Foster a dog

If you’d like to have a dog but aren’t able to have one long-term, fostering a dog is a good option. You get to enjoy the company of a dog, plus you can help them to get back on their paws while they wait for their forever home.

To be able to foster a dog, you need to be:

  • Over the age of 18
  • Able to travel to your local rehoming centre regularly

Dogs Trust are particularly in need of people who:

  • Live in a household with no children
  • Have no other dogs or cats

Fostering with Dogs Trust

Dogs Trust have two different foster care schemes:

Home from Home scheme: caring for a homeless hound until the charity finds them their forever home.

The Freedom Project: fostering a dog belonging to a family fleeing domestic abuse until they can be reunited. 

The two foster schemes have different criteria because the fostering needs are quite different. Find out more about each of the schemes and how to apply here.

Could You Give a Dog a Loving Short-Term Home?
Fostering co-ordinator Sabrina Holder is pictured with Murphy who would love to spend time in a foster home until it’s time to head off to his forever home

Dogs Trust Kenilworth is currently calling on local dog lovers to consider opening their hearts and their homes to a foster dog. The Home from Home fostering scheme was set up at the Honiley centre in 2015 and since then 150 dog lovers have signed up to be volunteer foster carers, looking after almost 500 dogs before they have headed home with their forever families. 

The team are hoping more people who would like to welcome a four-legged friend into their lives temporarily will sign up to make sure rescue dogs can continue to enjoy their home comforts whilst waiting to find their forever homes. 

“Our volunteer foster carers are amazing. Some dogs find it difficult to adjust to kennel life so it’s wonderful to have the option for them to go into a temporary home,” Sabrina Holder, Home from Home Co-ordinator at Dogs Trust Kenilworth, says. “Older dogs, very young dogs, pregnant mums or dogs who are poorly particularly benefit from having all their home comforts and TLC from their foster carer. 

“We are particularly looking for people who would be happy to care for a larger dog, such as our beautiful Great Dane, Zara. Zara is a gorgeous seven-year-old who had lived in the same home since she was a puppy. She arrived with us in April due to a change in her family’s circumstances and although we love her to bits, as she has been with us for a while, we would be delighted if she could be welcomed into a foster home until she finds her new forever family.” 

Could You Give a Dog a Loving Short-Term Home?
Great Dane, Zara, is pictured with Canine Carer Amanda Griffiths

Home from Home volunteer foster carers are provided with everything they need for the dog they are caring for such as food, bedding, toys and treats and the Dogs Trust team are on hand to provide guidance and advice whenever needed. 

“Sometimes people would love to have a dog in their life but recognise they aren’t able to commit to having one permanently. For dog lovers in that situation, fostering could be the perfect solution,” Sabrina adds. 

For more information, please contact the Home from Home team at Dogs Trust Kenilworth on 07920 658 664 or e-mail HFHKenilworth@dogstrust.org.uk   

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About Author

Nisha Kotecha is the Founder of Good News Shared. Having worked and volunteered for charities in the UK for over 10 years, Nisha is on a mission to highlight how amazing charities are.

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