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, who provide a temporary home to one (or two!) of our dogs until they find their forever home. 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 the many dogs that we do. At any one time, we usually have around 40 dogs in individual foster homes around the country. Foster carers are vital to our rescue and we are eternally grateful for the wonderful work that they do.
Fostering for Oldies Club
The majority of dogs Oldies Club takes in come directly from the family they have lived with for years. This means that we usually know a little about them, which helps us to place them in the right foster home. Dogs come into our rescue for a variety of reasons: an elderly owner having died or gone 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 dog in a foster home, we discuss with the fosterer the details that we have been given about that dog, and the fosterer 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 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, space in your home, and the energy and experience to help an oldie on its way to a new life, then you probably could foster! Fostering is very rewarding. There is nothing like seeing a confused and withdrawn dog blossom in your care. 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 could 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 your own secure garden that is easily 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! Similarly we always need foster carers who would happily take in a dog with health issues that might make it incontinent, or ones that have never lived in a home environment and will need help with housetraining.
Of course, if you become so attached to your foster dog that you know you are not going to be able part with it, you can ask to adopt the oldie yourself before it goes up for general adoption. 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 answering a scenario question and completing an application form, and then one of our team will contact you. Before we place a dog with you, we do a home visit — this is to help us get to know more about you and your family, which helps us place the right dog with you.
We look forward to hearing from you!