What is Fostering?
To foster a dog means that you will house and care for one of the GPRW rescue dogs while we try to find its forever home.
The foster dog is still under the care of GPRW, but residing in your home and treated as if it were a member of your family.
Frequently asked questions
We place a dog in a foster home for any number of reasons. We may need extra help with all of the dogs who have come into rescue, or we may have a dog who needs some extra love and attention. A puppy or young dog may need the exercise and training that were missing in their previous life. Another dog who led an isolated life will need practice meeting new people and situations. Some need extra reassurance and a quieter existence than life in a kennel. We worry about our older dogs during the winter months and a warm home is the perfect remedy for old bones. The simple answer to this question, though, is that a foster home is as close as we can get to a forever home. In the dog rescue world, good foster homes are pure gold!
Just as if you were adopting one of our Pyrs, we expect a foster parent will provide a loving, safe home for one of our dogs. The dog must have opportunities to exercise and be taken to the veterinarian if necessary. We expect that the rescue dog will be treated as one of your family. You’ll need to work on identified goals for the dog – learning how to sit, walking nicely on a leash, etc. Working together on these goals will benefit the dog and its foster family.
You need to check in with GPRW on a regular basis to discuss any concerns that you might have and to give us a progress report regarding the goals established for the dog. We want your feedback on how well the dog is doing.
Yes, overall, but not always! We generally place a foster dog with a dog of the opposite sex, but it all depends on the sex, size and temperament of the dog(s) involved in each foster situation. We want our placements to succeed and are careful to avoid potentially troublesome canine combinations.
We provide the foster dog’s food, treats, and toys, although most foster parents also contribute a bit to the dog’s care ~ it just seems to happen in the natural course of events. GPRW also pays for the dog’s veterinary care. With the exception of emergencies, trips to the vet must be discussed with GPRW in advance.
We will contact you and arrange a meet-and-greet with the potential adopter. Your expertise will be very valuable at this point; you will probably know more about the dog than anyone else.
This is a win-win situation for the dog. We will be happy to consider you as a potential adopter and welcome you to the long, long list of “foster failures!”
Join our Family
Our foster homes are an integral part of the adoption process, giving dogs loving temporary homes until a suitable forever home can be found.