Foster Family Team 
All of our rescued dogs and cats are placed in foster homes until they are adopted.  It allows us to learn about their personality,  strengths, and shortcomings while decompressing from their life change. The time spent with a foster family enables us to better match and place them in a happy permanent home. Our rescues are usually in a foster home a few months at a time.  

Columbus Dog Connection pays for all veterinary fees and medications. We will also supply you with a crate and baby gate as needed; food; toys, treats; leashes;  bowls; and of course advice and support. 

 We ask our fosters to provide a loving and safe environment; attend adoption events; meet with and screen potential adopters; transport your foster to medical appointments; and to communicate with the foster coordinator regularly.

Fostering isn't a commitment for life, it's a commitment to save a life.
Download our foster application here: foster_application.docx
Question  What do I have to do to become a foster parent?
Answer 
  1.  Download and email completed foster application to ColumbusDogConnectionVolunteer@gmail.com 
  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) so that you do not have to pay for anything out of pocket.  

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 We will help you write a biography and get them listed on our website and petfinder. You will help market your foster through pictures, social media postings and attending adoption events.

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