Absolutely not, but if you have one it’s great. The dogs need to go for walks and get out into the world to bond with their foster home and grow their confidence!

Absolutely. So long as you are able to provide the time and exercise required for your foster dog.

All necessary medical expenses are covered by the rescue. All dogs receive deworming and flea/tick meds when they arrive in rescue. Heartworm preventative is given during warm months.

Yes, you can. We will match dogs that our rescue partners indicate are appropriate to place in families with children. We do our best to assess a dog going into a foster home with children. Most dogs do very well with children as long as there is a general understanding and respect for the dog’s space. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that children are aware of how to interact with the foster dog and must always be supervised when doing so.

Yes! Mind you, we will pair you with a dog who is well suited to your household of numerous dogs and It depends on the other variables of your situation. ie... How much time do you have for the dog, how much structure and leadership do you have in your home, how big is your house and property, how well mannered are your other dogs in the household, etc. Send in an application and when we get to know you, we will better understand if you can provide a safe and beneficial environment for the dog.

We’ll be honest – fostering is a rewarding experience and you will get attached. Many people choose not to foster because they feel it’ll hurt their feelings to adopt the dog out. As a result, rescues are not able to help as many dogs and those dogs perish in shelters. You’re saving a life. Fostering a dog is a selfless act, and sure, it’s not for everyone, but to that one dog you foster, it means the world!

However if you do decide that your foster pup is your forever family, we call its foster fail, we do give fosters first dibs for adoption if Hopes Haven decides that you are the right fit for the dog forever.

With some special exceptions, we found that our dogs stay in foster care for an average of 6-8 weeks. This may vary depending on the time of year (I.e. December is very slow for adoptions)

This is on a case-by-case basis – the short answer is yes, but it depends on what we know about the incoming dogs. If they have been previously fostered with cats safely, then we have a better prediction of how the dog may act with your cat. We loving giving our dogs experience with cats in foster care if the situation allows for such as it opens doors to more homes for the dogs.

YES! We are always in need of ‘temp fosters’ to help cover short term care. Sometimes the regular foster has a pre-booked trip and need help with caring for their foster dog, and this is when you would come in! Please apply using the same application form and we can discuss this in your interview. Note that you can switch from being a temp foster to being a full-time foster or vice-versa anytime if your situation changes.

The first step is to fill out a foster application, which can be found on our website and through the button above. Once we receive your application, one of our volunteers will be in contact to set up a virtual meeting to learn more about you and to determine if you meet our criteria for fostering. We will also provide information about what fostering entails.

There is no financial cost to foster a dog. All supplies and vetting expenses are covered by Hopes Haven.

Absolutely! Please note that our veterinarian partners are mostly located in Toronto and around the GTA. As a foster you will be required to transport and accompany your foster dog to veterinary appointments as required. We ask that fosters have access to a vehicle (or have family members who can assist with transportation when needed.)

Yes, you can. If you are well aware of your travel plans in advance, Hope's Haven will try its best to place a suitable dog between trips. Many of our rescue partners give us a clear sense of the dog’s needs ahead of time, but there are those who occasionally arrive without any vetting, so until a vet visit is arranged, we won’t know exactly what will be needed. But occasionally a dog will need to be moved, but being a foster is a volunteer role, for which we are grateful, so we will do our best to accommodate.

We will ask you in advance of accepting a foster dog if you plan on travelling over the coming weeks. If you have a planned vacation then we would prefer to work with you after your vacation to avoid having to move your foster dog. Moving can be very stressful on the dog and we want to always avoid stressing them. The dogs are our responsibility and we must know where they are and under whose care they are in at all times.

We do NOT allow our foster dogs in dog parks. Dog parks, although they look like fun, can be very stressful and not all dogs get along. Incidents at dog parks happen all the time as unwanted behaviours can escalate quickly. We do not know the full background of our dogs and we want them to always feel safe.

We do our best to match the foster dog with the appropriate family environment in order to set everyone up for success. If you are having issues, please reach out to your Coordinator right away so that we can assist you and your foster dog. It’s very stressful to move dogs from foster homes but if it’s absolutely necessary we ask that you continue to provide care for your foster dog until a new foster home is available. Please note that this can sometimes take a couple of days.

Some fosters opt to provide their own crate, food, bed and other items, while others request assistance. It’s dependent on the home but please ask your foster coordinator and explain what you would need in advance. We want the dogs to have everything they need in order to find happiness and success so all supplies like beds, toys, treats, leashes, and food is covered.