If you don’t, who will?

Fostering not only saves a dog’s life but is also guaranteed to change yours! Speak! always needs fosters and we want to make sure you have the scoop on fostering. Let’s debunk some common misconceptions about fostering:

1. Fostering is expensive.

Fostering costs the foster NOTHING. Speak! provides everything your foster may need, including crates, food, toys, treats, vet care, collars, leashes----anything and everything you need to be successful as a foster! You will never spend a PENNY fostering for Speak!

2. I have kids, so I can’t foster.

Speak! would NEVER put your children in danger. It may surprise you that most of our fosters have children. As a rescue, we evaluate our dogs carefully to make sure they are placed with appropriate fosters. For example, if an adult dog enters Speak! that we do not know much about, we are not going to send it to a home with a grabby toddler. On the other hand, puppies are usually great for foster homes with small children. A gratifying and successful experience for YOU and the dog is always our goal.

3. I’m older and can’t keep up with an active dog.

We take on dogs from all walks of life, from young puppies to seniors. Fostering doesn’t mean you must commit to running with a dog every day; in fact, it may mean you just need to sit with a dog on your lap all day! On the flip side, if you’re interested in adding more steps into your daily routine, the right foster dog might just be what the doctor ordered!

4. I’m not qualified or knowledgeable enough to be a foster.

Says who? Not us! You do not have to be a dog expert to be a foster. If you are willing to learn and are dedicated to fostering, you will be great! When you foster for Speak! you will have a mentor to help you every step of the way. This mentor will be your go-to for any questions or concerns you have about the dog or the fostering process. The Speak! foster family is amazing and so knowledgeable; we are sure you will become an “expert” in no time!

5. I travel so fostering wouldn’t work for me.

The good news is that, unless you travel every single week, you can probably foster. Traveling doesn’t preclude you from being a foster for Speak! If you are worried about the vacations or long weekends you take a few times a year, be aware that Speak! has a group of volunteers that specifically watch foster dogs while their permanent fosters are on vacation. In fact, if you are still on the fence about fostering, stepping up to be a ‘temp’ or vacation foster can allow you to try this with a defined end date for the foster to go back to their permanent foster. It is a great way to try fostering without the fear of a longer term commitment!

6. I’ll get a dog that I don’t want, that I’m not comfortable taking or that my resident dog doesn’t like.

Hopefully by now you have recognized that Speak! wants to keep our fosters happy! We would not be successful if we gave you dogs you weren’t comfortable with. We get all KINDS of dogs into Speak!---- big, little, old, young, active, and lazy. There will be a dog that will fit your lifestyle AND your resident dog(s)preferences.

7. I’ll keep all of my fosters, so I can’t foster.

While we cannot guarantee that you won’t lose a little piece of your heart to every dog that you help find a home, we can tell you that your next foster will fill that void. When you adopt your foster and stop fostering, you are preventing another worthy dog from getting a second chance at life. When you really let that sink in, it suddenly becomes much easier to let each foster go. Foster fails (adopting your foster) do happen, but we hope you are hooked enough to keep fostering anyway!

8. Rescue dogs are broken and can’t be fixed.

Speak! does not see that. If that were the case, there would be no reason to do what we do. Rescue dogs are merely products of their human experience. They are some of the most appreciative dogs you will come across because they know a good life when they have it. Dogs, like people, always flourish with some TLC and patience.

9. Speak! only takes impaired dogs and I wouldn’t be comfortable with that.

We do take in a lot of blind and/or deaf dogs since that is our mission; however, we do not discriminate against ’normal’ dogs either. One of our goals is to educate the public that having an impaired dog is not difficult and they deserve to have great lives as well. In addition, as mentioned, we have plenty of unimpaired dogs and puppies that need loving foster homes.

Hopefully if any of these reasons have prevented you from fostering before, they will not stop you now. Please give fostering a try! It will be one of the best and most rewarding experiences of your life. Please do not assume that someone else will foster----- we need YOU, AND our dogs need YOU. Please reach out to Speak! if you have any questions about fostering, we will be happy to answer them!