I foster for my local Greyhound adoption group, and it's incredibly rewarding, yet hearbraking work. I say rewarding because it's such a wonderful thing to be a part of helping an animal find a forever home, and when you get pictures and letters from the forever home like this:


you know you've done a good thing. The downside is, it can be horribly difficult to let them go. The picture I posted was of Marvi, our first foster, and letting him go was the hardest thing I've ever done. Even though I know he's incredibly happy with his family, a little tiny secret part of me still wishes he'd bounce so we could have him back.

The other heartbreaking part of fostering comes with returns. The last foster we had is coming back to me tomorrow. He's gone from being a happy go lucky, goofy, clumsy, toy-loving angel, to a scared timid boy that cries all day, and the guilt I feel for letting him go there, even though both myself and the adoption group did our work and felt it was a good placement, is unmeasurable. So be aware, you need to be strong of heart and will to foster, or you're either keep them all, or have a breakdown. I'll never stop doing it though.

As for expenses, the adoption group covers expenses for food, medical, etc etc. I often don't ask for money back for food if the foster is eating my dogs food, but if I have to buy special food, I will keep receipts for reimbursement. Or they could offer you a tax receipt instead as a charitable donation.

It's certainly worth looking into, smaller groups who don't have permanent kennels will primarily use foster homes to keep the dogs until they're adopted, and it's a great way to go.

Hope this helps.