Foster a Dog from ALIVE Rescue

Fostering from ALIVE Rescue gives a homeless dog a safe place to land while they wait for adoption. ALIVE is a mostly volunteer-run, foster-based rescue, which means foster homes are not just helpful. They are the reason the rescue can keep saying yes to animals who need care.

You provide the home, patience, routine and love. ALIVE provides the support around you, including supplies, medical care, training guidance and help from a foster coordinator.

Fostering Gives a Dog Room to Breathe

A shelter or boarding environment can be overwhelming for a dog. Some dogs shut down. Some are nervous. Some are full of energy because they have not had a normal routine in a long time. A foster home gives that dog a quieter place to rest, reset and start showing who they really are.

That is one of the most rewarding parts of fostering. You get to see the small changes that matter: the first relaxed nap, the first happy walk, the first time a shy dog asks for attention or the moment a dog starts to trust the rhythm of your home.

You are not just giving a dog a temporary place to stay. You are helping them become easier to understand, easier to promote and easier to match with the right adopter.

ALIVE Rescue Covers the Cost of Fostering

Fostering with ALIVE Rescue is designed to be supported. You are not expected to pay for everything yourself or figure things out alone. ALIVE covers the financial obligations connected to caring for the foster animal.

ALIVE Rescue provides:

• 🐾 Food
• 🐾 Veterinary care
• 🐾 Medical expenses and medications when needed
• 🐾 Crate, collar and leash
• 🐾 Basic supplies
• 🐾 Training and behavior guidance
• 🐾 Foster coordinator support
• 🐾 Transport help when needed
• 🐾 Temporary coverage if you go out of town

Your role is to provide a safe space, meals, exercise, basic training, love and regular updates. ALIVE provides the tools and guidance to help you care for the dog well.

How Long Does Fostering Last?

Foster timelines can vary. Some animals may only need a foster home for a few days. Others may stay in foster care for several months while they wait for the right adopter.

ALIVE understands that foster homes have real schedules, travel plans and life changes. If you need to go out of town, the rescue can help arrange temporary coverage. If you can no longer foster for any reason, ALIVE asks for as much notice as possible so they can prepare for the animal’s transition and find another foster home as quickly as they can.

ISO Fosters Are Especially Important

ISO fostering means giving a dog a temporary home where they can be kept separate from other animals after leaving the shelter. For dogs coming from Chicago Animal Care and Control, this separation period usually lasts about 2 to 3 weeks and helps protect resident pets from contagious illness the foster dog may have been exposed to in the shelter environment.

ISO foster homes are homes with no other animals. ALIVE provides the medical care, supplies and guidance. You provide the safe place to rest.

This type of fostering can be short-term, but it can make a major difference. Because ALIVE does not currently have a physical location to house animals, available foster homes directly affect how many animals the rescue can take in.

Where is ALIVE Rescue Is Located?

ALIVE Rescue is based at 22530 83rd Street in Salem Lakes in Southeast Wisconsin. Even though the rescue is not located inside Chicago, its foster program serves the Chicagoland area, Southeast Wisconsin and Northeast Illinois. That regional foster network is important because ALIVE does not currently have a physical shelter building to house animals waiting for adoption.

If you want to help, you can apply to foster or visit ALIVE’s website to learn more about the animals currently looking for foster homes.