Frequently Asked Questions About Fostering

 

What's involved in being a foster parent?
 

Being a foster mom or dad is a BIG commitment. Foster dogs require 24/7 love and attention the same as any pet. A foster home provides a loving, caring, and safe environment for our dogs while we try to find them a permanent home. Foster parents ensure our dogs have food, water, exercise, socialization, training, medical care, and most of all, love. RUFF Rescue pays all medical bills, and provides you with food, bowls, bedding, crates, carriers, collars, leashes, and toys. Foster parents are responsible for bringing their foster pets to Pet Adoption Days and special community events we may be participating in. You will also be asked to attend periodic Foster Parent meetings, normally held quarterly.

 

Do I need a lot of experience?
 

It certainly helps to have some experience  handling dogs, but our Foster Care Coordinator and current foster parents can help you gain experience through volunteering at Pet Adoption Days before bringing your first foster dog home. You don't need professional experience to become a foster parent, just a loving heart, basic knowledge about dogs, and a desire to help save lives.

 

How long will the dog be in my home?

Foster homes provide a loving and safe environment for as long as it takes us to find them a permanent home. This can be a week, a month, six months, or sometimes even longer. We are a no-kill organization so our animals stay with us until we find them their forever home. If, at any time, you feel you are getting too attached, or can no longer foster, we will make arrangements for them to go to another foster home.

 

I have pets of my own, can I still foster?

Yes you can. We do require that all personal pets are spayed/neutered and up-to-date on their vaccinations - which includes distemper, rabies, parvo, and bordetella.

 

I'm afraid I'm going to get too attached. Isn't it hard to let them go?
 

Yes, it is, but it's also very rewarding to know that you've made a difference in the life of that dog. Seeing a dog you've cared for find their forever home is a feeling you won't forget. While it's hard to say goodbye, watching a family welcome their new family member is worth it.

 

I'm ready! How can I become a foster parent?

Click here to complete our Foster Care Application. Once it's received our Foster Care Coordinator will be in touch to set up a meeting to discuss in detail our Foster Care Program and get you started.

Fostering is about giving a dog the one thing they've never had - hope. And with the simple act of opening up your home to them, YOU are able to grant their one wish. YOU are able to make their dreams come true. YOU are able to save their life.

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For a short time we are everything to these dogs. We are their world. We represent comfort, love, and hope when they've only known pain, hatred, and despair. In providing these gifts we receive so much more in return, more than we could ever describe in words. During that time, we make them whole, and in turn, they make us whole. They remove any sadness, anger, or hopelessness we may feel, and replace all of the bad in the world with the purest good that exists.

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As one foster mom says; "Fostering is the most rewarding thing I've ever done. It's given me more joy, laughter, and love than I deserve. At the end, there's always heartbreak. But never for a second does the sadness outweigh the joy. Never do the tears outweigh the laughter. And never does the pain outweigh the love. Heartbreak heals, but love is forever."