Don’t Do Foster Care For Dogs
Many people get into fostering animals for the wrong reasons. In the following paragraphs we will discuss some of the major issues involved with fostering pets. If you are considering doing foster care for pets, this may help you decide if it’s really for you.
Why Do You Want To Help?
If you saw a TV commercial and feel sorry for the pets that’s understandable but there is much more involved than just your feelings. You have to think about the work and time involved when caring for animals. If you love animals and have a house full then fostering is definitely not for you. You have to be able to provide specialized care for the animals you are fostering and if you already have several pets, you will not be able to provide the attention the foster animals will need.
Will You Pass The Inspection?
If you have a small home with barely enough room for your family then you probably won’t pass the home inspection that many shelters do. If you house is not tidy, is not clean, if there is debris on the floor, if there isn’t any outside space then fostering should not be considered. If you work full-time and there is no one at home to care for the pets while you are at work then you are not right for fostering.
Do You Have The Patience?
There is no guarantee about the type of animal you will receive. You could experience: a dog that barks excessively, a dog that chews up everything in sight, a pet that is not potty trained and might ruin your carpet, a dog that jumps on people, a litter of puppies that you have to potty train, a litter of puppies that you have to bottle feed, a sick dog that throws up on your couch and the list goes on and on. You will be responsible for the feeding, the walks, the play time, the socializing, the grooming and the trips to the vet. If you are not willing to give 100%, then fostering is not for you.
Is Your Family Willing To Pitch In?
Bringing new pets into your home should require an agreement with everyone in the home who will come into contact with the animals. If everyone is on board except for one member of the family then fostering should not be done. It’s important that everyone in the home will provide a safe, secure, healthy place for the animal. Allergies are something else to consider.
Maybe Next Time
Maybe the time isn’t right for you to do foster care. New babies, weddings and family vacations all take a toll on the people involved and time is limited for outside activities. Fostering pets requires your attention all of the time, not just when you think you have time. You can always look into fostering pets in the future; as long as pets exist there will always be a need for pet foster care.
Tammy recommends Jim Hodges Dog Training. He specializes in Leader of the Pack dog training … Teaching you to communicate with your dog so that he understands and wants to obey you. For more information on fostering dogs, visit www.jimhodgesdogtraining.com.
If you have dog fencing needs, I recommend using Contain-A-Pet … The only company in the world that requires all new dealers to be professional dog trainers. www.containapet.com
