Foster Application

She saw a dog, barely recognizable as a small collie, wandering the streets of her neighborhood. She knew the friendly dog needed help, so she rounded her up and contacted the shelter. The shelter workers knew that this poor girl was in immediate need of medical care. She was thin, hairless, and her skin was so raw she was bleeding. A local vet confirmed; she had a severe case of demodectic mange. The shelter could not provide for a dog in her condition, so the staff spoke to the woman who found her, and she agreed to take the collie in as a foster dog until her skin was healed and she could go up for adoption. It took six months of treatment before she was certified healthy enough to find her new home. She was adopted almost immediately, because my family had been searching for a collie. We saw her within days of being listed on petfinder, and we brought her home. If it weren't for her foster mother, Colleen would not be a part of our family today, and it is a desire to pay that forward, and give other dogs the second chance that someone gave her, that led me to become a foster parent for Collie Concern Rescue. Yes, Colleen's case was extreme. Most dogs don't need six months of foster care before they are ready to find their new families. But whether it's for six days, six weeks, or six months, foster parents can make the difference between life and death for the dogs that they allow into their hearts and into their homes.

Shelters only have so much room, which means dogs only have so much time. As a foster parent, you can give them the extra time that they need to find their forever homes. Why should you think about fostering? Because Freckles didn't do anything wrong. His family couldn't care for him any longer, so they took him to a vet and said “put him down, we don't want to take him to a shelter”. The vet said no, and called Collie Concern. Because Rory didn't have a chance in the shelter, with his hot spots, broken foot, and scars from a battle with a barbed wire fence. With so many dogs coming through the shelter doors, there are too many healthy dogs that can be saved for the same amount of resources as one injured dog. Rory's only a year old, is his time really up?

What do fosters do? The most important thing that our fosters do is open their hearts, and their homes, to a collie in need. Each collie is different, but the one thing they all need is food, love, and shelter. Someone to hug them and brush them, feed them and water them. Some of them are shy; they've been hurt before. They need to see that they're worthy of love, and humans can be trusted. They might need a ride to the vet for their vaccinations or for treatment. Some of them come to us with perfect manners; others could use some basic training. At Collie Concern Rescue, foster parents are never alone. Collie Concern does it's best to “match” foster parents with a dog that they think will work well in their home. If things aren't working out, we arrange a swap. Mentors are available, and we are all easily accessible by email.

What's in it for you? The unconditional love that only a rescue pet can give. Multiplied by however many dogs you foster. They say rescues know that they're rescues. That they have an extra special love for their families, because they've seen what life can be like. Foster parents touch the lives of EVERY dog they foster. You'll be rewarded with love, companionship, and the warm heart that comes from watching the transformation and seeing their happy new lives. Rory is my fifth foster, and I still get a lump in my chest when I drive away from taking them to their new homes. But that lump quickly disappears when the new families send photos, and reports of how well their new pet is doing, and how happy they are to have them in their lives. There's just no way that I can describe how it feels to know that you helped them find their way home, and that because of you, they will be forever loved.

Collie Concern Rescue pays for all medical expenses, but we do ask that fosters provide food for their foster dogs.

Still not sure?

Here is a fantastic web site on fostering dogs that especially deals with the emotional aspect of fostering. This website is generally very helpful, though it is not affilated with Collie Concern. It can help you decide if fostering a dog is right for you! http://www.fosterdogs.com Also please sign up for the Yahoo Group about fostering dogs if you are considering fostering a dog:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FosterDogs/
Again, that is not specifically a Collie Concern Rescue Yahoo Group, but the many helpful people on that list will answer any questions you might have about fostering a dog in general.


When you have decided that you would like to foster a Collie for Collie Concern, we would LOVE to have you!!! Please fill out a foster application here:
Foster Application