What you should know about fostering

TVAR provides everything a foster parent needs

We provide food, crates, all medical care, posting of adoptable animals and screening of potential adopters.

What you provide as a foster parent.

Dogs do best when they are in foster homes where they can be integrated into the household, and have basic medical treatment and loving

care. Some come from sad situations and need extra TLC.

Crate training is encouraged.

Having someone at home part of the day (in addition to evenings) is a great help.

Foster care is a lifesaving gift for each and every animal.

Fostering is a great way to volunteer in the community.

It is flexible, fun, and rewarding.

It’s a great way to enjoy a pet if you cannot make a lifetime commitment.

Fostering is excellent for college students or military families.

If you’re thinking of a pet but are not sure, fostering is a great way to find out.

Time commitment.

The time it takes to get a foster dog or puppy adopted can vary greatly depending on the age that they come into foster and their specific needs. Puppies usually get adopted fairly quickly (2-4 weeks). Adult dogs can take longer (2 weeks to several months) and it often depends on age, size, breed, and temperament (for example - whether the dog is shy or outgoing). TVAR will work with you to find the dog that you’ll be best suited to foster.

Skills needed to foster.

It’s best to have some knowledge about companion animal behavior and health, and we can provide training to you as needed.

Other requirements. TVAR provides information necessary to screen all homes that apply for fostering to insure a good experience for both the foster family and the dog.

Your own pets.

Many people ask, "Can I foster if I have another dog?" The answer is DEFINITELY YES.

Many of our fosters have other pets (dogs and cats). Your family pets will need to be spayed or neutered and up to date on their vaccinations. For the well-being of your pets and your foster dogs, you will want to supervise all interactions between your pets and your foster dogs and not leave them alone together, unattended. Because dogs (both your own pets and your foster dog) can sometimes have food resource issues, we also

recommend that your pet and your foster dog be fed apart from each other.