Foster a Dog: Rescue Groups Near Encinitas

• Neighborhoods and News
• January 29, 2018

You have found your dream home in one of the lovely neighborhoods in Encinitas. It has a nice yard and plenty of space for the dog you have always wanted. Before you buy from a breeder, have you considered fostering?

Fostering is a system that is used to provide dogs a temporary home outside of a shelter while they wait for the right family to adopt them permanently. This article will look at some of the benefits of fostering, followed by three great organizations in the Encinitas area that rely on foster parents to help place homeless animals with their forever families.

Benefits of Fostering a Dog

1. Sense of purpose.

There will be little doubt in your mind when you see the transformation that happens when a dog transitions from a life of abuse, homelessness, and/or food insecurity to one where their basic needs are met. In addition, since dogs are social animals, they will make sure you know how grateful they are for your help.

2. Flexibility

Those with busy lives may appreciate being a part-time foster parent. Most foster groups have ways to get involved without taking on the full responsibility of 24/7 care. Others provide pet sitting services for foster families that need to travel.

3. Experience and training

Most foster groups offer their volunteers resources and training opportunities to learn how to be the best dog handlers they can be. Those new to dogs will learn a great deal, preparing them for a dog of their own when they are ready.

4. Lifestyle check

Fostering gives you a chance to make sure your lifestyle is suited for dog ownership, and if so, what qualities in a dog are the ones that best fit your personality, activity level, and interests.

5. Cost saving

Most foster programs provide for all medical and spay/neuter costs. Some will even cover the cost of necessities like food and routine preventative care such as heartworm and flea/tick treatments.

3 Dog Fostering Organizations Near Encinitas

Rancho Coastal Human Society Foster Program

Located right in Encinitas, the Rancho Coastal Human Society has an extensive dog foster program. Their volunteers give more abandoned pets a chance for long-term adoption, as well as support their Animal Safehouse Program, which temporarily houses pets while survivors of domestic violence seek safety.

Founded in 1960, this charitable organization has been active in raising community awareness about pet overpopulation, as well as providing low cost educational programming to the public. Several outreach efforts target younger populations, including the Kids Community Service Program and free classroom presentations to nearby schools.

They provide food, medical costs and even blankets to make sure that fostering is not a financial burden. The Rancho Coastal Humane Society strives to be flexible with your schedule to make fostering accessible, and they also want to be sure that they place their foster animals in the right home. If one candidate is not a good fit for your household, they will help you find one that is.

Second Chance Dog Rescue of San Diego

Second Chance Dog Rescue does not have a brick and mortar facility. Rather, they operate exclusively through a network of foster families who volunteer their time and homes to give the dogs in their care a second chance to find the family they have been waiting for.

They pay for spaying or neutering, medical needs, and provide for any special rehabilitation care if necessary. SCDR also provides extensive support to foster volunteers in terms of educational resources. This is a good chance for those new to dog ownership to learn more about how to provide for the needs of our canine companions before taking the leap to full-time dog ownership.

Sometimes you will only have a dog for a few days or weeks before they are adopted permanently. Second Chance is very active with programing designed to increase the visibility of their adoption program in the communities they serve. Weekly adoptions events throughout the San Diego area raise awareness and keep adoption rates high.

Wagging Dog Rescue of Carlsbad

Wagging Dog rescues dogs on an international scale. This group is dedicated to saving dogs that would otherwise be euthanized. They operate entirely using a foster model, working very closely with volunteers to give them the skills they need to help each of the pets in their care.

If you are a compassionate person looking to learn more about animal rehabilitation, positive training techniques, and contribute to a movement dedicated to improving the conditions of domesticated pets across the world, this is a great choice for you! If you are not ready to foster, this group offers other excellent opportunities to get involved.

If you plan to work with Wagging Dog, you will need to provide your foster dog with some affordable dog food, as well as flea and tick preventative. They do, however, provide for the medical expenses and spay/neuter costs of the dogs in their charge. An added bonus? Their extensive network of volunteers can help provide pet sitting services if you need to arrange travel while you have a foster dog in your care.