Foster an Underdog

Join the team and help save lives!

Thank you for considering fostering a dog! We are always looking to expand our team of foster volunteers and create a bigger and stronger fostering network across the UK. Adoption rates are constantly fluctuating, so foster homes are crucial to help more dogs find their new beginning. By signing up to foster, you could be an integral part of an Underdog’s journey from shelter to sofa!

Why do we need foster homes?

For overlooked dogs

For dogs that have been in the shelter a long time with very little interest, we find that bringing them to the UK and giving people the opportunity to meet them first gives them a real boost at finding happiness. It also means they can start adjusting to a new lifestyle, learn new skills and boundaries, and get a head start on understanding their new life, ready to impress their future forever family.

For puppies

The longer a puppy stays in the shelter, the slimmer their chance of being adopted becomes. We often bring young dogs to foster homes to give them a better chance at finding a family before they have to grow up in the shelter and miss out on their puppyhood. We may also seek foster homes for puppies that are due to be left behind if all their siblings have been adopted.

For senior dogs

It’s heartbreaking seeing any dog in the shelter, but for the seniors, it’s unbearable. Where we can, we do our best to alleviate any suffering and discomfort for older dogs that have found themselves without a family by bringing them into a foster home. This gives them a chance to relax and recuperate whilst we find them their forever home for their retirement years.

For nervous dogs

And of course, we need fosters for the dogs that truly need it the most. Dogs that have suffered abandonment, trauma or neglect may become withdrawn, shut down or fearful, and in those cases it’s impossible to make progress with them in a shelter setting, Offering a foster home gives them a place to feel safe, secure and loved while they recover and come out of survival mode.

Daniela’s experience

“I’ve been fostering for nearly four years and it’s the most rewarding thing I do in life. Meeting dogs that are about to go on to their forever homes is a dream to me and I’m so grateful I get the opportunity to do it.

My first foster dog, my sweetheart BonBon, ended up staying forever as a foster fail, but since then we have fostered over fifteen dogs. I applied online and it all went from there. I’ve fostered a dog for as a little as a week, to up to four months.

Having had all this amazing experience it has lead to me going on three overseas volunteer trips to assist at shelters with Underdog partners, and I would recommend fostering to anyone considering it!”

Daniela

Questions?

  • Stability is very important for our dogs, so we ask for a minimum foster time of six weeks. Sometimes dogs can be adopted in a couple of weeks, but sometimes it may take much longer, especially if they are more nervous for example. Before you apply to join our fostering network please consider that sometimes we can’t confirm how long a foster home will be needed for a specific dog. It’s important for the wellbeing of the dogs we help that we provide them with as much consistency as possible, so please only apply to foster if you’re able to dedicate an adequate amount of time to fostering.

    In a small amount of cases we may only require a few days of care, for example if an adopter can’t make the arrival date scheduled for the dog. It is often easier to organise a foster home for that time than to rearrange the transport.

  • We will carry out a home check and get to know you so that we understand the type of dog that will suit your lifestyle, home and family. We fully appreciate that not every dog can thrive in every home, so we take care to match-make, in order to set everyone up for success. If you’re particularly interested in a specific dog, or type of dog, we can definitely look into whether they’re the right match for you!

    Often, once you’re a part of the foster network you will be contacted by the team about suitable dogs that are looking for foster homes. There’s never any pressure to say yes if you don’t think they’re going to be the right match for you.

  • We don’t ask our fosters to pay for the transportation fees, but it’s important to note that bringing a dog over to the UK costs us in excess of £500 so if you’re able to make a donation that is of course gratefully received. Please be aware that we do not pay people to foster and basic costs of looking after the dog are the responsibility of the foster. We also support fosters with any unexpected veterinary bills.

  • Becoming an Underdog foster means you’re becoming a part of our community and we are so appreciative of anyone who wishes to support us and our dogs. We ensure all our fosters feel supported whilst caring for one of our dogs. You’ll have access to our behaviourist network to help support you through your experience if there are any challenges, and you’ll be in touch with a member of the team for fortnightly check in calls to track the progress of your foster dog.