the Foster Home
Coordinator immediately.
While
our return rate is low, the number one reason that dogs
are returned is
because of
an aggression
issue.
We cannot always predict every scenario or
situation. But
we must,
as foster homes, expose our foster dogs to
many, many situations and environments and
test their
behavior over and over
again. We do our best to ensure that the
best match is made when
it comes to placements. Our adoptive homes
rely heavily upon our expertise and specific
hands-on
experience
with the foster
dogs. Your evaluations, training and care
are what help make the match between dog and family
a good
and
long
term one.
WHAT
ANIMALS ARE IN NEED OF FOSTER HOMES?
1. Puppies
or kittens too young to be adopted.
2. An abused dog or cat that needs socialization and
tender loving care.
3. An injured cat or dog that has had surgery and needs
a place to recover from surgery.
4. An abandoned mother with a litter of kittens or puppies.
5. A pregnant dog or cat.
6. Any animal where a shelter is over crowded and there
is a chance that they will be put down in order to make
room for more.
7. Any animal where their current owner does not want them anymore or cannot
have them anymore (e.g., the family moved to a place that does not allow
animals, there is a new baby, etc.)
WHERE
DO WE GET OUR FOSTER ANIMALS?
FFN foster
animals come from a variety of sources. Cats and kittens
come in abundance
as strays, owner surrenders
and from animal shelters. Dogs and puppies
also come
as strays, owner surrenders and from various shelters. Many out of state
rural shelters tend to become overcrowded fairly quickly
and FFN coordinates transports
to have some of these animals brought to the Northeast. FFN always tries
to help shelters that are in the most need of help.
The FFN Transport Coordinator
will
notify foster homes by email when a transport is being put together. Please
seriously consider the number of animals you volunteer to foster.
Our foster homes
are always full, and if you take too many at once, it is difficult to find
an open foster home should you become overwhelmed. Transporters are also
frequently needed for driving legs (short distances)
of transports. If you like to drive,
we always welcome the help.
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