Fostering
Not every rescued Springer is able to go straight to a new home. Sometimes a dog simply needs a bed for the night on a transport run, sometimes a dog needs a long period of assessment or medical care before they can be rehomed, and sometimes a dog simply needs to come into our care urgently, before they are matched to a new forever home. We need to have homes throughout Scotland who are able to offer sanctuary, stability and care to rescue Springers for a period of time. Because our dogs vary so much in their foster needs, almost any experienced, welcoming home will be the right short term refuge for one particular dog.
What are the benefits of foster care for the dog?
- Foster care, rather than kennels, has huge benefits for the dog – human contact, and perhaps the company of other dogs; good and appropriate feeding and exercise; the security of a warm, loving home.
- The day to day assessment of a dog that a foster carer can do will also give us a huge amount of useful information when we come to find the right forever home for a dog.
- Some dogs come in to our care with ongoing medical problems – it is very beneficial to the dog to be able to have these dealt with in a supportive home environment rather than kennels.
- We will occasionally have to assess a dog with behavioural issues – this is ideally done by someone with the appropriate experience seeing the dog in a range of situations. Remember, we will never ask you to foster a dog with behavioural issues unless you have the skills and experience to do so.
What will You Gain from Fostering?
The main benefit of fostering is knowing that you are making a huge difference to a dog’s life, and that you are giving love and attention to a dog that would otherwise not be having that experience. There are other benefits, however, that are not always so obvious:
- The fun and variety of having different canine personalities living with you.
- Developing your skills and experience as a dog owner.
- Sometimes, an experienced owner will find themselves in a situation where they feel it would be unfair to have their own dog – shift working, occasional postings abroad, unsettled future plans. This can be the ideal opportunity to offer the benefit of your skills and experience to a rescue Springer – even a day or two in a loving and understanding home can be the start that a bewildered dog needs in their new life.
“Her confidence grows every day – it is the dogs that are helping her gain her confidence, not us!”
“She is such a lovely little dog; she is so full of fun. She and our dog spent most of this morning hurtling up and down the hall. That little girl has learnt how to play!”
“She is so pleased to see us each morning, she also settles into her bed without any pacing now, which is wonderful”
Being a foster carer can seem quite daunting, but it is an incredibly rewarding, fulfilling, and interesting way to contribute to the welfare of Springers in Scotland. If you are interested in fostering, would like the chance to discuss it with an experienced foster carer, or would simply like more information, please get in touch at
