FAQs

What is a foster home? 

A foster home is an extension of a shelter’s lifesaving capacity made possible through partnerships with the public. Through fostering, members of the public provide temporary shelter, care, and love for pets in need and serve as their bridge to a forever home. 

Why foster? 

Fostering saves lives! Many shelters still kill perfectly healthy pets because they run out of space. Finding a foster home for them is sometimes the only way to save them. Because shelters have limited capacity, the number of lives they save depends entirely on the number of fosters willing to open their homes to them. 

In addition to increasing a shelter’s lifesaving capacity, fostering improves the quality of life for each homeless pet. A home environment transforms pets for the better, significantly improving their mental and physical wellbeing. Put simply, fostering saves lives and makes those lives better.

Fostering is also an important step on a pet’s journey to their forever home. Fostering provides pets with the best environment for their wellbeing while waiting for their adopter and allows them to practice forming bonds with humans and potentially other animals. Fostering also provides pets with the best possible advocate for their adoption - their foster parent.

What are the benefits of fostering? 

• Being a foster has rewards beyond saving a life.

• Experience an animal companion without a lifetime commitment—puppies are wonderful, but do you really want a year of puppiness?

• Provide your resident pet with socialization and a great temporary companion.

• Want an exercise buddy? Foster an active dog who could really benefit from frequent walking or running outings!

• Experience the special feeling of helping a dog recover from an illness or injury or decompress from the stress of the shelter environment.

• It’s incredibly rewarding to care for these four-legged friends that need our help. But above all, you get the joy of knowing that you have saved a life!

What are the responsibilities of fostering? 

Beyond providing plenty of love, fosters are responsible for:

• Providing a safe, clean, and caring environment;

• Providing shelter, food, water, and toys/enrichment;

• Providing exercise and socialization, as appropriate;

• Monitoring any medical and/or behavioral issues and working with our medical and/or behavior teams, as needed, to provide the best care possible for their foster dog;

• Picking up their foster dog (typically from APA!);

• Transporting their foster dog to and from APA! for medical appointments, meet and greets, behavior/training sessions, etc. and to and from adoption events as necessary; and working with anyone who is taking custody of their foster dog (a sitter, a new foster, or an adopter) on transporting their foster dog to them;

• Actively marketing their foster dog for adoption;

• Screening and meeting with potential adopters; being responsive and courteous towards potential adopters; and following our adoption protocols (transportation to and from adoption and exposure events may also be necessary);

• Carefully reviewing all of APA!’s dog foster communications and resources and abiding by the rules and responsibilities set forth therein.

How does APA! support its fosters? 

APA! provides its dog foster parents with:

• Certain supplies like collars, leashes, and crates (as available);

• Assistance with caring for your foster dog, including behavior and medical support;

• All medical care for your foster dog, as deemed appropriate by our Medical Team;

• Dog sitters for when you go out of town;

• Assistance with marketing your foster dog for adoption and interacting with potential adopters;

• Educational resources and opportunities;

• Responsive communications;

• A 20% discount at APA!’s thrift stores and the APA! Retail Store - just use code APAFoster2021;

• Foster Training Classes;

• Foster Playgroup

What types of dogs need a foster home?

All dogs who have not yet found a forever home need a foster home! We have the young, fluffy cuties, but we have the most foster need for pregnant dogs, moms with newborns, orphaned puppies, parvo survivors, senior dogs, dogs needing medical care, dogs needing more active behavior management, dogs needing a break from the shelter, and dogs at risk in other shelters for which there is no kennel space. Basically, foster care is for all homeless dogs, especially those that need a little extra TLC!

Are there kid-friendly or dog-friendly dogs needing a foster home?

Yes! For some of our dogs needing a foster home, we will have information on how they have interacted with kids or dogs in the home environment or at our shelter. However, APA! cannot guarantee the temperament, behavior, or health of any animal.

We do our best to provide our fosters with as much information as possible before they bring a foster dog into their homes and then work with our fosters to learn more about the dog and their in-home behaviors. 

How long do I keep a foster dog? 

We ask that you keep your foster dog until adoption, (although there are frequently shorter-term options available). We are unable to predict how long it will take for your foster dog to be adopted as it is case specific. Young puppies are typically adopted very quickly, while adult dogs can take a few weeks and sometimes longer.

How old do you have to be to foster?

Our fosters need to be at least 18 years old. However, we do have a Teen Foster Program. Email them at teenfosterlead@austinpetsalive.org to learn more.

How can I see the dogs available for foster? 

Please visit our APA! Dogs Needing Foster Website (www.austinpetsalive.org/foster/canicrashwithyou).

Who do I contact if I want to be a foster or have questions about fostering? 

You can email foster@austinpetsalive.org.

Can I still help if I can’t foster? 

Yes! Help us spread the word that fostering saves lives! One of the most effective ways to recruit new fosters is by word of mouth. Please tell your community about fostering and ask them to email us for more information.

What happens if I need to return my foster dog?

If you absolutely need to return your foster dog, you must email our Dog Foster Placement Team (dog-foster-placement@austinpetsalive.org) and provide 7 days advance notice for a kennel to be reserved. Please do not bring your foster dog to the shelter without confirmation. We generally cannot accept same-day surrenders.

If you need a sitter for your foster dog, you must email our Dog Foster Placement Team and provide 7 days advance notice for a sitter to be found. If your foster dog was available for adoption prior to the sitter period, they will remain available for adoption during the sitter period. If a sitter is not found, your foster dog will return to a kennel. Whether they go to a sitter or return to a kennel, they could be adopted while you are away.

Do not hand off your foster dog to a foster sitter, another foster, or any other person (whether it be a neighbor, friend, petsitter, or roommate) without first arranging it with the Dog Foster Placement Team. Sitters must be APA!-approved fosters.

APA! may require you to return your foster dog at its sole discretion at any time, and you must comply with any such instruction.

I am going out of town. What are the options for my foster dog?

You can request a foster sitter! We will look for a temporary foster for fosters going out of town who are going to continue fostering when they get back. Please give us at least a week's notice, and email dog-foster-placement@austinpetsalive.org for the next steps. If we cannot find a sitter, we will arrange a kennel space. 

Do not hand off your foster dog to a foster sitter, another foster, or any other person (whether it be a neighbor, friend, petsitter, or roommate) without first arranging it with the Dog Foster Placement Team. Sitters must be APA!-approved fosters.

Do you have supplies I can use?

Yes! We have a Foster Shed down our parking lot with a mural that states “I Love Fostering, So Much” . You are welcome to go check out during open hours (every day 12 pm-6 pm) or before the scheduled pick-up time. It is filled with great items such as: bowls, toys, bedding, crates(if available), leashes, collars, etc. to benefit your foster pup that you are welcome to borrow! 

The code is: 9009 Please make sure you lock it when finished. 

What happens if I want to adopt my foster dog?

 When a foster decides to adopt their foster dog, we consider these #fosterwins. As a foster, you have a preference to adopt your foster dog up until a point (more on that below). However, until you’ve notified our Dog Foster Adoption Team (dog-foster-adopt@austinpetsalive.org) that you’d like to adopt your foster dog and submitted the adoption application, you must respond to all adoption inquiries. You cannot stop responding to potential adopters. This is not fair to them or to APA!

 Your preference to adopt decreases as you go further down the road with a potential adopter, and if we are at the point where a potential adopter has met your foster dog and submitted an adoption application, you no longer have preference. Therefore, please make the decision regarding whether you would like to adopt your foster dog as soon as possible and notify us immediately. Please do not hold meet and greets or otherwise create false expectations with potential adopters if you are planning to adopt your foster dog.

 How do I screen adopters?

 Before scheduling a meet and greet, heavily screen each potential adopter to make sure that your foster dog is a good fit for their lifestyle, household, and other pets so that you do not waste your time or the potential adopter’s time. This is especially true for higher-level medical and behavior dogs.

 Ask for the characteristics that they are looking for in a dog and share with them some of your foster dog’s unique traits. This is also a good time to let the potential adopter know about any major medical and/or behavioral issues and/or any of your foster dog’s special needs (e.g., needs a home without stairs, needs a low-traffic home), including any requirements that we have communicated to you regarding your foster dog’s required home set up and management.

 Check out our Foster Handbook for additional information! 

Someone came in and met my foster dog, but I don't think it's going to be a good fit. Now what?

 Email the Dog Foster Adoption Team (dog-foster-adopt@austinpetsalive.org) your thoughts on why you believe the potential adopter is (or is not) a good fit for your foster pup. Please let us know immediately if you have any concerns that you would like us to address if the potential adopter applies, but please remember that we will consider your feedback in the context of our open adoption policy.

 What food do you feed your dogs?

 We feed our dogs Merrick grain-free salmon and sweet potato kibble. You are welcome to switch your foster dog's food but I would recommend getting a small bag of this food and doing a slow transition so as not to upset their tummy. The H-E-B Heritage Ranch is a great alternative for the food that our shelter uses. You will find the same ingredients in that one as well. 

My foster dog got adopted. Now what?

First of all, congratulations! Second of all, thank you so much for fostering with us! Your impact is profound, and we want to take a moment to acknowledge all that you are doing for Austin Pets Alive! and for these dogs. You are truly saving lives and making a difference. If you are interested in being matched with another foster dog, email matchmaker@austinpetsalive.org! 

Shelters in Texas are overcrowded, and APA! helps save lives by finding fosters for dogs located in these shelters. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding our rescue pulls of out of area dogs. If you have a question, please check here first for the answer!

Can I contact these shelters/individuals directly?

We appreciate you wanting to help, but all contact needs to go through the APA! Dog Foster Team. It is very important that we maintain respectful and professional relationships with our rescue partners in order to save as many dogs as efficiently as possible.

Can I go meet these dogs at the other shelters?

Meet and greets ahead of time are not possible unless specifically stated in the plea. In most cases, these dogs are not available to be seen by the public, or they are in shelters that are not open to the public. If you require a meet and greet before taking a foster dog, we encourage you to foster a dog in need that is already at APA! and needs a new foster or needs a break from the shelter.

Can I post these dogs on my social media?

We encourage our foster families to spread the word about our need for foster homes! If you post, please post them as examples of dogs that need a foster and then provide a link to the APA! foster application. Please do not name or shame specific shelters or give out contact information for other shelters. Our rescue partners do the best they can with the resources available to them, and we want to be respectful and maintain a good working relationship.

Can I pick up my foster dog from the other shelter directly?

No, except in extreme emergencies. We usually pull dogs in batches and need them to come directly to our Clinic for an intake exam before going home with you. Because our Clinic is extremely busy, we have to plan transports in advance for specific days/times, and in most cases the other shelter will provide the transport. When the other shelter cannot provide transport, we will plea for volunteer transport on a specific day/time that will work with the Clinic's schedule. 

Are these dogs house trained/crate trained?

Unless explicitly stated in the plea, we do not know. Most of these dogs were found as strays and have been living in a shelter where it is not possible to tell whether a dog is house trained or crate trained. For any dog you foster, you will need to expect an adjustment period while the dog is getting used to a new place and routine. We cannot guarantee that even a previously house-trained dog will be immediately house trained in a new place, and it is not unusual for dogs that are in a new situation to have accidents. We can provide information to manage house training and crate training, as well as the assistance of our Behavior Team.

Fostering requires flexibility and the desire and ability to work with our Behavior Team for minor issues that may arise in your home. Remember that some of these dogs may have never lived in a home before.

Are these dogs good with other dogs/cats/kids?

All the information we have is in the plea. If it is not explicitly written in the plea, then we don’t know, and we don’t have a way to find out. As with any foster, you will need to keep your foster separate from other dogs and cats for at least the first 7 days and do slow introductions after that (unless we specifically tell you to keep them separate at all times). You should NEVER leave a foster dog unattended with your other dogs and cats, and your foster dog should be safely crated when you are not supervising. 

I know a rescue group/organization that can help this dog. Who should I contact?

Please send us the name and contact information (email and phone) of the group that may be able to help. We will forward it along to our rescue partner who currently has the dog.

Where do these dogs come from?

They come from a variety of locations but mostly small shelters and rescue organizations that have not yet achieved no kill status. Sadly, Texas leads the country in the number of shelter animals that are killed every year. Because of our wonderful foster families, APA! is able to help save some of these lives that would likely be lost without our intervention.

Why are they going to euthanize these dogs?

Not all shelters outside Austin have implemented the life saving programs that APA! has. Although there are many wonderful staff and volunteers working to save all the animals, many are still being killed. When rescues and shelters reach out to us, we are often their only hope for saving a dog, especially those with medical needs. Many of these dogs are highly desirable and simply found themselves in an unlucky situation in a shelter with limited resources, and we are fortunate to have such wonderful foster homes to offer the bridge to get these dogs into loving adoptive homes.

How much time before these dogs will be euthanized?

This varies based on how full a shelter is at any given time. In some cases death is imminent and in others they may not be killed until space is needed. So, the amount of time any given dog has can vary anywhere from a few hours (for a medical emergency) to a few weeks. In general, any of the dogs we plea from out of area should be considered with a sense of urgency.