Foster a Dog
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Frequently Asked Questions
Foster a Dog
Fostering is a great way to get a deserving animal out of a shelter and one step closer to their forever home.
As a foster-based rescue, Valley Dog Rescue of Texas relies on our foster network to provide temporary care to our animals while they wait for their forever families. We provide vet care, supplies, support, and adoption assistance. Share your home with a pet in need and help save a life today!
GET INVOLVED
Whether you’re looking to adopt, foster, volunteer, or donate VDR has something for you. The animals need your help, and there is far more to do than any one person can do alone. Join our team and together we can make the world a better place for animals!
BECOME A FOSTER FAMILY
Fosters are often the difference between life and death for many animals in shelters. Opening your home allows us to widen our safety net and help more animals in need.
The VDR foster program is a lifesaving extension of Valley Dog Rescue of Texas.
Foster parents provide temporary homes for animals that aren’t quite ready for adoption and is a personal and gratifying way to contribute to saving the life of a homeless animal. Animals are fostered for a variety of reasons. Foster families provide the love and stability these animals need to be happy and healthy. When an animal has been in a foster home, it is more confident and sociable and is likely to get adopted more quickly.
What is it like to be a Doggie Foster Parent?
As a foster volunteer, you directly witness how your commitment and care deeply impact animals in need. Your role in their journey is vital, providing customized care beyond the shelter’s walls, catering to each animal’s specific requirements.
This could mean creating a comforting space for post-surgery recuperation or offering temporary sanctuary for an animal awaiting its permanent home. Whatever the situation, VDR is fully committed to assisting you throughout your fostering journey.
We provide medications and vaccinations, along with thorough training and care instructions. Furthermore, our team is readily available to offer support and expertise whenever you need it.
- Save lives and shelter space
- Fostering is Rewarding
- Provide rehabilitation and socialization
- Experience personal fulfillment and joy
Not sure if you’re ready for a new pet? Join the VDR Foster Program!
We offer a foster-to-adopt option, allowing prospective pet parents to get to know a dog before committing to adoption.
Top 10 Reasons to Foster a Pet
1. Foster homes help adopters see pets at their best.
Some animals can handle a shelter environment better than others. Many get overly excited or too anxious to let their true personality shine when they’re in a kennel. In a foster home, pets can relax, so that potential adopters can get a good sense of how they’d be in a home. Foster homes are especially ideal for animals with special needs animals like Champ who might require a little extra attention after surgery or senior pets needing a comfortable place to take it easy.
2. Fostering pets is fun.
Taking a walk in the park is fun, but it’s a whole lot more fun strolling with a foster dog at your side. Playing with your foster dog is a great way to unwind and provide the attention they crave. And is there anything cuter than watching young puppies chase their tails (and anything else that moves)? You’ll experience the joy and pleasure of having a new companion, including lots of snuggles and playtime.
3. You can teach pets new skills in your home.
Dogs are enthusiastic students. Most of them want to learn new skills that can make it easier for them to find a home. That’s what happened to Buster after he spent some time in a foster home. When it was time for him to meet potential adopters, he impressed them with his knowledge of basic cues and found himself a new family.
4. You could be a pet matchmaker.
Every time you take your foster dog on a walk, or out to a dog-friendly establishment, it’s a chance to connect with potential adopters and meet new friends.
5. Put your social media account to good use to help animals
Many pets adopted from VDR find homes after a foster parent shares a post on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. Just ask Rufus!
6. You’ll give them a chance to stretch their (four) legs.
Just like us, dogs need exercise to stay healthy and feel good. While shelters do their best to give animals adequate space to be active, there’s often a whole lot more room to play in a home.
7. You’ll be providing invaluable insight.
It’s difficult to know all the important things about a shelter animal, such as how they feel about other animals or kids. This kind of information is vital for them to find a new home. Foster volunteers help us to understand who that dog is as an individual so we can match the dog with the perfect forever home.
8. Fostering to know if you’re ready to adopt.
Adopting a pet is a big decision. If you’re not sure you’re ready to take that next step, fostering is a great way to test the waters. You’ll gain experience caring for a pet, so that when it’s time for you to adopt, you’ll do so with confidence.
9. Fostering is a temporary commitment with permanent rewards.
If you’re unable to adopt a dog right now but want to open your space (and heart) to a shelter animal, look no further than being a foster parent. We offer a variety of foster opportunities that include taking care of a pet short-term or for a “Doggie Day Out.”
10. You’ll be saving more than one life.
Every time a shelter animal is able to leave the shelter for a foster home, space is created for another deserving homeless pet who needs a second chance. By saving one, you are actually saving two!
