Fostering Dogs to Save Lives

Do you have room for a temporary house guest this summer?

Do you wish you could help more animals in our community, but you just can’t commit to adopting right now? Maybe fostering a dog would be a great fit for your lifestyle, without the lifetime commitment of an additional pet!

The Athens Area Humane Society adopted 60 dogs in 2011, and our goal is to adopt 100 this year. But we can’t do this without additional foster homes. All of our dogs are currently housed in foster homes because our shelter doesn’t have the space to house dogs, so we rely on volunteers to help us make the dog program a success!

It’s really an easy process and doesn’t require too much from you—and nothing from you financially. Instead, you get to be an integral part of saving dogs’ lives in our area while receiving lots of love from them until they get adopted.

This is what one of our dedicated foster parents has to say about her experience with our foster dog program:

“I have now found that the absolute most enjoyment I get in life comes from walking into a high-kill animal control facility and pulling a ‘diamond in the rough dog’ out of there, who is possibly mere hours from being euthanized. I introduce them to my home, polish them up a bit, and help find an amazing family who will love and care for them for the rest of their lives.

Though I enjoy my ‘real job’ during the day, volunteering and rescuing dogs has become my motivation in life, provides me with pure happiness, and makes me feel like I really can help make a difference, one dog at a time!”

Reasons to Foster an AAHS Dog

• ALL of the things you will need for the foster dog, from a crate to food to blankets to toys, will be provided to you at no cost.
• You get to help pick out the dog that will be placed in your home.
• You will save lives! Adopting a pet helps save lives, but fostering will give you the opportunity to save multiple lives in a short period of time.
• You can be a part of that wonderful new beginning to the dog’s and adopter’s lives.

What We Ask of Foster Parents

• Give the dog lots of love and attention while in your care.
• Commit to fostering the dog until it gets adopted. Some dogs are adopted in a matter of days, while others may take up to a few weeks or few months to find the right home. There is no guarantee on the length of time the dog will be in your care.
• Be able to attend one-on-one meet and greets for the foster dog to meet potential fosters at our Watkinsville location. Also, be able to attend (or drop-off/pick-up dog at) AAHS adoption events.
• All of our dogs are temperament tested, but we can’t guarantee that they’ll be potty-trained or that we know everything about the dog when they first come to your home. So patience is key, and remember that there is no “perfect” dog (just like there are no “perfect” humans).
• Receive lots of loving licks and wags from your foster dog!

So why is it so hard to find new foster homes sometimes? I think a lot of people just don’t realize how easy it is to be a foster parent and how rewarding it is. But one of our main reasons for having to decline a foster parent application isn’t because of the volunteer applying—most of the time, it’s a landlord issue.

To foster, you must be able to get permission to house a pet in your rental. So talk to your landlord and make sure you’re allowed to have pets. Our Canine Coordinator will also be happy to talk to them to answer any questions about the difference between having a permanent pet in your home as opposed to a foster pet. If you own your home, there’s not hurdle for you to cross for that part of the application!

So what do you say… can you spare room for a temporary house guest this summer?

For more information about our Foster Parent program, please contact our Canine Coordinator at dogs@athenshumanesociety.org.