We Cant Save dogs without fosters

Pawsitive Vibes Animal Rescue

Foster Home Volunteer Information

Our foster homes are the backbone of our rescue.  Foster homes provide a safe, secure environment for our animals, and allow the animals to live a normal life in a home environment.  Each animal is evaluated while in foster care for personality traits, behavioral and health issues, and any special needs.  The foster home’s evaluation is critical to determine how each animal interacts with people (adults and children) and other animals.  Knowing each animal well allows us to choose the best home for each pet and provides potential adopters with the opportunity to choose the best pet for their home.

As a Pawsitive Vibes Animal Rescue (PVAR) foster home, you are responsible for the temporary care and feeding of any foster animals in your home.

Typically, each animal stays in a foster home between a few weeks and several months.  However, PVAR cannot guarantee that any animal will be adopted within a specific time period.  Some animals stay longer than a few months, and we advise that you take this into consideration when deciding if you would like to participate in our foster program.

Foster Home Responsibilities:

⦁ Provide a loving home.

⦁ Attend PVAR adoption events as often as you can - it's a great way to get your dog adopted!  You will be required to stay with your dog rather than just drop him/her off, since you are best qualified to answer questions and talk to members of the public about your dog.

⦁ Provide transportation to and from veterinary appointments (Location:  Delaware).

⦁ Evaluate the animal’s personality and provide photos, blurbs, and videos on the Pawsitive Vibes Foster Page.

⦁ Provide information regarding personality, needs, etc. (information is used for advertising and to screen for the best adoption opportunity).

⦁ Communicate regularly with your assigned Foster Coordinator regarding any changes to animal health, behavioral issues, etc.

⦁ Present a professional appearance as a PVAR representative.  YOU are PVAR!

⦁ Have some availability on weekends and/or evenings so potential adopters can meet your foster.

PVAR Responsibilities:

⦁ Provide all necessary items for the animal, such as food, crate, leash, and collar.

⦁ Pay for all vet care.

⦁ Pay for all medications.

⦁ Process all adoption applications.

⦁ Screen and interview the potential adopter.

Frequently Asked Fostering Questions:

Will I Be a Good Foster Parent?

Do you love dogs?  Will you do anything to take good care of a dog?  Do you have time to devote to a pup?  As long as the answer to these questions is "yes", you have the potential to be a great foster parent to a pup!

Will I need to provide food or other supplies while the animal(s) are in my care?

PVAR is proud to provide all the necessary supplies and support you will need to care for your foster animal(s) including little things like bowls, bedding, toys, and crates as well as things which could be of bigger expense like food, medication, and all veterinary services.  If you already have those items in your home and would like to use them for your foster that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Can I foster if I already have a pet?

Absolutely!  Many under-socialized dogs/puppies actually do better in foster homes with other animals.  Pets owned by foster families must be up to date on vaccines and be spayed or neutered.

Can I take my foster animal to my own vet? 

PVAR has our own designated veterinarian.  However, we willing to work with any other veterinarians as long as they are within our budget.

What if a friend or family member wants to adopt my foster animal?

Thank you for helping find homes for your foster animals.  Please keep in mind however, that the animal(s) you are fostering may already have an application in.  We process the application in the order in which they are received.  Please refer interested adopters to the adoption application online.

What if I want to adopt the animal I’m fostering?

This can happen when foster parents fall in love with their animals.  If you wish to adopt a foster animal, reach out to your Foster Coordinator ASAP to start the adoption conversation.  Your foster animal may already have an “adoption hold” for another person, and that information will be shared with you.  Having available foster homes is crucial for saving lives, so we ask foster parents to consider how adopting a foster animal may affect their ability to continue fostering other animals in the future.

Is it difficult to say goodbye to your foster animal?

Foster volunteers definitely need the ability to say goodbye.  It can be tough, but making a difference isn’t always easy.  Please remember that by fostering, you are providing a temporary safe haven and letting go of one’s foster pet enables you to help another animal in need.  Please know that although each adoption saves a life, a great foster parent can save many lives too!

I couldn’t do it...
It’s too hard...
I couldn’t give them up after falling in love.
I hear it over and over again.
Sounds like a sacrifice. 🤔

I understand why people say it to me, who wants to go through that pain, right?
Rescue is hard for so many reasons, fostering is only one of them. Most of us agree that we want to save the dogs. I see it every day, time stamped dogs on death row...people begging and pleading for help to save another innocent life, yet few are willing to do what’s needed to make that happen because their perceived sacrifice is too great. I wonder if it’s the way we view sacrifice that’s the problem...it’s not just a selfless act where people do something entirely for someone else’s benefit...it doesn’t mean giving up something for nothing; it means giving up one thing for something else we believe is worth more. 

You can’t lose weight without giving up your favorite foods...you can’t get rich without working hard...There’s always a price to pay...

Tilly is alive today because we fostered her. She’s alive and she has a chance to not only live a long happy life but to bring joy and love to another family. That same joy and love she’s brought to ours. Yes we will be sad for ourselves when she leaves, we’ll miss laughing as she darts through the house and slides across the hardwood floors, we’ll miss the endless kisses, the goofy way she chases her tail and thinks everything is a toy including the potty bells. 🤪 

Goodbye is never easy.  It hurts to lose something you love - we can all pretty much agree on that. As humans, though, we were gifted both our hearts and our minds. We
have a choice between experiencing resentment, pain and suffering or love, peace and joy. It all depends on our perception and interpretation of the situation.  We’ll all feel the loss when Tilly leaves, we’ll be sad and probably all cry, and that’s ok because the love she’s brought to us will never leave. Plus, we saved her life.  

Keep yourself open, don’t let your mind be fearful of what might happen; find the love in every situation and it will heal your heart. Fostering a dog is saving a life and a rewarding experience you’ll never forget.  We can’t do this alone. 

Pawsitive Vibes