FAQ on Becoming a Foster Parent
• How do you get paired with the dog? Last Hope Rescue will pair you based on what you are interested in… For example, if you want to foster a small breed puppy, then when we want to bring one in our adoption program, we will contact you to see if you can foster. If you do not have a preference, we will just let you know when we are looking for a foster for a dog and see if you would be interested. We have to have a foster home available to bring in a new pup to our program.
• How quickly would you get a fostered dog? This will depend on the dogs that Last Hope Rescue currently has, as well as dogs that are coming to the rescue. The ability to take in dogs depends on the amount of dogs we are caring for, as well as available foster homes that meet the needs of the dogs needing rescue. There is a chance you could get asked to foster immediately, however there may be a wait if we don’t have a dog for you to foster. But don’t worry, there WILL be a dog in need, trust us!
• If we foster a dog that is destructive, can we switch out the dog for a different one? We will do everything in our power to help you provide a safe, stable environment for the dog. This will include providing a crate, so that the dog does not become destructive. However if the pup is not working out at your house, we will try to find a new foster ASAP but it will likely some time. We do ask that fosters be patient with the dogs, as well as with our staff.
• What if we decide we want to adopt that animal? If you decided to adopt, that would not be an issue! It happens all the time!
• How long could we potentially have the dog? The length of time really depends on a lot of factors… It takes the right family seeing the pup to decide to adopt… sometimes it’s 2 weeks or 2 months so it’s really hard to say. We ask our fosters to commit to keeping the pup until adopted unless something unforeseen happens. If you have plans to be out of town, we would just ask that you let us know as far in advance as possible, so that we can make arrangements for your foster pup while you are away. We promote the dogs on our Facebook page, on Rescue Me, Petfinder, and Adopt a Pet which are national search engines for adoptable pups. We also have adoption booths on Saturday that we will sometimes have your foster dog assigned to. (We do not do same day adoptions, so if the pup goes to an adoption booth, they would not be going home with the person that day.)
• If someone is interested in adopting the dog we are fostering, would they come to our home to meet the dog? Would we be the ones to correspond with prospective adopters and schedule meeting times? When someone contacts us regarding a potential adoption, we generally connect them with the foster parent via email or phone. That way the foster parent can discuss the dog, and answer any questions. For adoptions, we have an application process. We check their vet reference, with their landlord etc. If all of that checks out, then we would arrange for them to meet the dog. Since you know the pup the best since, we rely on your opinions and judgment. If you don’t think it’s the right fit, we will help the family find a different pup. We will not let someone that you do not think is a good fit, adopt. The location where the potential adopters meet your foster pup is up to you. You can meet at a public park, at your home, or at their home. We will do a home visit prior to them adopting. Last Hope Rescue does not have to be present since they will not be taking the dog yet.
• If the animal becomes sick, do we contact Last Hope Rescue or the vet directly? You will contact Last Hope Rescue for everything. The rescue’s president will schedule all vet appointments. You can always email, text, or call the Last Hope Rescue staff, if you need anything. We will also check in regularly to see how things are going, address any issues you have, answer any questions, get new pictures to post, etc.