Thinking about fostering?
So you want to foster? Maybe you aren't sure? We've included some frequently asked questions to help you consider if fostering is a volunteer opportunity for you.
To foster a dog, you must complete an application. Use the link below to download the application. Upon completing it, send us a message with your application on our Facebook page. We will discuss available dogs and assist you in finding the perfect dog for your situation.
To foster a dog, you must complete an application. Use the link below to download the application. Upon completing it, send us a message with your application on our Facebook page. We will discuss available dogs and assist you in finding the perfect dog for your situation.
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Q: Why do you need fosters?
A: Monticello 2nd Chance Fur Dogs started as a way to save dogs in the Monticello Animal Shelter from being euthanized. When the shelter reached capacity, our earliest volunteers pulled out dogs until there was enough space to avoid any being euthanized. That is still our main goal. As we've evolved as an organization, we've connected to many rescues around the country. They help us find wonderful homes for our dogs. However, in order for them to travel to those homes, they need to be fostered first. This allows us to see and report on dogs' personalities. It also allows them to be spayed or neutered and have a few weeks to recover in a cleaner and less stressful environment than a shelter. To be clear, we love working with the Monticello Animal Shelter. We just know that dogs are happier and recover from surgeries better when they are in homes and receive individualized attention.
Q: Do you need new fosters?
A: Always. Please consider it. We really do. The more fosters we have, the less pressure there is on our current fosters.
Q: How much does fostering cost? What are my responsibilities?
A: Great news: it's free. When you foster for Monticello 2nd Chance Fur Dogs, we pay for the dog's crate, food, and veterinary care. Your responsibility is to take care of the dog, keep us updated, and agree to take the dog to the necessary vet appointments. Also, take really cute pictures of your dog wearing funny hats and send them to us. Adopters will line up for your dog!
Q: What do I have to do if I want to foster?
A: To foster a dog, you must complete an application. Use the link near the top of this page to download the application. Upon completing it, send us a message with your application on our Facebook page. We will discuss available dogs and assist you in finding the perfect dog for your situation. Then we'll do a home visit to make sure that you are prepared to care for a foster dog.
Q: Is the home visit really necessary?
A: Yes. We love these dogs. We must act in their best interest. A lot of them have had rough starts, and even in a temporary home, they deserve a safe, loving space to grow. Foster dogs cannot be chained outside. Foster dogs cannot go to an apartment complex that doesn't allow dogs and end up back in the shelter. When you foster, you are committing to give these dogs a great few weeks with you. Trust us, it will be awesome!
Q: How do I pick a dog to foster?
A: The best option is to come to our dog walks and see if any of our available dogs feel like a good match for you. You can also contact us for information on available dogs. We will ask that you fill out a foster application before we send you pictures of available dogs. You can also check our "ADOPT" page for a list of dogs currently available to adopt or foster.
Q: How long do I foster a dog?
A: Often, it's as short as two weeks. Sometimes, it's up to two or three months. This is often the case if the dog is heartworm positive and needs to go through treatment. However, we'll let you know when dogs are scheduled to transport before you agree to foster them. We often list dogs in need of two-week fosters on our Facebook page.
Q: I'm afraid to foster because I will fall in love with the dog. How do you do it?
A: We're glad you asked. The longer you foster a dog, the harder it can be. However, the rescues we work with post pictures of your foster dog on Facebook when he or she is adopted. When you see that dog you helped cuddled up next to a beaming little girl in a tutu, you'll feel good about it. Every time. The more you foster, the more dogs you help.
Q: I hear what you're saying. I'll be happy for the girl in the tutu, but let's just imagine that I really, really, fall madly in love with my foster dog. Can I adopt?
A: This can be tricky. If you foster a dog for a longer period, such as a heartworm positive dog, you will normally have an opportunity to adopt the dog before his or her application is submitted to another rescue. However, if you foster a dog with a transport date already set, you will not be able to adopt that dog. He or she already has a family waiting, and we have to honor that or rescues will not work with us. It can be hard, but if you go into the process knowing that the dog has a transport date and a family waiting, it's easier to avoid getting too attached. We recommend starting with very short-term fosters until you get a sense of how you'll cope with fostering. We all have different ways of remembering the dogs we've fostered. Some of us create Facebook albums, and others keep framed photographs of them on our walls. When you have a pile of photos to flip through, you realize how many dogs and families you've helped.
A: Monticello 2nd Chance Fur Dogs started as a way to save dogs in the Monticello Animal Shelter from being euthanized. When the shelter reached capacity, our earliest volunteers pulled out dogs until there was enough space to avoid any being euthanized. That is still our main goal. As we've evolved as an organization, we've connected to many rescues around the country. They help us find wonderful homes for our dogs. However, in order for them to travel to those homes, they need to be fostered first. This allows us to see and report on dogs' personalities. It also allows them to be spayed or neutered and have a few weeks to recover in a cleaner and less stressful environment than a shelter. To be clear, we love working with the Monticello Animal Shelter. We just know that dogs are happier and recover from surgeries better when they are in homes and receive individualized attention.
Q: Do you need new fosters?
A: Always. Please consider it. We really do. The more fosters we have, the less pressure there is on our current fosters.
Q: How much does fostering cost? What are my responsibilities?
A: Great news: it's free. When you foster for Monticello 2nd Chance Fur Dogs, we pay for the dog's crate, food, and veterinary care. Your responsibility is to take care of the dog, keep us updated, and agree to take the dog to the necessary vet appointments. Also, take really cute pictures of your dog wearing funny hats and send them to us. Adopters will line up for your dog!
Q: What do I have to do if I want to foster?
A: To foster a dog, you must complete an application. Use the link near the top of this page to download the application. Upon completing it, send us a message with your application on our Facebook page. We will discuss available dogs and assist you in finding the perfect dog for your situation. Then we'll do a home visit to make sure that you are prepared to care for a foster dog.
Q: Is the home visit really necessary?
A: Yes. We love these dogs. We must act in their best interest. A lot of them have had rough starts, and even in a temporary home, they deserve a safe, loving space to grow. Foster dogs cannot be chained outside. Foster dogs cannot go to an apartment complex that doesn't allow dogs and end up back in the shelter. When you foster, you are committing to give these dogs a great few weeks with you. Trust us, it will be awesome!
Q: How do I pick a dog to foster?
A: The best option is to come to our dog walks and see if any of our available dogs feel like a good match for you. You can also contact us for information on available dogs. We will ask that you fill out a foster application before we send you pictures of available dogs. You can also check our "ADOPT" page for a list of dogs currently available to adopt or foster.
Q: How long do I foster a dog?
A: Often, it's as short as two weeks. Sometimes, it's up to two or three months. This is often the case if the dog is heartworm positive and needs to go through treatment. However, we'll let you know when dogs are scheduled to transport before you agree to foster them. We often list dogs in need of two-week fosters on our Facebook page.
Q: I'm afraid to foster because I will fall in love with the dog. How do you do it?
A: We're glad you asked. The longer you foster a dog, the harder it can be. However, the rescues we work with post pictures of your foster dog on Facebook when he or she is adopted. When you see that dog you helped cuddled up next to a beaming little girl in a tutu, you'll feel good about it. Every time. The more you foster, the more dogs you help.
Q: I hear what you're saying. I'll be happy for the girl in the tutu, but let's just imagine that I really, really, fall madly in love with my foster dog. Can I adopt?
A: This can be tricky. If you foster a dog for a longer period, such as a heartworm positive dog, you will normally have an opportunity to adopt the dog before his or her application is submitted to another rescue. However, if you foster a dog with a transport date already set, you will not be able to adopt that dog. He or she already has a family waiting, and we have to honor that or rescues will not work with us. It can be hard, but if you go into the process knowing that the dog has a transport date and a family waiting, it's easier to avoid getting too attached. We recommend starting with very short-term fosters until you get a sense of how you'll cope with fostering. We all have different ways of remembering the dogs we've fostered. Some of us create Facebook albums, and others keep framed photographs of them on our walls. When you have a pile of photos to flip through, you realize how many dogs and families you've helped.
Why I Foster
We asked some of our foster families to tell us why they foster dogs. Here's what they said:
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July 9th, 2017 was the day that forced my family to open our eyes, hearts, and home to the need for foster families in southeastern Arkansas. While outside on a Sunday afternoon, this sweet girl was on the edge of our property line. Not recognizing her as a neighborhood dog, we calmly called her over because we thought we saw a collar. As she approached, we were quickly consumed by the smell of death. This sweet girl had been tied to a tree. The collar had grown into her neck the entire way around, and she had bite marks all over her body. She was able to chew through the cable that had kept her prisoner. We have no idea how far she wandered to make it to us. With the help of Monticello 2nd Chance Fur Dogs members and Dr. Witcher, we were able to get this sweet girl medical attention within the hour, but then the realization hit us. This sweet girl had nowhere to go, had nowhere to call home, and could not go to the shelter due to the constant attention her wound would need to heal, including keeping flies and insects out of the wound. We were being called to fill a need, and immediately, we knew we would foster this sweet girl! Our son named her Sophie, and she settled in at home very quickly. Within three weeks, her wound closed, and she began to trust humans and other dogs. Sophie wasn’t defeated by the cruel world that she had known her entire life. She allowed us to show her the life that she deserved. 12 fosters later, I continue to stand amazed at the sacrifices, time, and work that this amazing group of volunteers gives daily and selflessly in an effort to save the dogs of Drew County. I’m so proud to be able to say that I’m a part of something so amazing.
-Jessica
-Jessica
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I started fostering for Monticello 2nd Chance Fur Dogs in February 2018. I was new to Monticello and wanted to get involved in the community, so I volunteered to walk the shelter dogs on weekends. Most of the dogs are so excited to be walked and have boundless energy. Each week, I saw little kids petting Tikki, a young black and tan dog. Exercise wasn't really Tikki's thing. (I think a lot of us can relate to that.) She made it a few feet out of the shelter and plopped down in the grass while other dogs raced around her. I thought, "That's the one. If I foster, it has to be her." In six months, our family has fostered six dogs. Each time one of our fosters transports for adoption, I scan the Facebook page of the rescue he or she went to. When I see my foster with his or her new, grinning-ear-to-ear family, I feel the impact. I know that I gave my time to an activity that makes a true difference. But fostering doesn't just help the foster dogs. Bringing new dogs into our home has greatly improved our own dogs' behavior. They are much calmer around new dogs because they are used to it, and they have all learned new tricks together. As for Tikki, she's our "foster fail". We adopted her. Fostering her gave us the chance to spend a few months with her while she was treated for heartworms. When it was time for her application to be submitted to rescues, we already knew that she'd found the right family, and we adopted her. I would encourage anyone interested in fostering to reach out to Monticello 2nd Chance Fur Dogs. They are a grateful, welcoming group of people, and there is such a need for new fosters. It's a particularly rewarding opportunity for parents looking to demonstrate responsibility and community service to their kids. Pick a dog that only needs a two-week foster. If it's not your thing, it's only two weeks. If you love it, welcome to the club.
-Kelsey
-Kelsey
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One year ago today (8/12/2018) was my first time fostering. I started out fostering three puppies. As of today, I have fostered 15 dogs, and ended up adopting one! I’ve heard people say they don’t want to foster because they will get attached and want to keep them. Sometimes that happens, but when you see ALL the mistreated dogs in the shelter and realize that you’re their SAVING GRACE, because if not they will be euthanized, you learn to deal with it, and keep helping these furbabies!!
-Kelli
-Kelli
