5 Tips To Consider Before Fostering A Dog
Our latest Guest Blog is from Jordan Walker. Jordan writes for a number of dog related blogs and is passionate about animals. Here, he shares his knowledge about the factors you should consider before taking in a dog for foster care.
We are all heroes in our own way. And one of the bravest acts we can do for living beings like street or stray dogs is to give them the temporary shelter they need until they find a permanent family that will offer them a forever home. Luckily, fostering a dog offers a lot of perks for both the family who is willing to do it and to the animal as well.
Sad to say, due to the increasing rate of street dogs that are taken into custody by various animal advocates and rescue groups, shelters are running out of room to accommodate all of them. Hence, getting help from people and families who are willing to provide care and attention is a huge help to those stray animals.
If you have finally decided to welcome a new pet inside your home and gladly accept the responsibilities as a foster owner, here are some handy tips you need to consider beforehand.
How ready are you for that 'extra' responsibility?
Fostering a dog entails extra responsibility on your shoulders. Aside from the extra money that you need to spend to support its food and medication, you also need to allocate extra time and effort to find a temporary shelter for him.
Be mindful that even if it’s a foster dog, it should still be taken out in the park for a walk or exercise. Also, some breeds would require proper training to boost their social and mental skills. So you might want to think about that, too
Considering the amount of time and attention a dog needs, we can say that raising a foster dog is no easy decision to make.
Getting your family ready
You can’t just decide to bring in a foster dog at home. Before anything else, you should at least understand that you are not the only one involved in this endeavour. With that, getting your family involved in the decision-making process is another crucial step you need to take.
If you have kids at home, you should be able to consider the age and behaviour of the dog. That way, you can ensure that you will not be putting the safety of your kids at risk. You should also consider the vices and habits you have that may affect the health of the dog whilst living with you.
If you have other pets at home, it is important that you take into perspective any possible conflict that may arise in terms of behaviour and interest, especially if the new foster dog arrives. If it could only cause commotion or a significant disruption on the kind of setup your family has at present, it would be a wise move to hold off the idea of adopting a new family member.
Determine the level of responsibility involved
Before you agree adopting a homeless dog, make sure you know all responsibilities that await you. Foster dogs have different stories why they ended up in foster care. Thus, you need to match their need with a kind of care and attention only you can provide.
While some dogs would need a foster home to recover from an illness or injury until such time they have completely recovered, others may have behavioural problems that make rescue groups decide to separate them from their family and provide them a temporary home, where they can learn to build their socialization skills.
Although these instances are rare, they may still require more time and effort from you as the new parent. So if you are not fully committed, you should let your contacted rescue group know.
Settling the finances
Fostering a dog involves added finances. And you know that. So at the very start, you should be prepared for that. If possible, before committing yourself to this kind of responsibility, you should make a clear and concise financial agreement with the shelter or rescue group.
Veterinary bills and other sort of medications and health supplements may be quite pricey and it would be a great help if the shelter or rescue group that you selected is willing to sponsor the expenses partly, if not all.
Insurance and Liabilities
If you are concerned with their future, you might need to get insurance for them. What if your foster dog bites or hurts someone? Of course, you will receive complaints, or worse, you will be sued. You don’t want that to happen, right?
One of the critical questions you should not miss asking the rescue group is if they have insurance liability that covers you as the foster care provider. This will help you become protected and free from any liabilities once your foster dog causes trouble in the near future.
Hope these tips helped you! Always remember, being aware of the various factors you need to consider before fostering a dog could help you arrive with a smarter decision.
Jordan Walker is the lead content curator for Coops and Cages as well as a couple of other pet-related blogs. His passion for animals is only paired with his love for “attempting” to play the guitar. If you would like to catch more of him, you can by following his Twitter or visiting his Website.
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