Comments on: Gimme shelter: Would you ever foster a foreclosure pet?

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:48:41 +0000

I lost my home yesterday, and my family is not willing to help me. Homeless shelters do not allow dogs. I cannot lose my dog. She means the world to me. She is the only thing I have left in this world. If there was an organization that would help pet-lovers keep their pets, I think it would be great. Pets aren’t just animals you can throw away where times get tough. They are a family member and should be treated as such.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:04:23 +0000

Christie,

I would certainly love to do it, and I would do it in a heartbeat if I knew that it wouldn’t be permanent. I wouldn’t mind rearranging my life and changing my plans for an extended period of time to care for an animal, however the uncertainty of a potential life long committment would probably turn me away. I wouldn’t want to have a pet for some time, then find out I’d need to keep it only to move overseas 12 months later, abandoning the poor thing again.

By: CH

CH — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:46:10 +0000

I am fostering currently. The rescue group has been less than communicative. I have had a foster dog for nearly two months now, in addition to my DogDaughter (who started out as a foster and was adopted by me 2 + years ago). It seems that the rescue group is been extremely picky, “flagging” potential adopters if they work a full day or have any other perceived short comings. The rescue group is letting the person who gave up the dog initially (6 months ago) to go through the applications. I do understand their concern for finding a good home, though I do not believe it is appropriate for someone outside of the organization to be going through the information provided on applications. I am also frustrated by the pokiness in finding a forever home for this particular dog. They never call me or give me any information - it was only through my repeated attempts to contact them - by phone and email - that any conversation took place. I would not work with this particular group again.
C

By: Betty Barada

Betty Barada — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:00:56 +0000

It would have to be temporary - but I am able and would love to help!!

By: DQ

DQ — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:44:52 +0000

Yes, I would give it a shot! Not sure how my single kitty would handle the situation, but I would surely give it my best! I can only imagine the anguish those families must feel, faced with losing a pet, along with everything else! I donate food to a group that gives food to families that are struggling to keep their pets in these hard times.

By: SocialMange

SocialMange — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:41:10 +0000

I already foster for a cat rescue, cats and kittens from a high-kill shelter, and have fostered dogs in the past. This has all been through rescues where the animals have been signed over to the rescue. As others above noted, I hesitate to take on an animal unless there’s a signed contract in place; you never know what problems may be caused by people who are already under stress from foreclosure.

By: slt

slt — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:27:53 +0000

A related story on issuing temporary permits in NC when fostering puts someone over the dog limit law:
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=300863

By: puppynerd

puppynerd — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:47:06 +0000

Well, of course I’d *consider* it.

But any animal that comes into our house has to be able to live there - meaning no trying to eat the cat, no serious behavior issues, and probably no jack russels or other high-energy types.

After that, I’d probably be most likely to keep an animal for immediate friends or family, even on an informal basis. Though thankfully it doesn’t look like anyone that close to us will be having problems.

I would never foster an animal for a stranger or casual acquaintance without a formal arrangement through a third party.

Fostering through a rescue falls somewhere between the two. Of course, we aren’t in contact with anyone now, so it’s not particularly likely right this instant, but if we did, I don’t see how the reason for surrender would have any bearing whatsoever.

By: Christine S

Christine S — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:56:41 +0000

There’s been a few MSM stories about a seriously overweight cat (just 2 pounds shy of the world record), and it turns out that he was a victim of foreclosure.
http://sciencemode.com/2008/08.....ds-a-home/
Interestingly, he was originally given to friends and then they couldn’t keep him, and eventually ended up at a shelter. And then on TV.
As for whether or not I’d take on a foreclosed pet, it’d all depend on the situation. At some point in the future (not feasible atm), I would be interested in fostering through a shelter and that would probably include foreclosure situations.
If a close friend or family member needed to find their pets a temporary home, I might try to find a way to make it work now, but I would get some sort of agreement in writing about what I’m responsible for (and not), due to the concerns that others have presented.

By: Nydia

Nydia — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:54:26 +0000

I absolutely would consider fostering pets caught in the foreclosure mess. In my mind that would be in the same vein (although not quite as dire) as natural disaster pets or pets of victims of abuse who can’t take them into shelters. Like many have said, I would prefer to do this through a rescue or animal welfare organization, since emotions tend to run high in those types of already stressful situations. However, as of right now I’m not in a very good position to do so since I’m in the process of acclimating a cat to my previously only-one-nervous-dog household. My doggy is already pretty stressed. I have fostered in the past and at some point I will do so again, just not right now.