Because Home is Where Everyone Fits
Shelters can be a terrifying place. So a frightened dog cowers and growls in the corner of his shelter cage. A dog who has never known human kindness snaps in a frantic attempt to save himself from a stranger’s hand. A dog who is used to going hungry is protective of his food. For a shelter dog, not fitting in in these totally understandable ways can leave you “unadoptable” and facing a death sentence.
But at Indigo Rescue, we know that, in the right home, everyone fits. In our loving foster homes, our dogs learn that people can be good. Rather than seeing danger in a strangers hand, they learn to relish the warm embrace of a human that makes them feel safe. They learn that they can count of their families to provide. They get healthy. They gain confidence. And they learn the manners and behavior that it takes to be a good family member.
You can’t accomplish this in an institutional setting, that’s why our foster families are the backbone of our work. Indigo provides the game plan, medical care and the individualized support, but our fosters provide the HOME—that very special place where everyone can learn to fit.
Our network of foster homes is made up of compassionate people who actually provide this most-essential part of our life-saving work.
The Foster Process
Over-crowded county shelters are tragically forced to make the difficult decision to create space by euthanizing dogs. Many of these animals are injured, sick, or failing in the shelter environment for various reasons. Some have behavioral issues, often for very valid reasons. Other times, the shelter s simply overcrowded and forced to choose between perfectly healthy dogs that , for some unknown reason, haven't been chosen. Indigo is too often the only option for saving their lives, and we can only do it if we can find an appropriate foster home.
We move first to place that dog in one of our already-vetted foster homes. When one is not available, we send an S.O.S. email to our volunteer and foster network list. Clearly, we would prefer to draw from a pre-approved pool of fosters to avoid a last minute scramble.
We usually have only limited information about the dogs in need, which generally includes a guess at the breed or breed-mix, an age estimate, a very general temperament and health assessment, and maybe, if we are lucky, social skills with other dogs and cats. Our goal is to match foster families with dogs that will fit their unique household dynamic.
How will the dog enter my home?
Once both we and the potential new foster have determined that we might have a good match, we delivering the dog to its new foster home, and assist in helping everyone settle in together. We know what we're looking for to identify many issues with incompatibility, especially with other household members, so we won't leave the animal in the home until we have confidence that everything will go relatively smoothly.
It usually takes a few days for the foster and the dog to enter a routine, and there are always little glitches. We will provide support to help you with the transition, and provide on-going support to help you help the dog learn to be a good family member. If, however, after a few days you feel it is not a good fit, we will move the dog to a new home. After decades of doing this work, we know that all dogs just don’t fit in all homes! There will always be other dogs who will, so we will keep you in our foster network.
Who covers what expenses?
If the dog needs any medical attention, Indigo Rescue schedules the vet visit with our vet, and pays the bill, or our staff may administer the treatment themselves. The foster brings the dog in for the needed appointment. Indigo also makes all decisions when it comes to medical care and covers all medications. In the rare case of an emergency, we may grant permission to take the dog to another vet.
The foster family usually buys food, toys, and treats, although, when a specialized diet is required, we often provide that. We can also provide crates, collars, harnesses and leashes, as we often have very specific recommendations for the type needed to keep many of our dogs safe.
We require foster families to keep their foster dog safe at all times. This generally means inside and crated if necessary when left alone, and NEVER left unattended in the back yard. If your assigned dog is one of our infamous “Door Darters,” you will be given additional instructions on how to keep him safe. Ensuring that your home can accommodate this is, of course, your expense.
How long will I have the dog?
The duration of a fostering commitment can vary depending on multiple factors. For some dogs, we might find a new home within only a few weeks. For others with more complicated issues, it may be many months, especially for special needs and senior dogs. We ask that our foster families make plans to keep the animal until it can be placed in a forever home, to save the animal from unnecessary trauma. We also have need for fosters who are willing to open their homes to dogs in hospice care—to give them the love and attention they deserve in their final months.
How do we find their Forever Homes?
All of our animals are listed on Petfinder.com when they are ready to find a permanent home, and that is where the majority of our inquiries originate. We rarely do adoption "events" as many of our dogs would not be comfortable with the chaos those events present, and we never do same-day adoptions. We don't believe in spur-of-the-moment life decisions, and we don't subscribe to a first-come-first served philosophy. Big decisions like adding a family member require due diligence on both sides.
When a potential adopter inquires about the dog or cat and they seem like a potential match, we work with the foster to coordinate a time to do a private meet. Indigo Rescue does all of the screening of potential adopters and delivers the dog to the new home if the match is finally made.
Input from the foster family is invaluable to this process because it is the foster who can tell us crucial details about the dog’s temperament, likes, dislikes and idiosyncrasies. This is the foundation of the process by which we match an animal with a forever home where it can thrive.
If the foster family has a friend or family member who is interested in possibly adopting the dog, they can refer them to our application process and mention that they know the dog through the foster family. They will need to meet the adoption criteria for that animal in the same way anyone else would, but their familiarity with the dog will definitely feed into the process. We always make sure the unique needs of the animal are the deciding factor.
We are often accused of being "picky" about who adopts our animals--a badge we wear proudly! We ARE very picky about adoptive homes, and take great care to ensure that adoptive families are prepared to meet the specific needs of the animal. Our screening process looks not only at the current circumstances under which the animal is adopted, but also takes into account the adopters history and care of other companion animals.
Fosters, who grow to care immensely about their charges, generally appreciate our "pickiness" more than anyone!
What if I fall in love?
We affectionately call that "Foster Failure.” Nobody knows when or with whom they will fall in love, and if that happens between you and your foster animal, Congratulations! We are happy for you. In fact, we’ve all been there! If you choose to adopt your foster, you’ll fill out the adoption application and follow the same process as everyone else on your way to forever parenthood, and Indigo will just call that one more Happily Ever After!
Ready to Save a Life by
Becoming a Foster?
We'd love to get you screened, trained and ready to become a foster parent as soon as there is a good match in need. Just complete this application and we will get in touch with you ASAP to get the ball rolling!
(Please keep in mind that only specific staff have the expertise to make the foster system work smoothly, so please be patient. We are so very happy you are choosing to join us in this important work.)
