Fostering a dog can be a truly unique and rewarding experience. Becoming a dog foster parent not only changes the life of a furry friend in need but also enriches your own life in ways you might not have imagined.

Let’s explore the incredible journey of fostering dogs, the impact it can have on both you and the dogs you care for, and how you can take the first steps to become a dog foster parent.

Jump to any of the sections by clicking on the links below.

Benefits of becoming a dog foster parent

Dispelling the myths of fostering a dog

An enlightening interview with an experienced dog foster parent

How to become a dog foster parent in Toronto

Dog foster organizations in the Toronto area

Why Foster a Dog?

Countless dogs find themselves in shelters due to various reasons such as abandonment, neglect, or simply being lost. Sadly, overcrowded shelters can lead to stressful environments for these animals, affecting their well-being and chances of finding a forever home.

This is where dog foster parents play a crucial role. By opening your heart and home to a dog in need, you provide them with a safe and loving environment, allowing them to flourish and prepare for their forever homes.

Benefits of Fostering Dogs

1. Saving Lives
   
   Fostering directly contributes to saving lives by giving dogs a chance to thrive outside of a shelter environment which is frequently a stressful place.
   
   

2. Socialization and Training
   
   Fostering helps dogs develop essential social skills and manners, making the dogs more adoptable and able to find a permanent loving home.
   
   

3. It’s a Temporary Commitment
   
   Unlike adoption, fostering offers a temporary commitment, making it a flexible option for those unable to make a lifelong commitment to a pet and for people with varying schedules or those who may have lifestyle changes in the near future.
   
   

4. Emotional fulfillment:
   
   Fostering can be emotionally fulfilling as it allows you to make a positive impact on a dog's life. Watching a dog thrive and eventually find a loving home can be incredibly rewarding.
   
   

5. Support for shelters:
   
   Shelters often face overcrowding, and fostering directly addresses this issue by freeing up space for more animals in need. By fostering, you are providing vital support to these organizations.
   
   

6. Building a sense of community:
   

   Fostering dogs often involves collaborating with local animal shelters and rescue groups, contributing to a sense of community and shared responsibility for animal welfare.
   
   

7. Making a difference:
   
   Fostering is a direct and tangible way to make a positive impact on the lives of animals in need. For many dogs, fostering is a lifeline. It provides them with a chance for love, care, and a second shot at a happy, fulfilling life. Being that lifeline is an opportunity to be a part of the solution to the problem of pet overpopulation and homelessness.

Dispelling the Myths of Fostering a Dog

1.Myth: Fostering is Only for Experienced Dog Owners

Reality: Fostering is a journey of learning and growth, both for the dog and the foster parent. If you meet the home and lifestyle requirements for a particular dog in need of a foster,  you’ll soon see that fostering is an opportunity for anyone with a big heart and a love of dogs.

2. Myth: Fostering is Heartbreaking

Reality: While saying goodbye to a foster dog can be bittersweet, the joy and fulfillment they bring far outweigh the temporary sadness. Through photography I've met many dogs in foster care, where I have had the opportunity to capture how having a safe place really makes a difference.

3. Myth: Fostering is Expensive

Reality: Fostering doesn't have to break the bank. In fact in many cases it will cost you absolutely nothing to become a foster parent as all costs are covered by donations to the rescue organizations through which you will get your foster dog. Fostering is about love and care, not extravagant expenses.

4. Myth: Fostering is Time-Consuming

Reality: Fostering can be tailored to fit various lifestyles. The key is finding the right dog for your lifestyle and incorporating the joy of fostering into daily routines.

5. Myth: Fostering is Only for People Without Pets

Reality: Fostering is not exclusive to those without pets. Animal shelters and rescue organizations strive to pair dogs with homes that align well with both the pet's needs and the lifestyle of the foster caregiver. When introductions between foster dogs and existing pets are successful, it showcases that fostering can be a rewarding and positive experience for all involved, the foster parents and foster dogs included!

6. Myth: Only Certain Breeds Need Fostering

Reality: Every dog, regardless of breed or size, can benefit from fostering.

Learn From an Experienced Dog Foster Parent - an Enlightening Interview

To shed more light on the role of a dog foster parent, I had the privilege of interviewing, Simon Hinchcliffe, who is a seasoned foster for the Etobicoke Humane Society in Toronto.

I met Simon through photographing some of the dogs he has fostered.

Here is my interview with Simon

1. How did you get started with dog fostering?

I’d been asking my wife for a few years, if we could have a dog. She’d never had one so was unfamiliar and unsure about dog guardianship. When we decided the time was right we thought fostering was the best way to see if having a dog was right for us.  This meant we were helping a dog whilst learning about the impact on our lives. 

2. How and / or why did you choose to work with Etobicoke Humane Society {EHS}

Really it was because a friend from work was already helping at EHS but when we learned that EHS was 100% volunteer run and a no-kill shelter, we felt it would be a good fit for us. At EHS we say we’re the “small shelter with a big heart” and I think this is true.

3. How do you typically stay in touch and collaborate with the foster organization or shelter ( in this case EHS) while taking care of a foster dog?

Matching me with a dog and ensuring I have all the required supplies and equipment is the Foster Manager, we usually speak by phone.

My main contact when I have a dog is the dog’s Adoption Coordinator and I’ve usually used email or text to stay in touch. In the first few days of having a new foster they will reach out to make sure everything is going well. And then we connect if have questions or when I learn new things about the dog, things that may help with the adoption.

EHS also has a dedicated medical team and a dog behaviour team and I’ve also reached out to them for specialist help, as the need arises.

Finally, once a dog has left me, hopefully for its forever home, the Foster Manager reaches out again to see if there is anything we could learn from. I always feel very supported and connected.

There is also a private EHS Facebook group where I can share fun and cute pictures or videos of the dog, while it’s with me. These can then be used by the Social Media team to help promote the dog. I think this is an important, often overlooked aspect of fostering.

4. What qualities do you think are important for a successful dog foster parent?

I think patience is the number 1. When the dogs come to you they are often scared and stressed and it’s important that they decompress and feel safe. You have to let them relax at their own pace; they’re often not like family pets from the outset, craving attention and wanting to please. When all you want to do is give them love and let them know they are safe, it’s hard when they move away from you when you enter a room or back away when you try to take them for a walk. You need to be patient with them.

Of course you need to have patience when they have the occasional accident on the carpet too, or chew that slipper!

Being reliable is also important; routine is very helpful in making a dog feel safe, so waking up, giving meals and going for walks on a set schedule, every day is beneficial.

Finally you have to be resilient and strong. Often the dogs have medical needs or behavioural quirks and dealing with those requires you to persevere and stay calm. When you have to change the dressing on a wound everyday for 2 weeks, with a dog obviously having some discomfort, you have to put your feelings aside and be tender, gentle and confident for your foster. Or when working with a reactive dog, you cannot get frustrated or angry, again you have to stay calm and be strong in the face of other people’s reactions and help your dog feel safe.  

I usually think that I am my dogs voice in the world, their advocate and I’m responsible for helping them navigate all their fears and needs.

5. How do you assess the needs and behaviours of a new foster dog?

The first few days require you to be quite vulnerable and trusting of this new, unknown dog. They need to adjust to you just as much as you to them. It’s quite a leap of faith when you let go of their leash in your home, after they first arrive. But then it’s about 3 things, I think - watching, teaching and routine. 

I usually watch my new foster dogs intently for the first few days, where are they comfortable in the house, what is their body language saying, what noises do they react to. This helps you create safe spaces for them and develop rules and boundaries.

Talking to the dog in a low (tone) calm voice can help them feel safe with you and gets them used to your voice. And rewarding good behaviours and actions, using praise and treats will reinforce desired situations.

You also learn about their learning style - are they food motivated? It can help to try a few basic obedience commands, perhaps once they’ve had some time to relax, to see what they know and how they respond to you. This will inform you whether they need you to work with them on some basic obedience.

It’s recommended to leave the leash on the dog for the first day or two, so that you can teach them about things you don’t want them to do, for example if they jump on the counter you can gently say no and pull them down and if you see them starting to do it again you can stand on the leash. This helps teach boundaries and also keep the dog safe in a new environment. 

And then, like I mentioned above, helping the dog know a routine makes them feel secure but you have to be flexible in the early days to learn things like how far they want to walk or how much rest will they need.

We use the rule of 3 for rescue dogs; it will take 3 days for them to decompress from the change (usually being in a shelter), 3 weeks to start feeling comfortable in your home and learn their routine and 3 months to show their true personality and feel a bond with you. So while trying to learn their needs and behaviours you also need to know that they may change; what you see in the dog on day 1 is very unlikely to be the same as day 15.

6. What steps do you take to introduce a new foster dog to your home ?

Learning from experience and previous accidents, I usually walk the dog around our backyard, on leash, to let it sniff and maybe use the bathroom - quite a few of our new foster dogs have gone to the bathroom when first coming in to the house!

And then I’m not sure if this is the best thing to do but, once in the house we always let the dog roam free and sniff. We will shut the doors on rooms we want the dog to stay out of and I usually follow them around, from a distance, offering the occasional “good dog” or “no” as they explore new places. After the first few minutes sniffing we usually show the dog where their food and water will go, adding a few treats to the food bowl and splashing the water a little. We usually place a few beds in the locations we think the dog may use and then we just sit and maybe watch TV, and see what the dog does.

7. How do you handle potential behavioural issues in foster dogs, such as anxiety or aggression?

When we first started fostering I thought my role was to provide somewhere for the dog to sleep and to feed it and walk it. Obviously you do need to do this but I think the main role of a foster is to help the dog be the best dog they can be, and to make them as adoptable as possible. So working with undesired behaviours and challenges is often the biggest part of fostering.

Usually, for any undesired behaviour such as aggression or anxiety, the dog is overly stimulated or aroused. So I work on the theory of keeping the dog calm and feeling safe, which usually means just leaving them alone - no petting, no talking to them, no toys, just let them calm down.  This could be for hours, not just minutes! 

Then, you need to work on replacing the undesired behaviour (aggression or anxiety) with a new, desired behaviour.  So this is often where the basic obedicence training comes in.  If you have an anxious dog that can become overwhelmed by situations, you may ask for a "sit" or "watch me" command, to get it to engage their brain and focus on something other than the external stressor, doing something it has learned is comfortable. 

For a potentially aggressive dog, the theory is essentially the same, keep the dog calm, minimal petting or talking to it, and ask for trained, learned obedience commands before the undesired behaviour shows up, something like "in your bed" or "down."

[ Note: A dog that is considered dangerous is never placed in a foster home. In most cases they will be sent to a trainer for rehabilitation.]

8. Can you describe a challenging situation you've encountered while fostering a dog and how you handled it?

We fostered a young, anxious German Shepherd dog who, when she came to us seemed to know no commands, didn't have any (doggy) manners and was not house trained.  We decided that the safest place for her to sleep (and the easiest place for us to clean) was the kitchen, so at night we shut her in there, with her bed and water.  Unfortunatly every morning we came down to a mess. 

We got some advice from the behaviour team at EHS on how to start bathroom training and started to implement a routine and training schedule.  It started with every hour, going to the backyard with her on a leash, to the same spot and standing there for 5 minutes not saying anything and not looking at her.  If she went to the bathroom, she would get lots of praise, a treat and a walk as reward.  If after 5 minutes she hadn't been, we would go in the house and wait for the next hour. 

All the time we would also have to watch her to see if she looked like she was going to go.  At night we also set up a motion-activated camera in the kitchen, to see when she was going to the bathroom so we could get up ahead of time and take her out.  My wife and I were sleeping in shifts!  After 2 days we also started keeping a time-log, to record her bathroom activities which helped us extend the time between bathroom break. 

Anyway, after 5 days we managed to get her on a routine (see, it's really important and helpful) and not messing in the house. This to me is one of the best examples of how much you may need to adjust and sacrifice to a new foster dog, but also, with help, structure and positive reinforcement training how much of a positive difference you can make to a dog and their future adoption prospects.

9. How do you manage the transition when it's time for a foster dog to be adopted?.

I think you know when a foster is ready to be adopted - it's a feeling you get.  They have often become a happy, confident dog that now seems very settled.  So for the few days or weeks that you know a dog is going, you have very mixed feelings, alternating from joy to grief.  Inevitably you have become very attached to the dog, after all you've given your heart and soul to them. 

I usually write an info sheet for the adopter, explaining the dogs routine and detailing everything they've learned or know.  This usually makes me feel immensely proud and you reminisce about how far the dog has come.  Inevitably you spoil the dog (even more) in their last few days with you, and you take lots of photos! 

Mixed feelings continue after the dog has gone to their forever home - you miss them, their welcome, the walks, playing together and the cuddles, but you also have freedom, no schedule to follow!  So for a few days, maybe weeks you indulge in all the things you may have sacrificed, hitting the gym, going out for meals again! 

And you crave hearing from their new family, to see how they are settling in, usually while looking at old photos of your foster.  And then, your realize there is an energy missing from the home, no little warm creature depending on you, and it's time for your next foster pooch! 


10. Can you share a success story from one of your foster experiences?

Perhaps the journey I am most proud of, was TicTac's journey.  TicTac was a 10 month old husky/shepherd mix and he came to EHS only a day away from being euthanized (because our municipal shelters are too full!)  He was a timid, shy, underconfident puppy who had been found as a stray, living in the woods.  He was underweight and also had heartworm.  He needed to learn how to trust, to gain some confidence and also to get well. 

Heartworm treatment is very hard on the dog and takes 3 months and also requires total rest.  But he was a super fun, loving and characterful dog, so helping him was a privilege.  We first let him settle in, in a calm safe environment to let him trust us.  We learned his routine together, worked on basic obedience (he was probably the smartest dog we've ever fostered) made him feel safe with strange noises and objects. 

Almost every day it was possible to see his confidence grow - when he first came he would cross the street to avoid garden waste sacks!  By walking the same route, and slowly approaching new, unknown shapes and letting him sniff them, he became more confident.  We had to think of lots of brain stimulation and enrichment activities because of his physical rest requirements but eventually his treatment was finished and we could play together! 

This little pup was an athlete, we'd cover 10km a day together.  After 5 months with us he found his perfect forever home.  He now lives near High Park and is very, very loved.  Thankfully his adopters are very happy to keep in touch, which has really helped me with the transition of him going.  I'm so glad we were part of his journey and in his case we literally saved his life!

How to Become a Dog Foster Parent

1. Research Local Shelters and Rescues

Start by researching local animal shelters and rescue organizations. If you have a preference for a particular dog breed, you might want to explore whether there are any rescue organizations dedicated to that specific breed.

However, while you may have preferences for certain breeds or sizes, be open to fostering different dogs. Remember that your flexibility can make a significant impact on a dog's life.

When you have found an organization that resonates with you, reach out to them to inquire about their fostering programs, requirements, and the application process.

2. Attend Orientation Sessions  

Many shelters and rescues conduct orientation sessions for potential foster parents. These sessions provide valuable information about the fostering process, expectations, and the support available to foster families.

3. Complete the Application and Screening  

Once you've found a suitable organization, complete the fostering application and undergo a screening process. This may include a home visit to ensure it's a safe environment for the dog.

4. Prepare Your Home 

Set up a designated space in your home for the foster dog, complete with necessary supplies such as food, water bowls, toys, and a comfortable bed. Ensure your living space is dog-friendly and safe.

Dog Foster Organizations in the Toronto Area

Here are links to some amazing organizations that arrange for foster homes for dogs in need.

Etobicoke Humane Society EHS is a no kill animal shelter based in Toronto caring for dogs and cats who are looking for forever homes. They are a small shelter with a big heart, with space in the shelter for approximately 30 to 40 cats and nine dogs. They rely on foster homes to expand their capacity.

Dibs Rescue DIBS Rescue is an Ontario based that helps find dogs new homes. They are primarily around the greater Toronto area, but have foster homes spanning from London to Ottawa.. They are foster-home based, which means they don’t have a shelter or a physical location. When dogs come into their care, they go directly into a foster home.

Paws Across the Water Paws Across the Water (PAWs) is a foster-based, non-profit organization and a registered charity, located in the Greater Toronto Area. They are 100% volunteer-based and work hard to find the best homes for dogs that were strays or abandoned. 

Fetch and Releash Fetch + Releash is a volunteer run dog rescue dedicated to saving dogs in need. Their foster dogs come from a variety of different backgrounds such as pounds and shelters, strays and surrendered pets, both locally and abroad. As a foster-based dog rescue, the foster dogs live in private homes across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) where they receive the love and attention they need to ready them for adoption.

Just Paws Animal Rescue Just Paws Animal Rescue is a non profit organization located in the Greater Toronto Area. They rescue animals that are in high kill shelters, abandoned, abused, or unloved. Their volunteers work out of their homes and all of their dogs are housed and cared for by foster caregivers in a home setting. All positions held are by volunteers that give their time and talents to promote their mission.

Stray to Play They are a volunteer-run charity organization dedicated to finding loving, lasting homes for stray, abandoned, abused or surrendered dogs through collaboration with volunteers, shelter partners and other rescues in our community. Based in Toronto.

Bullies in Need Bullies in Need was formed in 2005 to tackle the complicated issue of a Provincial Breed Ban and how they could help the pit bull type dogs that suddenly found themselves prohibited. They quickly developed into a recognized resource for both dog owners and shelters. We continue to facilitate out of Province placements for dogs affected by BSL as well as offer advice or suggest resources to help owners. They are strictly a volunteer run and foster home based rescue that has partnered with various shelters, animal controls & vet clinics across the province of Ontario.

Becoming a dog foster parent is a heartwarming journey that not only transforms the lives of dogs in need but also brings immense joy and fulfillment to the foster parent. I have seen that sense of fulfillment in my work photographing foster dogs.

By opening your home to a temporary furry companion, you contribute to a brighter future for these animals. So consider becoming a dog foster parent, and embark on a rewarding adventure that will leave paw prints on your heart.

Take a look at a dog photoshoot that I did for Buddy, a foster dog who became a foster failure (he was adopted by his foster parents)