Fostering is when a family opens their home and heart to a rescue dog and keeps that dog until a forever home is selected. Fostering begins the training and socialization process with the dog so that s/he can be successful in the future adoptive home. Since the dog is naturally exposed to the activities of daily life in a home, we are able to gain a much better sense of the dog’s personality. As a result of this, we are able to match that dog with an adoptive family in an informed manner.
A New Chance does not have a physical shelter to house our dogs and relies entirely on foster homes to do so until they are adopted. Not only does this give the dog a good quality of life, but it also allows us to learn so much more about them to make the best match to their forever home. We can only save as many dogs as we have foster homes for; so, every foster home is another life saved.
We rescue dogs from high kill shelters and other dangerous situations, both in the South and locally. We save all kinds of dogs: big, small, and medium-sized; shorthaired, longhaired, and sometimes even hypoallergenic; and all with different personalities. Though the majority of our dogs are mixed breeds, we do occasionally get purebreds as well. And of course, many mixed breeds look predominately like a certain breed.
Typically, our fosters average about a 3-4 week stay, though the duration can be anywhere from a week to a few months. It is impossible to know this in advance as the variable that determines when a dog is adopted is when the appropriate match is found.
While foster homes do not pick their foster dogs, we do take into account multiple parameters that include your particular circumstances. A member of our Foster Team will work with you in the matching process.
A New Chance will furnish all supplies for the care of your dog, though we are extremely grateful when fosters choose to provide these items as a donation. We do require that unused supplies be returned to us.
Before being placed in a foster home, all of our dogs are seen by a licensed veterinarian and receive appropriate vaccinations, preventatives, and care. Monthly, preventative medications are supplied by us and we pay for pre-approved medical care at our designated veterinarian.
A New Chance has volunteers available to answer questions at all times. However, we do ask that fosters be respectful of our volunteer’s time and other life responsibilities in choosing when to reach out. We also have very experienced volunteers and professional trainers available to work through difficult situations with foster homes, if needed. While we prefer to work through any issues, we, of course, can take a dog back if it’s not working out, although it is very stressful to move dogs from home to home.
Our adoptable dogs are listed on our website and a number of nationwide websites dedicated to showcasing adoptable animals. We also feature many of our adoptable dogs on our social media pages. During non-COVID times, we schedule “meet and greet” events where potential adopters get a chance to see the dogs in person.
If a foster is looking for a permanent dog, we ask that they let us know and complete an adoption application instead of a foster application. Unless a foster has previously discussed a possible adoption of their foster dog, we do prefer that fosters not adopt, unless they plan to continue to foster. Foster homes are very difficult to find and every home that fosters prevents another dog from being euthanized. We do understand that sometimes you just fall in love with a dog, so foster homes have a week to decide if they are interested in adopting and do need to complete an adoption application.
The first step to becoming A New Chance foster home is to submit a foster application. Once you have completed the application, we will review it and determine whether you would be a good match for our foster program. We will then get back to you regarding the status of your application. If approved, a member of our foster team will work out further details with you. All foster families are required to sign a Hold Harmless Waiver and a Foster Agreement.
