Your Guide to Becoming a Short-Term Dog Foster Parent

One of the most underrated ways to help dogs in need is short-term fostering. Available pet parents can take in a pet from friends navigating unexpected challenges, or sign up with a local animal shelter to foster a dog at a shelter for a few weeks or months. 

Fostering dogs from shelters has huge benefits: A study of 2,000 dogs found that short-term fostering increased a dog’s chances of being adopted 14 times. Dogs in foster care are typically rated as more playful, happier, and friendlier to people. The more that is known about a dog’s personality, the higher the chance that they can be adopted into a forever home. 

“It’s like having a dog without all of the strings,” Olivia Gonzalez, social media manager at Associated Humane Societies in New Jersey, says. “Animal welfare groups and shelters like ours often cover the costs.” 

This guide will walk you through considerations for short-term fostering, including the process, requirements, and impact.

Thinking About Fostering? Let’s Make It Happen.

Fostering helps pets feel safe, loved, and prepares them for adoption. Find out how you can become a foster parent.

Find a Foster 50 Program

What is short-term dog fostering?

Short-term fostering is caring for a dog who is between living situations or living in an animal shelter. With many animal shelters and rescues operating at capacity, fostering can help alleviate overcrowding, help a stressed-out dog relax, and even help get that dog adopted into a forever home. Fostering pets opens up space in kennels, so other dogs can have a temporary home and escape euthanasia due to overcrowding. 

“Communities need to be an active part of the solution for overcrowding in animal shelters,” Gonzalez says. “If you care about animals and their outcome, I would say try fostering. Take a dog, and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. But at least you can say you tried.” 

Typical duration of short-term fosters

Short-term foster situations can vary wildly in length depending on the needs of the dog and their pet parents. Some foster dogs stay for just a few days, while others may live with their foster family for six months or more while searching for a forever home. Foster parents can aggressively promote their foster dog on social media to help them find a forever home quicker.

Who benefits from short-term fosters?

There are massive benefits to short-term fostering. Taking a dog or two, even temporarily, frees-up overwhelmed animal shelters and rescues to help more dogs. The dogs themselves benefit from leaving loud, stressful kennels for comfortable, single-family homes. In some cases, that dog may have never lived in a home before. Foster parents can learn about their foster dogs’ personalities and preferences and help get them adopted. 

Why become a short-term dog foster parent?

Becoming a short-term dog foster parent can be extremely rewarding and even offer the experience of caring for a dog without the long-term commitment. 

Making a direct impact on a dog’s life

Fostering a dog can shorten their shelter stay, reduce their stress and anxiety, and increase the chances of them finding a forever home. Many dogs who enter a shelter come with behavioral issues that fostering and training can help curb. Foster parents are able to get to know their dogs’ personalities and preferences, which can help match them to a family of similar energy levels. You may even end up adopting that foster dog yourself. 

Supporting pet parents in crisis

Becoming a pet foster can support your friends and family if they experience a crisis. Sometimes people are hospitalized, injured, disabled, or otherwise unable to care for their dogs. Others face eviction, homelessness, or domestic violence and cannot care for their dogs. Stepping up as an emergency foster can help them keep their pet instead of surrendering them to an animal shelter. 

Gaining dog-care experience without the long-term commitment

Fostering a dog can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. If you partner with an animal shelter, the shelter will provide you with food, leashes, and any other tools you’ll need to care for the dog, so you can get a taste of dog parenthood in the short term without a decade-long commitment. Fostering is an excellent way to gain experience while also helping animals (and people) in need. 

The emotional rewards of fostering

It is not an overstatement to say fostering dogs may be saving their lives. In many cases, overcrowded organizations will be forced to euthanize dogs due to no fault of their own, simply to make space. Fostering a dog keeps them out of that situation, helps them find a loving home, and provides you with companionship. 

Key requirements for short-term fosters

A foster parent must meet basic requirements: The screening process usually includes sharing details about your home environment, time commitments, and more. You may be surprised to learn you don’t need to have a house with a yard to foster a dog. Many short-term fosters live in apartments and do quite well.

Home environment suitability

When you apply to be a pet foster, you will have to describe your home environment. Is your home spacious? Does it have a yard? Do you already have pets? Where will your foster pet be kept? As long as your apartment complex allows pets, you should still qualify to be a foster — but shelters and rescues want to make sure they know which homes they’re sending dogs into. 

Time commitment and availability

A pet foster parents need to give their dog a decent amount of time each day for their wellbeing. This means daily walks, playtime, training, and more. You must also be able to transport the dog from the shelter to your home. 

Application and interview process

To become a short-term foster parent, send in an application on your animal shelter’s website, and prepare for an interview to confirm details. From there, expect a quick review and maybe even an interview to confirm details like your experience, home setup, and what kind of dog you can handle. Some shelters and rescues also do a home visit or ask for references, so be ready for that step, too.

Prepare your home

Before your foster dog arrives, set them up for success. Create a safe space with a comfy bed or crate where they can decompress. Stock up on basics — bowls, leash, collar, and food (some of which the rescue may provide). Remove hazards, stash valuables, and put away anything chewable. If you can, have a few toys ready to help them settle in and feel at home.

Related article

The Beginner’s Guide to Fostering a Dog

Thinking about fostering a dog? Read more to learn about the fostering process and what to expect.

The process of becoming a short-term foster

Find a reputable organization

Search your city (or nearby major cities) for reputable animal shelters, rescues, and foster organizations. Most groups desperately need fosters. They will be happy to walk you through the process and find a foster dog who fits your lifestyle. 

Application and interview

The first thing you will do is fill out an application, sometimes online, to become a foster parent. You’ll need to put down details about your lifestyle and home, how much time you have available, and other related details. Then, a shelter representative will look over your application and interview you if there are any follow-up questions. 

Home visit and background checks

Many shelters and rescues require a background check or home visit before allowing you to become a foster parent — this is for the dogs’ safety. Background checks help prevent individuals with histories of animal abuse from gaining access to dogs. 

Training and orientation

Once you pass your background check and your application is cleared, your partner shelter will give you a foster-parent orientation or training to get you started. This is a great opportunity to meet other foster parents and to ask any additional questions. 

Matching with a dog

Finally, your partner shelter will match you with an appropriate foster dog. The length of your foster dog’s stay with you can vary from a few weeks to about two months. 

Caring for your foster dog

Ask yourself lots of questions before you decide to foster a dog. How much time will you be able to dedicate to walks, training, and social media promotion to help them get adopted? 

Factors to consider

You must weigh the pros and cons of keeping a foster dog in your home. Fostering helps dogs become more adoptable and comfortable, frees up space in animal shelters, allows you to try out dog parenting, and gives you a huge emotional reward. However, it can be hard work, and saying goodbye to a foster dog you’ve grown to love can be difficult. 

Managing behavior

Many foster dogs come with unknown personalities and quirks, so you may be surprised by excessive barking, jumping, or other undesirable behavior. Make sure you’ve set up your dog with the necessary safety tools such as crates, plenty of toys and enrichment, and a basic training plan. If there are significant problems, contact your shelter partner for help. 

“Most of our dogs at least know, ‘Sit.’ They’re not wild dogs,” Gonzalez says. “Keep an eye on them. And if not, we always say a kennelled dog is a safe dog, so keep them there and out of mischief. All dogs are evaluated before they go out, but there’s sometimes things you can’t predict.” 

Communication with your organization

No matter how new you are to fostering, your shelter partner has someone on staff who can help you. They can offer advice and best practices for fostering, and some shelters even include training classes for foster dogs, too. When in doubt, ask for help.

Commonly asked questions

How long do short-term fosters usually last?

The length of a dog’s foster stay can vary from a few days to several months. The average length of a foster stay is two months. 

Do foster parents pay for the dog’s food and vet care?

No, usually, the dog’s food and vet care are covered by the animal shelter. 

Can I choose which dog I foster?

No, you cannot usually choose which dog you foster. Shelters and rescues will match available dogs with the best home and foster parent to meet their needs. 

What if my existing pets don’t get along with the foster dog?

If your dog doesn’t get along with your foster dog, separate them immediately into different rooms, and reach out to your shelter staff for guidance. 

Is it hard to say goodbye to a foster dog?

It can be hard to say goodbye to a foster dog, because it’s quite easy to get attached. Foster parents often become “foster fails” and end up adopting their foster pets — but stop fostering afterwards. If you decide to foster a dog, try to approach this as a sacrifice to help as many dogs as possible.  

What kind of support do foster organizations provide?

Foster organizations will often supply you with food, leashes, a crate, a bed, and even veterinary care for your foster dog. 

Do I need prior dog experience to foster?

No, you don’t need prior dog experience to foster. In fact, fostering can be a great way to test out dog parenthood with no strings attached.