What does foster to adopt mean?
Many times an animal comes to us with its vet care incomplete. A foster to adopt scenario is when the animal moves into a home with the foster intending to adopt once that animal’s vet care is completed. It is our responsibility to ensure all animals adopted through UDR are up to date on their appropriate vet care to the best of our knowledge.
What is the average fostering time?
This answer truly depends on each individual animal and the amount of decompression time, vet care, and overall work each animal needs. On average, a foster period can be anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months.
Vet visits for a foster
We ask our fosters to help get the animals to and from scheduled vet visits. There is no cost to the fosters as our partner vets bill us directly.
As a foster, do I get input in who adopts my foster?
We ask our fosters to provide input and biographies for each animal they foster. After all, they know the animal best! Fosters conduct meet and greets, and are a large part in helping us make our decision.
Can I foster if I have kids, dogs, cats?
Depending on the animal, yes! We do our best to match animals with fosters. Many animals are kid, dog, and cat safe and we work with potential fosters to make the best match possible.
Do I need a car to foster?
Depending on where you live, yes. One thing we do ask of our fosters is to help transport the animals to vet appointments and occasionally pick the animals up from transport locations. The UDR is 100% volunteer run and we just don’t have the manpower to do all the driving ourselves.
Can I adopt my foster?
Yes! If the animal is a great fit in your home, fosters always get first right of refusal.
Do I need a backyard to foster?
No. We always do our best to place animals in the best foster home for them, so a very high energy dog we would not place in a home with no yard, but many dogs can be yard free, no problem!
What do pets go through that come into your rescue?
Transports, changes they can’t understand, unwanted physical manipulation from vets, being taken away from the only home they know, shelter environment etc. All of this means these pets will need time to decompress and understand that you, their foster or adopter, aren’t another person who is going to abandon them.
How do I help a dog comfortable in my home/their new environment?
Time, and patience. Allow the animal to come around in their own time without forcing love on them. We know that all anyone wants is to make them feel better, and loved – but sometimes doing so can have the opposite effect on the animal! Offer them a safe, calm environment and let them tell you what they need. Each animal is different and some come around right away, and some take much longer.