Are You Interested in Fostering a Dog?

Fostering a dog means temporarily caring for a homeless dog in your home while a rescue organization works to find them a permanent adoptive family.

Unlike adoption, fostering is not a lifelong commitment. It is a short-term, high-impact role that directly saves lives by creating space in shelters and giving dogs time to recover from kennel stress.Most foster commitments range from several to a several months depending on the dog’s  needs.

What Fostering Actually Involves

When you foster a dog, you provide:

  • A safe and stable home environment
  • Daily care including food, water, exercise, and structure
  • Observation of behavior in a home setting
  • Transportation to vet visits if needed (usually covered or arranged by the rescue)
  • Communication with the rescue about the dog’s progress

Most rescues provide:

  • Food and supplies
  • Medical care coverage
  • Behavioral support
  • Foster coordinator guidance

You are not expected to pay adoption fees or medical costs in most cases.

Responsibilities of a Foster Home

Fostering is flexible, but it does require responsibility:

  • Allowing time for decompression (often 3–10 days)
  • Maintaining consistent routines
  • Helping with basic training (house manners, crate use, leash walking)
  • Communicating behavior or health updates to the rescue
  • Supporting meet-and-greets or adoption events if needed

No prior experience is required. Most rescues provide full support.

Benefits of Fostering a Dog

  • Directly saves lives by freeing shelter space
  • Helps dogs decompress from stressful kennel environments
  • Reveals a dog’s true personality in a home setting
  • Improves adoptability and reduces shelter stress
  • Requires no long-term commitment
  • Supplies and medical care are typically provided

Many foster families later choose to adopt, but there is no obligation.

Why Fostering Is Critical for CACC Dogs

Chicago Animal Care and Control (CACC) is an open-admission municipal shelter, meaning it accepts all animals regardless of space, behavior, or medical condition.

Because intake is constant and kennel capacity is limited, overcrowding is a persistent issue. This creates urgent need for rescue intervention.

Dogs are prioritized for rescue pulls based on:

  • Medical urgency
  • Length of stay in the shelter
  • Behavioral deterioration or stress
  • Foster space availability
  • Adoption difficulty (including bully breeds and large dogs)

Once pulled, dogs are transferred into rescue organizations that place them into foster homes for recovery and adoption preparation.

What Happens After a Dog Enters Foster Care?

  1. The dog decompresses in a home environment
  2. The rescue evaluates behavior and medical needs
  3. Veterinary care is provided if needed
  4. The dog becomes available for adoption
  5. Foster families may assist with meet-and-greets

Foster families may adopt, but most dogs transition to adoptive homes once matched.

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