Fostering

Foster Family Team
We provide the homeless dog, pay all vet bills, provide crates, toys etc, you provide the TLC and attend adoption events. Meet the greatest volunteers, give back to dogs, save a life.
All of our rescued dogs and puppies are placed in foster homes until they are adopted. It allows us to learn about the dog's personality,
strengths, and shortcomings. This enables us to better match and place the dog in a happy permanent home.

We are always in need of foster homes. Our dogs are usually in a foster home a few months at a time. The foster home is responsible for all
aspects of caring for the foster dog. Columbus Dog Connection pays for all veterinary fees, food, a crate if necessary and toys when we have them.

Fostering a dog can be a rewarding experience for you and your family. If you have been considering adopting a dog, but are not ready to make that 10 to 15 year commitment, then fostering may be an attractive option for you. You will help a dog, meet some of the best people on the planet and
get a feeling of need and fulfillment. Imagine... the effort you make will be the difference between life and death.
Fostering isn't a commitment for life, it's a commitment to save a life.
contact Kellie KDifrischia@gmail.com

Question What do I have to do to become a foster parent?
Answer 1. First step is to attend a Mingle With our Mutts adoption event.
             2. Meet with a CDC representative at your home with all members of the household present.

Question   Where do the dogs come from?
Answer Our dogs come from Ohio humane societies/animal control/rescues, as strays, abuse/neglect situations.

Question Can I just foster small dogs?
Answer We try to accommodate everyone's special requests for which dogs you like to foster.

Question What if  the foster dog and my pets do not get along?
Answer We ask that you give it an honest try first, usually time resolves the issue. If that doesn't work we will take the dog back and try to place with another foster family.

Question How long to I keep the foster dog?
Answer Until it is adopted, usually several weeks, sometimes months, it varies dog to dog.

Question   Do I keep receipts for dog food and misc. purchases?
Answer No, we give you everything (crates, food, treats, toys, leash and collar, meds).

Question Do I crate my foster dog?
Answer Yes, for your safety and for the dogs. This also helps when you place the dog in a new home to assure the new family that the dog is crate trained.

Question    How do I get the dog adopted?
Answer The most important factor is getting your dog in front potential adopting families by attending Mingle With Our Mutts, which is the 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month, from 12-2pm.

Question What do I do when I go out of town?
Answer We will board your foster dog or have another foster home dog sit, we just ask that you give us as much notice as possible especially over holidays as kennels fill up quickly.

Question   What if I want to adopt my foster dog?
Answer We discourage that because the dogs need you. Foster families are vital to our mission. Most people foster because they are dog lovers and want to help. We want you to succeed and not become overburdened with too many dogs or not be able to continue to assist because you adopted a very adopted dog. We have you sign an agreement that says you will not adopt any of the first 3 dogs you foster. This is hard, we know, but having this rule in place helps all family members who fall in love with the foster dog remember that another dog needs their love and attention as badly as this one did.

To My Foster Dog

I am the bridge between what was and what can be. I am the pathway to a new life. I am made of mush, because my heart melted when I saw you, matted and sore, limping, depressed, lonely, unwanted, afraid to love. For one little time you are mine. I will feed you with my own hand I will love you with my whole heart I will make you whole.

I am made of steel. Because when the time comes, when you are well, and sleek, when your eyes shine, and your tail wags with joy, then comes the hard part. I will let you go--not without a tear, but without a regret. For you are safe forever-- A new dog needs me now.
by Diane Morgan

From a Columbus Dog Connection
Long Time Foster Mom

"Oh, I could never do that, it would break my heart to have them leave."

That's the first thing I hear when I tell someone that I foster for Columbus Dog Connection and I feared that myself. I love my pets, they are like family to me, I spend a lot of time with them and become very attached.

About a year ago I decided to volunteer in some way; I had a friend who went to the local shelter Tuesdays and Saturdays to walk dogs, she loved it and felt a great sense of satisfaction from getting the poor guys out of their cages. So I did a little research to find what other volunteer options were out there and discovered CDC. I decided to give it a try, going into it with the attitude that yes, I would probably fall in love with my foster dog but that I was determined to keep thinking of my goal which was to help get dogs out of living in cages. CDC helped me, they had me sign an agreement with them that I would not adopt any of my first 3 foster dogs, their experience is that they lose fosters when they adopt and fosters are very valuable, the only dogs you see on CDC's web page are in a foster homes right now.

My responsibilities were to house, feed and care for the dog. CDC has been around for 10 years, they have an established name in the community, a network in place for vet care and donations of food, treats and toys so there is no expense to the foster. The dog's picture would be placed on their web page and I could write their bio/description after I got to know the dog. I also had 2 adoption events, Mingle with our Mutts, available to me every month. If you have never been to a Mingle it has a festival/flea market feel to it with tents and booths set up all over the grounds of the Franklin county dog shelter (we are indoors in the winter) and rescue groups from all over Franklin county bring their available dogs. It is a wonderful concept because anyone looking to rescue a dog has one convenient place to find the dog of their dreams.

I am not going to tell you that you will not grow attached to your dog or that it is easy to see them go but the benefits, the feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction that you are helping far out weigh the heartache. In many cases the dog may have an issue...shyness or fear that would keep him from being adopted, it is amazing how much a little love, exercise and socializing will do. For me, the most heartwarming part is to see them blossom, their personalities emerge and there is nothing better than seeing a happy dog enjoying life.

Other than fostering, the only time I have had to say goodbye to a dog is when they die or are put down, this is NOT like that because you are giving them a forever home with someone who will love them longer and probably more than you did. I try to think of my foster dog as a temporary visitor, a guest in my home, it also helps to remember that anyone who rescues a homeless dog is usually a caring and loving person. Some fosters schedule a busy day for themselves the day their dog gets placed in his forever home, go see a movie, anything to get out of the house. I personally like to get my next dog the very same day because guess what? It is living in a cage right now and I can't help the next one until I place this one.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with CDC, I have met some great people, fallen in love with some awesome dogs and learned a whole lot in the process. If fostering sounds like something you would like to do, don't let the thought that you can't do it be the reason that you don't.
If I can do it, so can you.

Linda
Foster Mom to numerous homeless dogs