Yes, you can absolutely foster if you already have other pets at home! As long as your resident pets are altered, up-to-date on vaccinations, and able to get along with other animals, fostering is a great option. It's important to follow our decompression guidelines and introduce the foster dog to your pets slowly.

We also recommend supervising interactions between your resident animals and the foster dog at all times. Additionally, your foster dog should be fed separately in a confined space, such as a crate, and any high-value resources (like treats, chews, and toys) should also be managed carefully to prevent resource guarding. With proper care and attention, fostering can be a rewarding experience for both your pets and the dog in your care!

ELO covers all essential expenses, including: Veterinary care, food, treats, and supplies (like a crate, leash, and toys). Support from our team to guide you every step of the way!

• Share their story! Post photos and updates on social media to highlight their personality.

• Attend adoption events to give potential adopters the chance to meet your foster pup.

• Provide us with updates and notes about their progress and quirks to help match them with the perfect home.

• Finding the perfect forever family is often up to fate, and we can never predict exactly how long it will take for your foster pup to meet their perfect match.  We love when our fosters are able to continue their journey with a dog until they find their forever home. Your commitment plays a key role in providing stability and care, which helps our pups thrive and become ready for adoption. Fostering until adoption ensures that your pup gets the love and attention they need, while you get to be part of their happy ending!

• We ask for a minimum 3-week commitment to allow the dogs to decompress and settle into a stable home environment outside of the shelter. If a longer-term commitment isn’t possible, you can still help by becoming a relief foster! Relief fosters step in to support current foster families during the week or on weekends, providing much-needed breaks while continuing the dog's care and socialization!

Fostering is a deeply rewarding experience, but it’s important to understand that each dog is unique, and issues may arise along the way. Since many of our dogs come from various backgrounds—such as neglect, abuse, or homelessness—it’s possible that they may need help working through past traumas or adjusting to a new life. Some common challenges fosters may face include house training, crate training, separation anxiety, general fearfulness, leash manners, and basic obedience.

While these challenges may come up, you won’t be alone. ELO provides a strong support network, connecting you with a community of experienced fosters, adopters, and volunteers who can offer guidance! Additionally, ELO offers in-house training to our foster parents to help address potential issues and provide the skills necessary for a successful transition to their forever home!