Dog fostering/respite care query

Cyclamen

Hello,

Is there anyone here who would be willing to discuss there experiences of short term fostering or providing respite care when owners are poorly please?

I have always had dogs. My beautiful lady died a few months ago after getting ill very suddenly the last loving thing I could do for her was end her pain and let her go peacefully so i held her and told her how special she was. I miss her terribly.

I am not in a position to rehome another dog but am trying to find out if I could help someone by caring for their dog temporarily. I have health conditions that mean I cant commit to being a full time owner but have my husbands support; he also has a dog shaped gap in his life.

I am home pretty much all the time, i go out with help a couple of times a week for a few hours other trips are wheeling round the block. The garden is fully fenced and a lovely place for a dog to sniff and smell and chase toys. The house is safe, the sofa squashy and i still have 'dog paw' towels by the doors as i use them for my wheelchairs and walkers.

The things i think would stop me being any use.. neither of us drive, but a smaller dog could still be taken by taxi if an emergency ever happened. Local taxi company do take dogs.

I use wheelchairs, walking sticks and so on.. this scares some dogs. I am used to negotiating round a sleeping dog (always in the middle of the floor) and dog toys.

We can do short walks round the block but I am now limited to walking on pavements until the grass dry's up for my wheels again. there are lovely grassy spaces and a park nearby. I can walk on sticks from a wheelchair far enough to poo pick and would usually have my husband with me. But i wouldnt be able to offer the long walks I'd like to. (This is one reason I havent chosen to rehome).

My health.. it tends to be a bit 'up and down' I could reliably offer short placements, on my bad days i am experienced in entertaining dogs in the house with toys and games and cuddles and my husband would step in and walk. I wouldn't want to commit to months at a time as i would hate to let anyone down my marvelous husband and parents would back us up.

Costs.. pet care is expensive, but if i were a temporary hoem i assume this would be covered by the dogs family or rescue center so i'd just provide food and the toys i wanted to treat the dog too.

I have no idea where to start or if this is a possibility. I have looked after friends dog's before and have experience of being a dog owner.

I have read on a few rescue sites about fostering, I've looked at the cinnamon trust and the oldies club and just wanted to ask if anyone has any ideas where I could get more information to help me decide if i can help and if so who to approach.

Is anyone here willing to discuss there experience of respite care/dog fostering please?.

Person_one

I'm afraid I have no experience of fostering, but have you considered the possibility of adopting older dogs? Perhaps less mobile themselves, who would otherwise struggle to find a home as most people want younger dogs, but would love to live out their last few years pottering slowly down the pavement beside your wheelchair?

GwylimT

No, however I do volunteer with the cinnamon trust and walk the dogs of two elderly people, it might be a good introduction for you in caring for someone elses dogs.

Contact lots of rescues, they often require foster carers.

Cyclamen

Thank you both.

I have thought long and hard about rehoming again..I just don't think its right for us at the moment. I would want to know that I had enough security for the dogs life time and well my health isnt that predictable long term. Even adopting an older dog I would need to commit for 5+years. Then financially with insurance and medical bills and..and..and.. for now I just can't offer the long term security although I have the love.

I have been watching the cinamon trust, they aren't looking for walkers in this area but I keep looking. I would also only be able to walk a dog from the immediate neighbourhood as no ability to travel and would need to eb able to collect from an accessible home.. I just don't think I am what they need in terms of a walker, but keep checking just in case.

I think fostering an older dog would be ideal..lots fo room on the sofa and bed, a big garden and plenty of tickles on offer.. I am searching away and trying to get more information before I decide to contact anyone.

Thank you for your ideas..i do appreciate any help and discussion.

Caroline_a

I currently have both of my (large) dogs fostered as I am going through cancer treatment and am unable to look after them as I would wish. I've been very lucky to find a couple who have other dogs and have been very welcoming of my boys. They send me photos and videos each week, so I feel in touch and I am so grateful for what they have done for me.

I pay weekly for food, and any additional bills as arise. I certainly never planned for this to happen - as I'm on my own and none of my family are able to take the dogs due to work commitments/living space, I have to say that this couple have been a godsent for me.

Cyclamen

thank you for sharing your story Caroline.

I hope your recovery goes speedily and smoothly.

That is the sort of arrangement I would like to help with. Please could you tell me how you found your fosterer's.

When i first became ill and disabled i lived in a different area an dmy neighbours would take my Lass to the stables, or a different naighbours kids would ask to borrow her to play football. They even came across as i was loaded into the ambulance to 'steal her' until i came home.. So I know how comforting it is knowing our dogs are cared for. I'd like to do that for someone.

Caroline_a

I was very lucky - my friend who I walk my dogs with got in touch with a Facebook page for Dogs Today and I had a couple of offers. By that time I wasn't up to anything (in hospital), so my friend did the checks for me. That's the thing - you don't believe it will happen to you... and then when it does you're sort of stuck, so I think you're doing a great thing!

Mojisola

See if you have a local BorrowMyDoggy group. You could have the company of a dog whose owners work or do occasional overnight sitting.

teddysmum

Many rescues are desperate for foster carers, as dogs are happier in homes and they can be better assessed for rehoming, away from kennels.


The advantage for you is that you give and receive love, but don't have the heartbreak of losing your pet to illness. Also, rescues cover vet costs, though many fosterers provide food as their contribution.


If you are interested in fostering an older dog, The Oldies Club, takes in dogs which are merely middle aged (and older ones, of course) and many of them are smallare small.

oystercatcher

It sounds like you could be a lifeline to someone or to a dog rescue with the right dog.

You do need to be careful which rescue you choose to help. I'm just telling you my experiences as an example.

A few years ago I was unwell but felt I could manage to foster a dog. I contacted a small rescue that I liked the sound of and was reassured to be told that everthing would be paid for, lots of support etc etc. Most of the rescue contact was on-line with all fostering in peoples homes. That seemed OK at the time.

Very quickly a dear little dog arrived, I had been warned it was aggressive but was reassured it was just fear. She arrived with about a weeks supply of food and a bed. She was sweet but turned out to be VERY aggressive with no warning and I was bitten several times. No help offered by rescue. I was due for surgery shortly and there was no way I could ask friends or family to care for this aggressive dog. it took a lot of pleading to the rescue before someone eventually came and collected her. I believe that fosterer kept the dog as it was not suitable to be rehomed.

My surgery was then delayed so I decided to try another dog, from the same rescue, and a very neglected and poorly dog arrived who had been found as a stray. He arrived with some medication and the rescue got approval that he could see my own vet for further treatment.
A couple of weeks later dogs health had improved slightly but still wasn't good and I was starting to be pressurised by the rescue to get him ready for rehoming. I felt he should see the vet again and rescue refused, eventually dog and I were transported 20 miles away to see a different vet where another major condition was diagnosed in the dog. The lady I was with seemed very shocked. The lack of response from other rescue members was noticable !!

Then word coming from other fosterers in the rescue that their vets were complaining about lack of payment for foster dogs and vets were refusing to see the fosterers own personal dogs !!
Meanwhile rescue was refusing to answer our own questions about my foster dog. ....... we decided enough was enough , we loved him to bits and asked rescue if we could adopt him. They readily accepted our adoption fee.

Months and months later rescue informed me they had just managed to pay my own vet for the fees of both the dogs I had fostered. I hadn't realised they hadn't paid up immediately !

The story of this rescue is ongoing and involves many changes of directors and even the police at one point. I never worked out the full story and refuse to name the rescue. Just be cautious and maybe find a local rescue with kennels involved.

The dog we adopted lived for two and a half years and gave us much joy but was very expensive. He finally died from yet another condition . I still miss him.

Cyclamen

Thank you.

Please can anyone share how long a typical foster place is for a rescue? I know with respite some people have predicted hospital stays others it can change but think there would be soem indication.

I am trying to get up the courage to email a few places. I have a link to the 'oldies club' book marked as i don't consider 7 yrs old in a dog anyway and am trying to find out about an organisation that helps with respite /short term homing for poorly humans who just need a hand for a while. When my lass was with us I was in the very fortunate positon of her being able to go on Holiday with my parents, we'd pack a bag and she'd go and get spoilt rotten and played with for a few days during 'bad patches' but I am more stable again now and this is what we would most like to help with.

I think i could end up finding saying goodbye very very difficult if i didn't know the dog was just 'holidaying' whilst their humans had a rest/treatment etc. I'd enjo sending emails/letters/photos to keep their family updated.

Lots of questions but ultimately dont want to waste anyones time whilst i work this out.

Thank you