Interested in fostering?
If you enjoy visiting our website, we think it fair to assume that you love dogs! And perhaps you are looking for a way to put your love of dogs to good use…
Oldies Club doesn’t have a rescue centre. Instead of kennels we have a network of dedicated foster carers throughout mainland Britain. Our fosterers open up their homes and hearts to older dogs that find themselves homeless through no fault of their own.
Without our foster carers, we wouldn’t be able to help many of the dogs that we do. Foster carers are vital to our rescue and we are eternally grateful for the wonderful work that they do.
Fostering for the Oldies Club
The majority of dogs the Oldies Club takes in come directly from the family they have lived with for many years. This means that we already know a little about them, and it helps us to place them in the right foster home. Dogs come into our rescue for a variety of reasons: an elderly owner going in to care, a relationship breakdown, a family losing its home, and so on. It is often a very painful experience for both owner and dog.
Before placing a particular dog in a foster home, we discuss with the fosterer the details that we have been given about that dog, and the fosterer then has the option to say either yes or no to fostering the dog.
We aim to support our fosterers as much as we support our dogs, so everyone fostering for Oldies Club has a dedicated foster support person to talk them through the procedures, to help and support with any problems, and to share the laughter and, sometimes, the tears. We cover all vet bills for our oldies in foster, and we only ask that you provide their food, unless they require a special diet.
Could you foster?
If you have time in your life and space in your home to help an oldie adjust to a change in its life, then yes you most probably could foster! Fostering is very rewarding. There is nothing quite like seeing a confused and withdrawn dog blossom in your care. Yes, it can be heart wrenching when they eventually go to their forever home, but you will know that you gave that dog a helping hand to its new, happy life. You will meet its forever family, and you will know in your heart that ‘your’ oldie will never forget you!
It is important that everyone in your family is keen to foster. If you have children (aged 5+) or other pets, you can still foster, but we always need more pet-free foster homes, so please do get in touch if you have dog experience but currently have no pets. You must have a secure garden that is accessible and safe for an older dog.
We really struggle to find foster homes for larger, stronger oldies, so we would love to hear from you if you have the time and energy for an oldie that still has a zest for life!
Of course, if after caring for an oldie you become so attached to it that you know you are not going to be able part with it, you can ask to adopt the oldie yourself. We view this scenario as an all round success: a homeless oldie has found a wonderful new home, and a very special family has found the ideal dog!
How to get started
Please contact us by emailing fosterrecruit@oldies.org.uk with a brief description of your circumstances and why you’d like to foster.
The process involves completing an ‘Application to Foster’ form and then one of our team will contact you. Before we place a dog with you, we will do a home visit — this is to help us get to know more about you and your family, which helps us to place the right dog with you.
We look forward to hearing from you!