Fostering
Our fosters are the foundation of our rescue. They help with the transition process from the lonely and unwanted place our pets are found in, to forever second chance families. We rely on the responsible, dedicated people of our community to help make a better life for the abandoned and neglected animals of Quebec. The more foster families we have, the more animals we are able to rescue.
Aside from providing a loving, comfortable temporary home, foster families also provide valuable insight. Most of our animals placed in foster care have unknown histories and their temperaments and character are undefined. Foster homes offer us a chance to evaluate the animals qualities and sometimes their faults in an ‘normal’ environment so we can match them with the right forever family. It’s a beautiful experience to watch a scared, beaten down animal become trusting, playful and loving because one person or family had the heart to give them a chance.
Fostering can be emotionally challenging. Foster families are unique people who are capable of putting the welfare of the animals before their feelings. It is very difficult for the foster family to not fall in love with the furry ball of love they let into their homes, but they understand that they do it because their role is to save lives.
We love and cherish every single foster family that has chosen to be a part of our team. Knowing the challenges that fosters face, we try our best to provide them with as much support as possible- be it supplies such as food bowls, leashes, cat litters, etc… or training and/or behavioral advice.
For a list of all of our dogs and cats waiting to be fostered please follow the link below.
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF OUR FOSTER CATS
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF OUR FOSTER DOGS
Foster application
English French
Frequently Asked Questions
What is fostering and what should I expect?
Becoming a foster parent means opening your home to a foster dog, to love and teach him/her what it’s like to live in a family environment. To teach them to relax, love and play again. Your main role is to care for them the way they should have been- to provide them with the required exercise, meals, training and attention. We do our best to provide what we can to help and all veterinary expenses will be covered by the rescue.
It is important to remember that the animal we are placing with you is as unknown to us as it is to you- expect anything.
Responsibilities include:
• Basic training including housebreaking and crate training
• Transporting pets to vet appointments. We ask that they are dropped off at 9am in Montreal West, and picked up either when they are ready to go home, or before 6:45 pm
• Attending adoption fairs about once a month
• Providing pictures and bios for the website
How long is a dog/cat typically in foster care?
Dogs and cats are typically in foster care from 1week to 6months. It is difficult to give an exact amount of time because there are a lot of factors to consider- their breed, their age, their health, their temperament, etc…
There’s a dog/cat on the website I like – can I foster him/her?
If the dog or cat has “URGENT” written in their description, that is a dog or cat that needs a foster home ASAP. If you are interested in one of those animals fill out our Foster Application and let us know which dog or cat you would like to Foster. We will evaluate your answers and if your home is a suitable option for the dog or cat in question we will make arrangement for transport if you cannot go get him/her.
What if the foster dog/cat isn’t right for our household or we can no longer foster?
We will re-home the foster dog/cat as soon as possible. Sometimes a foster dog has unanticipated behaviors after arriving in foster care, or there are conflicts with other family pets. We do our best, based on circumstance, to remove the animal from your household as quickly as possible.
How are the foster dogs/cats adopted?
Potential adopter(s) may meet the dog/cat at adoption days or they may apply for them after viewing various networking websites. Fosters must be available for their fostered pet to be transported to adoption fairs (It would be an even greater advantage if the foster family attended the actual event with their foster, but not obigatory).
Once an adopter has been selected, they are asked to meet with the foster family. Should the potential family chose to adopt, we ask that the foster family have the paper work provided by our Adoptions Director, filled out and the adoption fee collected. Our Adoptions Director and other volunteers will be reachable during the visit at all times via either email or telephone.