Fostering A Dog

If you can offer a rescue dog a foster space in your home and lifestyle over a longer period of time, or even better until they find a forever home, you can consider a long-term foster or consider foster with a view to adoption.

Please note although we re-home throughout the UK we can only accept foster applications from people within Hull and East Riding. The reason for this is we need the dog to be accessible for appointments and viewings. 

The biggest restrictions on what dogs we can place in foster is typically:

• Children
• Other Dogs
• Cats/small furries
• Being left alone

For dogs who are lucky enough to get placed into foster, the benefits are huge. They can enjoy more one to one attention and a settled home environment. The dogs can be better assessed which provides a better understanding of the dog's behaviour, enabling us to match them with the perfect home, family and lifestyle. Some dogs cope better than others with kennels and for those that don't cope so well, many behaviour issues seen in kennels are not seen at home and as a result the dogs are much happier and stress free. 

The benefits for you are great too: experience in looking after and handling a range of dogs, walkies everyday - meet new people and get fit! cuddles and snuggles, playtime and games and a new best friend who you can keep updated with once they've found their new home.

Conditions of Fostering

Many of the dogs that arrive at Oakwood have a vague, blurred history or none at all. Therefore they are often un-assessed in a home environment and may display problem behaviours, from minor lack of house training, to severe aggression to people etc. To prevent further disruption to these dogs already traumatic lives, we need our foster carers to be totally committed to whatever dog they take on and to work through any issues that are presented.

We will provide support and advice with email, phone and home visits where necessary to address issues and progression with training. Equally we need a committment from our fosters to be able to provide this effectively. We will endeavour to assess the dogs to the best of our professional ability to match you with a dog that is suitable for lifestyle, although many behavioural issues may only surface in the home environment.

What is the difference?

Fostering - You provide a 121 environment for the dog throughout the foster period. We cover the costs of vet bills*, flea and worming treatment and vaccinations throughout the foster period. We also provide training with Oakwood Canine Services throughout this time. Once the foster period is coming to a close, we will put the dog up for adoption and the foster family must bring the dog in for viewings to meet the adoptive family.

Fostering with a view to adoption - As with a regular adoption, you will put down a £75 reservation fee for the chosen dog and treat it as your own. Throughout the foster period you are required to take out lifetime insurance and keep up to date with the dog's flea and worming treatments and cover the costs of vaccinations, you must cover all vets bills unless stated otherwise. You receive 4 weeks free training within your foster period with Oakwood Canine Services. Once the foster period is over we shall arrange an adoption date and you will have your little friend forever!

*If the dog is taken into vets due to an act of negligence the vets fees must be covered by the foster carer. 

THANK YOU FOR EXPRESSING INTEREST IN FOSTERING, DUE TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS AND OUR HIGH VOLUME OF ADOPTION APPLICATIONS WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY DOGS FOR FOSTER