Foster-To-Adopt

If a dog that you may be interested in adopting does not have a foster home yet, either because arrangements are still being made for a foster home or because the dog’s current foster family cannot continue fostering, foster-to-adopt may be for you. This allows you to foster and to see if he/she is a good fit for your family and home setting. You would be first in line to adopt the dog yourself when he/she is ready for adoption.

Here are the main things to keep in mind if you want to foster-to-adopt:

You would have at least two weeks after your foster dog arrives before we consider applications from other interested families. This gives you time to decide if you want to adopt yourself.
A foster-to-adopt dog will usually be fully vetted prior to arrival in your home. In some cases, we may ask you to help us get a dog to a vet in order to complete the vetting. SWESR will pay for all approved vetting expenses.
If you end up deciding this dog is just not the right fit, we ask that you keep him or her until another adoptive home is found. For a young Setter, this usually happens quickly. For older dogs, it can take longer. We prefer not to move dogs around from one foster home to another unless it is truly necessary. Of course, if a dog is causing problems in your home, we would do everything possible to move him/her quickly and find another foster family. You would provide valuable feedback to the families interested in adopting your foster, and have the final call whether your foster dog would be a good match with another family.
If you would like to consider being a SWESR foster-to-adopt home, please submit an application here. The foster application is the same as the adoption application which prevents you from having to fill out additional paperwork if you do decide to adopt. The vast majority of our foster to adopt situations result in the family adopting the dog.

Foster to Adopt “Frequently Asked Questions”

Who is eligible for foster-to-adopt?

Any dog listed as needing a foster on our website or our Facebook page. Eligible dogs on our website have a “Foster Needed” below their picture.

Why can’t I do this for any dog?

If a dog already has a foster home, we don’t want to move them around unnecessarily. Stability is important for a rescue dog that is likely still decompressing from changes in their life.

What are the benefits?

If there’s a dog that’s really sparked your interest, you’d be first in line to adopt before other applications are considered.

What happens next?

After a dog is fully vetted and has been in your home for at least 2 weeks, we may ask that you make a decision about whether you want to move forward with adopting. If the answer is “yes”, then you’ll just need to complete the adoption contract and pay the adoption fee.

What if I decide my foster-to-adopt dog isn’t right for me?

That’s okay! We do count on our foster-to-adopt families to continue providing a foster home even if you decide not to adopt. After your foster dog gets adopted, we’re happy to keep working with you to find the right pup.

How do I sign up?

You’ll want to fill out and submit an adoption application, specify in your application which dog(s) you’re interested in and that you are interested in foster-to-adopt. Foster and foster-to-adopt applications may be processed on a priority basis.

I have a certain type of dog in mind…Can you let me know when new dogs are coming that need fosters?

Yes, if you have an approved application on file, we can absolutely let you know when we have dogs coming that need fosters. We can send you an email with descriptions and photos, sometimes before they’re even up on the website, and you can let us know if you’re interested.