Fostering is such an important part of dog rescue; from caring for a homeless hound until we find their forever home, through to helping a dog who is struggling in kennels. We’re fortunate that most of our dogs are able to travel straight to their forever homes from Spain, but there are times we need to give dogs a helping hand via a foster home in the UK.
Sometimes dogs just aren’t cut out for kennels – these may be older dogs, dogs with injuries/medical conditions or dogs who don’t get on with other dogs. Sometimes there are dogs who can’t seem to find that special home, so we try to bring them to the UK in order to make it easier for them. The best thing about fostering is that you are helping two dogs, as it opens up a space in the shelter for another dog to be rescued.
The other side of our foster homes is offering emergency foster for dogs already in the UK. Sadly, as hard as we try to match dogs and adopters, it doesn’t always work, often through no fault of the dog or the adopter. Sometimes it’s just not meant to be, or circumstances change months or years later and dogs need rehomed. In those cases we often need to move dogs quickly and look for existing adopters or approved foster homes with the experience and flexibility to take a dog quickly.
Anybody can apply to be a foster home for one of our dogs, but it’s worth noting we don’t send dogs into foster on a regular basis. Having a bank of homes we can call upon when we need them is invaluable to us though. You can find updates on which dogs are looking for foster homes via our Facebook page.
Ideally, you will have owned a dog before, and already live with one of the breeds that we rescue: English Setters, Pointers or Britanys. We also occasionally have dogs who need a home of their own without a resident dog and just plenty of human company.
All foster families will receive full support and advice regarding the dog in their care. Like us, rescue dogs come in all shapes, sizes and with different personalities so whatever your experience level, we will endeavour to place the most appropriate dog into your care.