Could you foster?

As you may be aware we are struggling to find dog-free foster homes.  We get many dogs in who for one reason or another have to be the only dog in the home - it could be that they're dog aggressive or they might have issues which require time and commitment to work on, which is easier with only one dog in the home.

Ideally we'd love dog/child/cat free foster homes!

We ask on our adoption application form if people would be willing to foster.  Most say no.

We have 227 applications in from dog-free homes, 83 of which are dog/child/cat free.  It's such a shame that we could be using some of these as foster homes.

We asked our fosterers to share their experiences with you in the hope it might encourage some to sign up. We were overwhelmed with the positive responses and wanted to share a few here.

Well, where do I start?  I love being a foster mummy for so many reasons! I get to meet and have the pleasure in giving these beautiful, funny dogs a temporary home . it is so rewarding watching them excel and develop into a confident version of what they came like. I wanted a dog and in looking at the BT rescue website I discovered fostering . I thought what a wonderful way to have a dog without the cost and full time commitment never mind helping the charity and these poor dogs needing a new home . I’ve had a fair few and I love seeing their different personalities and how they shine . to this day I’ve never had a bad experience. when they move on yes it is sad and the house does go a little quiet but I find it so rewarding and exciting seeing them go to their forever homes and the excitement from the new family fills in the sadness of letting them go. I hear from all my fosters still and I get regular updates on how they are doing which is so nice! There will always be a place in my heart for each dog I have bought into my home.

We are now with our third foster dog, cannot express what a wonderful experience fostering is. You welcome these gorgeous creatures into your home and prepare them for their forever home, we get loads of support from the team, they are there for you 24/7 and cannot thank them enough for this and for trusting us with these fabulous dogs. Yes, it is hard to say goodbye and tears are shed but we know that UKBTR take great care in choosing their permanent families and homes. So, if you have love to share then please consider fostering, you get back so much more than you give

My very first foster was an incredibly special UKBTR boy called Thomas. Looking after him until he went to his forever home was a wonderful experience. Yes, it was hard to say goodbye (I cried for two days!) but since then I have fostered six more lovely dogs and while I have loved every one of them, watching them flourish in their forever homes has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. They have all stayed in touch (well, the owners, not the dogs) and I feel like I have a growing band of furry nieces and nephews in my life.

The support I received from UKBTR as a fosterer was amazing, I never felt out of my depth, and it opened a whole new world to me.

Thinking of my fosters for Boston Terrier rescue  I know what  a difference  I made ,from seeing them come to me some frightened, apprehensive ,unsure why there no longer in a familiar environment but with patience understanding and lots of love seeing them walk out that door confident happy and contented to go off to a new start is everything ,yes it's upsetting seeing a little one you have given so much love to not look back and say goodbye but to think you have done your very best for that little one is the best feeling ever.

If you are concerned, you’ll be on your own please don’t think this. Sandi has a wonderful team behind her who all help with any concerns at the drop of a hat, and you get 100% support … there is a foster fb page where we all help each other out too. it’s worth noting all dogs are assessed before being placed into foster so the best match is made even with the foster homes. Give it a go. what’s the worst that can happen? If it turns out not your cup of tea you don’t need to do it again, but you can have rejoice in the fact you did help that one dog in teaching it how to love and trust. for me that’s a priceless feeling

Or quite simply...

These are just some of the responses from our wonderful fosterers. To read all the lovely stories check our Facebook page.