Dog Adoption & Fostering

Whenever someone decides to try fostering a dog there's going to be a family member, coworker, or friend who will think they're crazy.
My advice? Go with your heart.

Fostering is work. You have an animal to take care of and that includes feeding, bathing, cleaning up after, and taking to adoption days or the vet. (Some rescues will do the vet visits for you.) Most rescue volunteers will pitch in and help each other with adoption days and if you have a dog that requires professional grooming, the rescue should pay for it.

Choose the right organization to work with for fostering. 

This can be your local shelter. Most accept fosters due to the over crowding. Check out their website, visit, or make a phone call and find out what they're looking for in a foster family.
Check out your local rescue. Look them up online. They should be a verifiable non-profit. Go to your state's website and there should be a place to look them up to see their non-profit status. In New Jersey that would be at the Directory of  Registered Charities   Making sure the rescue you choose is a non-profit helps to ensure all funds and donations will go to the care of the animals.

Once you find your rescue ask about their policies for fostering. Who pays for what? A good rescue will supply all the supplies (food, leashes, medical needs, flea prevention, etc.) and host adoption days in your community. Ask about what happens if you can no longer foster? This sometimes comes up if the dog you're foster doesn't get along with another pet in your home or if you have a family emergency and can no longer keep the dog. There should be policy in place for emergencies.

A good rescue usually gives a first time foster an easy dog. By that I mean one that is calm or maybe a puppy. Most puppies have no issues and just want to play. Good choice if you have kids. Some in the rescue I belong to only foster puppies and others only want to do the older dogs. I've done both. Puppies can be fun and older dogs are usually already house trained. There are good points to any age dog. Puppies are usually adopted faster than older dogs.

If you can't foster there are always other volunteer options.
Most good rescues run fundraisers and the more hands to help the better.
Processing paperwork for adoptions.
Calling references.
Doing home visits.
Transporting dogs.
Collecting donations.

Check out your local shelter or rescues. Their website should have a list of volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer and save a life. 

Fundraising for Dog Rescue

We save the dogs, bring them into our homes, share love, good food, and a warm bed. Then comes the hard part; handing them over to their forever home.

Now for the other pain of Dog Rescue; FUNDRAISING!

Rescuing dogs is more expensive than anyone, but the rescue team, will ever know. Dogs come into rescue with heartworm, parvo, infections, and too many other problems to list. (Newbies please don't get scared! Not all dogs come in with issues. Most are perfectly healthy, wonderful pups) When dogs come in with health issues the $$$ can add up quickly!

That dog that came in thin as sticks with cigarette burns on his back needs a full blood work up to be sure he's healthy and the burn marks are going to heal. (he is, they did). The one that seems to be limping when he came off transport needs x-rays (and more surgery to heal his back leg). A litter of pups where three out of five end up with Parvo need to be treated by the vet for at least a week (yes, they made it and are now in good homes!). This list goes on and on....

Most times adoption fees don't cover it all. Veterinary bills can add up super fast so a Rescue is constantly looking for more fundraising ideas. Here's a few we've used in the past;

• Cans. Cans can be put in local stores with pictures of your cutest pups to ask for donations. This requires some organization as someone has to check the cans on a weekly/monthly basis.
• Paws for the Cause. Purchase paper/cardboard paw print cutouts and get a local store or restaurant to sell them for a small fee. As people buy the paw they put their name on it and it's posted on the wall of the business. This makes the business look community minded while earning money for the dogs. 
• Bowling days or Restaurant Dinners. Get together with a local bowling alley and offer games of bowling where the rescue gets a cut of the profits. Check with a restaurant in your area to host a Rescue night. When anyone mentions the rescue, the restaurant donates part of the profits. This is usually not a very big fundraiser but is a great way for volunteers to get together with friends and family to support the rescue. 
• Gift auctions & Bingo nights. Lots of work to organize this as gifts have to be secured from generous donors to make up the gift/gift basket prizes. Check out local fire departments and schools as places to have your venue.
• Craft shows. Another top earner, but takes a good organizer. Find a venue, sell spaces to crafters and vendors, sell some food and drinks. 

These are basic fundraisers. If you have any other ideas please post them! We'd love to share the ideas to save the pups!