Why should I consider fostering?
FOSTERING SAVES LIVES!!!!
Joyrides Rescue is not a shelter; we don’t have a physical location. All of the dogs and cats that we save from shelters or from the streets are either fostered in homes like yours or kept in the very limited boarding spots that local kennels and vet clinics make available to Joyrides. These boarding spots are not free - Joyrides pays over $300 per month for each pet that stays at those facilities. When a pet is taken out of a kennel and placed in a foster home, we fill that kennel spot by saving another pet off the euthanasia list of a shelter. Opening your home to a foster pet will directly save the life of another dog or cat in danger. Fostering saves lives! (yes, we meant to say that twice!)
When dogs or cats are boarded at kennels and clinics, they don’t receive a significant amount of attention from humans or the opportunity for positive interactions with other pets. Dogs (and cats too!) are naturally social creatures and they need to be a part of partnerships or packs to be healthy and balanced. The longer a pet is in boarding, the harder it may be for them to get adopted because they can become fearful, shy, or nervous. Fostering a pet increases their chance for finding a forever home because the foster home not only provides that important socialization but teaches them structure and trust. It also increases adoption because a foster family can test the foster pet in different social situations – cats, dogs, kids, car rides, etc – so we have a better chance of placing the pet with the right family so the adoption will last forever. Once the pet is adopted, we can place a new pet in the foster home and go save another life out of a shelter – thus starting the circle again!
Will I get to pick out which dog or cat I foster?
If a certain Joyrides pet catches your eye to foster, by all means, let us know! If you don’t have a particular pet in mind, but have a preference about things like size, gender, or energy level, let us know that too and we can suggest a foster pet for you. Sometimes we have a particular pet that we may ask you to consider because the pet has been in boarding for longer than usual or is a little bit shy and would benefit from experiencing a home environment. We will happily arrange for you to meet potential foster pets before committing to one.
Is fostering just a ploy to get me to adopt a dog or cat?
No! While Joyrides is overjoyed whenever any pet finds his or her forever home, we need foster homes just as much as adoptive homes and maybe even more! The more foster homes that we have, the more pets we can save at any given time. It takes a special kind of commitment to open your home to a foster pet and so we really value families who are willing to do so again and again.
How much does fostering cost?
Almost nothing! Most of our foster homes cover the cost of a good quality dry kibble diet for their foster pet. Joyrides covers the cost of vet appointments, monthly flea and heartworm prevention, and the cost of boarding your foster if you have to travel for work or vacation. Of course, some of our foster homes also decide to purchase monthly preventatives out of pocket or pay for their foster pet to board during travel, but this is totally at their discretion. Because Joyrides is a 501(c)(3) group, any expenses that a foster family chooses to cover (food, treats, toys, boarding, flea/heartworm prevention, mileage to vet appts, etc) are considered donations and are tax deductible as long as you keep proper records.
FOSTERING SAVES LIVES!!!!
Joyrides Rescue is not a shelter; we don’t have a physical location. All of the dogs and cats that we save from shelters or from the streets are either fostered in homes like yours or kept in the very limited boarding spots that local kennels and vet clinics make available to Joyrides. These boarding spots are not free - Joyrides pays over $300 per month for each pet that stays at those facilities. When a pet is taken out of a kennel and placed in a foster home, we fill that kennel spot by saving another pet off the euthanasia list of a shelter. Opening your home to a foster pet will directly save the life of another dog or cat in danger. Fostering saves lives! (yes, we meant to say that twice!)
When dogs or cats are boarded at kennels and clinics, they don’t receive a significant amount of attention from humans or the opportunity for positive interactions with other pets. Dogs (and cats too!) are naturally social creatures and they need to be a part of partnerships or packs to be healthy and balanced. The longer a pet is in boarding, the harder it may be for them to get adopted because they can become fearful, shy, or nervous. Fostering a pet increases their chance for finding a forever home because the foster home not only provides that important socialization but teaches them structure and trust. It also increases adoption because a foster family can test the foster pet in different social situations – cats, dogs, kids, car rides, etc – so we have a better chance of placing the pet with the right family so the adoption will last forever. Once the pet is adopted, we can place a new pet in the foster home and go save another life out of a shelter – thus starting the circle again!
Will I get to pick out which dog or cat I foster?
If a certain Joyrides pet catches your eye to foster, by all means, let us know! If you don’t have a particular pet in mind, but have a preference about things like size, gender, or energy level, let us know that too and we can suggest a foster pet for you. Sometimes we have a particular pet that we may ask you to consider because the pet has been in boarding for longer than usual or is a little bit shy and would benefit from experiencing a home environment. We will happily arrange for you to meet potential foster pets before committing to one.
Is fostering just a ploy to get me to adopt a dog or cat?
No! While Joyrides is overjoyed whenever any pet finds his or her forever home, we need foster homes just as much as adoptive homes and maybe even more! The more foster homes that we have, the more pets we can save at any given time. It takes a special kind of commitment to open your home to a foster pet and so we really value families who are willing to do so again and again.
How much does fostering cost?
Almost nothing! Most of our foster homes cover the cost of a good quality dry kibble diet for their foster pet. Joyrides covers the cost of vet appointments, monthly flea and heartworm prevention, and the cost of boarding your foster if you have to travel for work or vacation. Of course, some of our foster homes also decide to purchase monthly preventatives out of pocket or pay for their foster pet to board during travel, but this is totally at their discretion. Because Joyrides is a 501(c)(3) group, any expenses that a foster family chooses to cover (food, treats, toys, boarding, flea/heartworm prevention, mileage to vet appts, etc) are considered donations and are tax deductible as long as you keep proper records.