Foster Policies

We appreciate your compassion for Fulton and DeKalb dogs with urgent deadlines. Recently, there’s been an increase of people interested in helping these pups, but with the expectation of handing them off to another foster or adopter after a very short amount of time. We believe that these types of “foster trains” are more detrimental to the animals and we do not condone moving pups, especially without the expressed consent from the foster team.

The majority of our urgent deadline dogs ended up at-risk because of poor quality of life in shelter due to heightened stress levels. While a few days' reprieve might seem helpful, and is well-intentioned, bouncing from home to home can be detrimental to these dogs who are already struggling.

Dogs thrive on stability, and constant changes can disrupt their sense of security, leading to more stress, anxiety, and a lower tolerance for situations that they might handle well in the future with ample decompression. The decompression can take longer for dogs with heightened stress levels. An inability to adjust to changes can look like increased difficulty in safely assimilating with pets in the home, increased separation anxiety, and increased fear of or reactivity towards people. Going quickly from home to home makes it harder for us to accurately assess their needs, find an adoption match, and it potentially puts our pets and community members in harm’s way. We believe these dogs can succeed out in the world and want them to have every opportunity to do so. Our responsibility extends beyond the shelter doors. We're committed to preventing situations that could compromise their future.

Unfortunately, it is common for fosters and adopters to cancel or fall through before they take over an animal’s care. This is often seen in “foster trains”, AKA multiple transitions from one foster to another. Foster trains rely on many, often unpredictable, moving pieces to work together. If one piece falls through, then the whole plan can fall apart, which leads to panic and frequently, the dog returning to the shelter. Fosters of urgent dogs must have long-term availability to keep them out of the shelter if placement plans such as potential adopters or potential rescue transfers fall through.

For those who can only commit to short-term fostering, all three LifeLine shelters offer Dog for the Day, Weekend Warrior, and other flexible programs for dogs without deadlines. Dogs in shelters who participate in these programs are up to 14x more likely to be adopted than shelter dogs who have never had these short-term breaks. These programs save lives and directly help prevent more animals from becoming urgent. Additionally, you can pet-sit other families' foster pets when they are out of town to help prevent animals from returning to the shelter. We are committed to saving lives through foster care and want both pets and people to have positive experiences in our programs. Thank you all for working together to help make the best foster and adoption matches for our pets! 

And remember to never hand off your foster pet without confirmation from the in-shelter team over email!