Foster a Dog from Players for Pits

Fostering through Players for Pits gives a dog a temporary home while the rescue provides veterinary care, training support and help finding a permanent family. This foster-based Chicago-area rescue focuses on pit bull-type dogs and dogs with significant medical needs, including animals who might not have made it out of a shelter without an available foster home.

Players for Pits works with regular foster homes that care for dogs until adoption as well as vacation fosters who provide shorter-term coverage. The rescue reports having more than 70 approved foster homes, including individuals, couples and families throughout Chicago and the suburbs.

Apply to foster with Players for Pits or visit the Players for Pits rescue profile.

Who Can Foster for Players for Pits?

Players for Pits currently asks foster homes to live within approximately one hour of Roselle, Illinois, where its primary veterinary partner is located. Renters must provide landlord information so the rescue can confirm that a foster dog is allowed in the home. Everyone living in the household should agree to the placement before a dog arrives.

A fenced yard is not required for every dog. Players for Pits considers the household, schedule, resident animals and foster preferences when looking for an appropriate match. Resident pets must be current on required vaccinations, and the rescue asks applicants to provide information about their spay or neuter status.

Players for Pits does not accept applicants who are currently caring for a foster animal from another shelter or rescue.

Regular and Short-Term Foster Opportunities

A revolving foster generally cares for a dog until adoption, then becomes available to help another dog. This gives Players for Pits the foster space it needs to continue moving dogs out of shelters and into home environments.

Vacation fosters provide temporary coverage when a regular foster family is traveling or unavailable. Applicants can explain their schedule and preferred commitment when completing the foster application.

Decompression and Safety at Home

Players for Pits requires a decompression period for newly placed dogs. Each dog needs a separate indoor area where they can rest, use a crate and adjust before meeting resident animals or people outside the immediate household. The length and structure of this period may vary according to the dog.

Foster dogs are ordinarily crated overnight and when nobody is home unless the rescue approves a different arrangement in writing. Players for Pits can provide a crate when needed and offers guidance to foster families who are new to crate training.

Foster dogs cannot visit dog parks or meet unfamiliar dogs without written approval from the rescue. Outside the home, dogs must remain leashed and wear a secure non-slip collar unless they are inside a properly fenced area. Children should never be left unsupervised with a foster dog.

Training and Behavior Support

Dogs entering rescue may need time to recover from displacement, shelter stress or an uncertain history. Foster families are expected to communicate when a behavior concern develops and work with the rescue’s trainers when additional help is needed.

Players for Pits pays for approved professional training. Depending on the dog, a foster parent may be asked to attend a group class or participate in in-home training. The goal is to support the foster family while helping the dog develop the structure and skills needed for a successful adoption.

Veterinary Care and Transportation

Players for Pits arranges and authorizes veterinary treatment for dogs in its foster program. Foster parents should not take a dog to an outside veterinarian or incur medical expenses without approval except when following the rescue’s emergency instructions.

The primary primary general veterinarian is in Roselle, and foster dogs commonly require at least two appointments. Some dogs may need additional care or surgery through a veterinary partner in Bannockburn. Applicants should consider whether they can provide transportation or communicate early when transportation assistance is needed.

Helping a Foster Dog Find a Home

Because Players for Pits does not operate a public shelter, foster families help potential adopters understand the dogs in its care. Fosters provide photographs and updates each week and may be asked to bring their dog to adoption events in Chicago or the surrounding suburbs.

These observations help the rescue describe the dog’s personality, routines, training progress and ideal home. Foster families should remain in contact with their rescue team and provide advance notice when they cannot attend a scheduled veterinary appointment or event.

Apply to Foster

The Players for Pits foster application asks about household members, resident pets, housing, schedule, transportation, dog experience and the type of foster commitment an applicant can provide. Completing the application is the first step toward finding an appropriate foster match.

Complete the Players for Pits foster application. You can also read the dog foster FAQ before getting started.