Foster

Most of our fosters are based in Stratford/St.Marys/Guelph/Clinton/London/Kitchener/Mitchell and surrounding areas. Please note that at this time we only have the ability to manage fosters within 1.5 hours from St.Marys ON. We may eventually expand our fostering program but we have to keep it manageable so that we can be there and support our fosters, personally. We have run into a lot of issues with foster-to-adopt homes, so at this point first-time Fosters are typically not permitted to adopt their foster dog. We are looking for people willing to give a temporary place for a dog in need.

We have a waiting list of dogs from breeders including small breed, large breeds, seniors and puppies. Most of our ‘drop offs’ are retired breeding dogs, which means they have limited to no experience being inside a home. This means that as a foster, you will help them adjust to their new life as a pet, which can require quite a bit of time and patience but is also extremely rewarding! We get retired breeding dogs of all shapes and sizes and the wonderful thing about these dogs is that they are often very well socialized with other dogs (used to being kenneled with many other dogs) and do very well in homes with a canine companion to show them the ropes.

Join K9SS foster group on Facebook (Link at the bottom of this page). This is where we post the dogs that are looking for foster homes and a ‘waiting list’ dogs. Fill out a fostering application and the watch the posts on the fostering group and comment if you see a dog that you are interested in fostering. We will review your application and call if it’s a possible match!

As a foster, you are required to manage the day-to-day care of your foster dog/puppy. Fosters are also required to get your dog to the vet clinic in Exeter (or there is sometimes availability at clinics in Guelph, Kitchener or Hamilton), at an agreed-upon time. We plan ahead and make sure that the scheduled appointment works well with your schedule. There are some cases where we can carpool or arrange a driver, but we ask that the fosters don’t count on that as it’s not always possible to arrange. Foster dogs are typically picked up in St.Marys ON. You are also expected to keep in touch with your foster coordinator and notify us of any concerns about your foster dog. We ensure that our foster coordinators are very responsive by text/call, in case any issues do arise. We can cover all costs associated with vet care, grooming, kibble, and supplies.