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FOSTERING

OPENING YOUR HEARTS AND HOMES CAN HELP SAVE LIVES

What is fostering?

Very simply, fostering is opening your heart and home to provide temporary love and care for rescue dogs or cats.

Foster families are amazing volunteers who create wonderful opportunities for our rescued dogs and cats to experience much-needed love and care at home. Each foster family becomes a stepping stone by helping a dog or cat move from their old life to a new life in a happy home. What could be more rewarding?

At Mostly Mutts we couldn’t rescue so many dogs and cats without your help!

I’d love to help, but I couldn’t possibly foster. I’d get too attached and wouldn’t want to give them up.

If these are your thoughts, you are not alone. We hear it often from families thinking about fostering for the first time.

Yet, when we speak to foster families who have been fostering for a while, they tell us, “We’re so glad we can help by fostering; it’s such a rewarding and positive experience for the whole family.”

These families have learned that, yes, at first it can be a little bittersweet when the dog or cat you have cared for leaves, but any sadness is outweighed by a feeling of happiness that your foster dog or cat is finally getting the wonderful home it truly deserves. Seeing the photos and hearing the stories from adoptive homes is heartwarming. YOU made this possible by becoming a stepping-stone between the old life to the new life. What a selfless and loving commitment you made.

So, please don’t allow the concern about letting go stop you from fostering. We know you will do well and that you will come to realize that fostering is “all about the dogs and cats.” You CAN do it!

 

What kinds of dogs and cats are available to foster?

All sorts! We have dogs of all ages, from young adults to mature seniors, we have puppies and kittens, and sometimes adult cats too. Puppies and kittens may be as young as newborns with a nursing momma, or orphans needing bottle-feeding. Some families enjoy having an entire litter of young puppies or kittens at home, while other families prefer to foster the older puppies or kittens. Whether your preference is young or old, big, or small, or somewhere in between, we have a foster just right for you!

Do you have dogs and cats with special foster needs?

Yes, we do sometimes have animals with special needs. They may have physical impairments, be blind or deaf, or be recovering from surgery or illness, or be dogs undergoing a heart-worm treatment. We also have pregnant momma dogs or cats from time to time. If you can offer TLC to a special needs dog or cat, or to a pregnant momma, please let us know.

What types of fostering do you offer?

Regular Fostering – This is when you take foster dogs, cats, puppies, or kittens into your home and provide love and care until they are adopted into loving homes. This is the backbone of our fostering program. As a foster parent, in addition to opening your home to an animal in need, you help Mostly Mutts by giving us important information about the dog or cat in your care, details we would not otherwise know, and this helps us create a profile to share with potential adopters.

Temporary Fostering – When a foster family needs to leave town for a little while, rather than bringing their foster dog or cat back into the shelter we place them in a temporary foster home. This is a limited time commitment, for only the time the regular foster family is away, and so this appeals to many families.

Short Break Fostering – This is offered for adult dogs and older puppies only, not for young puppies or cats and kittens. Short term fostering provides a shelter dog a break from the shelter for a little while, perhaps for a sleepover or a few days break. This is perfect for families who cannot commit to regular fostering, who maybe have long work hours some days of the week but who could foster on other days, or who can only help at the holidays. Not only do the dogs enjoy a break, but we learn so much valuable info about a dog in a home, even if only for a day or so. Studies have shown that spending one night in a home allows a shelter dog to “decompress”, so even if you have only one night here or there to offer this is well worth considering.

Daytrips – Our approved foster families are eligible to come to the shelter to choose certain dogs to take out for a walk, a hike, or a daytrip, or go to the ice cream parlor! Our dogs do love to get out and about and it provides great socialization for them.

Is fostering expensive?

Not at all, there is no cost to you in fostering. Mostly Mutts pays all vetting costs, we supply heart-worm preventative for dogs, and are happy to supply flea treatments and food for dogs and cats. We can lend all basic equipment such as crates, playpens, litter boxes, toys, etc. All you need supply is TLC!

Is fostering safe for my pets at home?

We try to place healthy dogs and cats into foster homes, although sometimes a foster may become sick. If your own pets are healthy adults and are up-to-date on their vaccinations, they are unlikely to become ill. However, please do check with your own vet for information on this because we want you to feel comfortable about fostering. If you have young puppies or kittens, sick, immuno-compromised or senior pets at home please let us know before fostering.

How would I choose a foster dog?

You probably already have an idea of the type of dog that might do well in your home, maybe a big dog that likes to lounge around, or a small dog that loves to play with other dogs, or perhaps a medium sized dog that likes to go hiking? We have all sorts of dogs with all sorts of personalities and characteristics and we will help you choose a foster dog that will fit well with your home, family, pets, and lifestyle. Depending upon what history we have on a dog we may have a lot or a little information to share with you, but we will always do our best to try to make your fostering experience a positive one.

Will I have an easy-going foster dog?

We hope so but bear in mind that all dogs need some training and they will need time to adjust to the recent changes in their lives and to their new situation. Being able to give a rescue dog a safe, loving place to stay is great and we certainly do appreciate that commitment; but being able to give a dog a place to stay and help that dog become more adoptable by working on training and behaviors is fantastic and we love it when our foster families are able to help in this way!

What if I need some support?

At Mostly Mutts, we have a great group of people, including trainers, helpful volunteers, and other foster families all willing to offer support, answer your questions and give advice. You will not feel alone!

How will my foster dog or cat find his loving home?

All dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens that are ready to be adopted are listed online as available for adoption into homes. Our team of adoption counselors review and approve adoption surveys and then conduct the adoptions at our adoption center.

Where do your dogs and cats come from?

Most of our dogs and cats come from local animal control facilities, although we do sometimes take in dogs or cats from families who are no longer able to care for their pets.

Where are you based?

Our shelter is in Kennesaw, GA our adoptions are conducted in Kennesaw, GA and the vet we work with is in Kennesaw, GA. Our foster families live in different locations, but it’s necessary for them to be able to transport their foster dogs and cats to our adoption center and to our vet office, as needed.

I’m ready! What’s next?

How do I become a foster home for Mostly Mutts?

Yay! We are so pleased you want to help!

Note: Adoption and Fostering are two separate programs at Mostly Mutts. Depending upon whether you wish to adopt or to foster you would submit either an adoption survey or a foster survey, but not both. If you are not sure about the difference between adopting and fostering, or need help deciding which is right for you, please contact us for help.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. for a survey if you are not able to fill out the online form.

Once you have submitted your fostering survey, we will get in touch with you to follow up.

After your survey is approved, you will then be invited to attend a foster orientation or foster Q & A session, to help you become more familiar with fostering for Mostly Mutts.

We will need to conduct a brief home visit, per the GA Department of Agriculture regulations. It’s a not a big deal, and nobody is stopping by with white gloves to check for dust!

Is it fulfilling, satisfying, and rewarding to be a foster family?

Yes, Yes and Yes!

So please don’t hesitate, contact Mostly Mutts right away and don’t miss out on a wonderful opportunity to become part of your local rescue community and part of the Mostly Mutts family!

3238 Cherokee Street | Kennesaw, GA 30144

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