Foster Questions

Yes. Because we know and understand that "foster failing" or falling in love with your foster dog and wanting to adopt them happens all the time, our age requirement is fostering is the same as our age requirement for adoption. A foster must be 21 and over.

All fosters must live within approximately three (3) hours of our headquarters in Whitewater, WI. We have fosters as far away as northern Wisconsin to Chicago. We are always happy to work with a vet near you, use Amazon or Chewy for supplies, and do have volunteers who help transport dogs to our foster homes as available. However, please be aware that we may occasionally need fosters to pick up their dogs from our location in Whitewater, so please try to make sure that the drive is realistic for you. You may also be required to come to Madison or Milwaukee for emergency vetting or specialized care, should that be required.

The rescue will cover all veterinary expenses.

The vast majority of the time, the rescue can provide all these things when needed. Often fosters like to help out the rescue by providing food and treats. Many fosters have their own crate, bedding, and toys.

NO! Many of our fosters do not have fenced-in yards. We ask that you keep your foster dog on a leash or tie out whenever they are outside and not in a fenced-in area. After all, even old, slow dogs can be surprisingly fast if spooked by a noise. Please do not leave them outside unattended.

Yes! Most of our fosters have full-time jobs. We ask that you keep your foster pup in mind if you expect a long day and arrange a potty break. Some older dogs may not be able to hold it as long as a younger one. A good idea is to baby gate them in the kitchen or bathroom with a potty pad, soft bed, and water just in case the pup can’t make it a full day. We will try to find a dog that can for those that work full time. Seniors are great foster dogs for busy and working families! They often need a lot less exercise and training. Give them a toodle around the yard or a short walk after work for pottying, and then spend the rest of the evening snuggling!

Please contact us right away if your foster dog gets sick. Some things (like diarrhea or a doggie cold) can happen due to stress and can be common the first day or so in a new environment. Most dogs are very itchy for a few weeks after arriving from the South. All of the allergens, pollens, air pollution, plants, etc., are very different from where they came from, and it takes their bodies some time to adjust. If it is more concerning, we have vets that work with us in many areas and can find one near you. The rescue covers all veterinary expenses.

We are very careful placing foster dogs in homes with cats. We test the dogs on kitties before placing them to ensure they won’t be a danger. Many of our dogs get along well with cats. Some try to play with them, which can scare the kitty. Some are inappropriate for living with kitties and will not be placed with them.

Most of the time, yes. We require adopters to travel to meet the dog, not the fosters. We feel that if they truly love the dog and want to adopt, they will make an effort, and we don’t want to inconvenience our fosters more than necessary. Plus, the dog is often much more comfortable meeting new people and shows better when they are in a familiar environment. However, if you are uncomfortable having strangers in your home, we can usually arrange a meet-up at a neutral location like a Petco.

First and foremost is providing a safe and loving indoor home for a pup in need. This means providing soft bedding, a clean living space, brushing and bathing as needed, taking to a professional groomer (paid for by the rescue) if needed, feeding and administering needed medications, and keeping track of medications and preventatives administered. Secondly is commitment. It’s important to understand that it is very hard on dogs to be bounced around. They don’t understand what’s happening, and being moved from foster to foster can cause them to develop behavior issues such as separation anxiety. When you take on a foster dog, we ask that you take that responsibility seriously and do not ask for the dog to be moved unless it is an emergency. Thirdly, but also extremely importantly, is providing exposure for your foster dog. This means providing updated quality photos and videos, an updated and honest bio for potential adopters to read, and bringing your foster dog to events. Without these things, it is very hard for a dog to be adopted, especially a senior or special needs dog! If you need help getting these things, we have a lot of wonderful volunteers (even some professional photographers) that can help.

That depends on the problem but know that we are incredibly supportive of our fosters!

We have dedicated volunteers available to you anytime who will help you work through any wellness or behavioral questions/concerns you might have. These individuals have a plethora of knowledge and experience with a multitude of behaviors and medical issues. Should we have a more urgent situation, we have access to several vets we can reach out to rather quickly. Once approved as a foster, all of this information will be provided to you.

We ask that you give the dog at least a week before judging any bad behavior. Much of this is caused by the stress of transport and entering yet another new environment. Often, most of these behaviors go away independently when the dog has had time to decompress. If the issue creates a dangerous situation, we can work on trying to find a new foster. Just remember that we are not a shelter. We do not have a place for your foster to go immediately. If it truly isn’t going to work, please give us time to find another foster. This may mean crating and rotating for a few days. We know it is hard, and will do everything we can, but that is where the commitment comes in!

***Please note that pain-based training methods such as prong collars, choke collars, shock collars, hitting, jabbing, yanking on leashes, scruffing, forcing the dog onto its back, etc., are NOT allowed to be used on our foster dogs! These training methods can often cause the issue to escalate and are considered cruel and unacceptable. Our force-free trainer will help you find a better way to manage the issue.

Yes – to an extent. All potential adopters must fill out an application and go through our process to be approved, including friends and family of fosters. This includes a home inspection and background check, vet call, landlord call, etc. We go by a “best fit” model, not first come, first served. Our goal is to help the dog find the BEST forever home. If the home is not a fit, they will not be approved for that dog. The dogs always come first, and your input will be invaluable to us.

While it is important to engage with potential adopters, please remember that only the adoption coordinator is responsible for formally approving or denying applications.

• If you have concerns about an adopter, or if something feels off while talking to a potential adopter, do not approve or deny adoption on your own. Instead, contact the adoption coordinator immediately for guidance ahead of any meet and greet.

• If you encounter any red flags or concerns during a meet-and-greet that may prevent you from feeling comfortable sending the dog home with an adopter, please call Mandy Lewis directly at 920-691-6970. Mandy will assist you in evaluating the situation and determining the best course of action. This number is a private cell phone and should not be shared with anyone outside of the organization.

Falling in love definitely happens! We call this “foster failing,” though it’s usually a win for both the foster and the dog. Fosters get first dibs on adopting their dog. However, we require that you tell us your intent to adopt as soon as you know you are keeping the pup. We do not want to approve someone and tell them they get to meet the dog and then dash their hopes. We want to avoid broken hearts as much as possible. Fosters who adopt their dog are required to pay the full adoption fee. We usually spend 2-3 times as much on getting the dog healthy and adoptable, and without that fee, we couldn’t afford to save more dogs.

Of course! Most of our fosters have other dogs, and often the dogs enjoy having a foster buddy around. We ask that you do slow introductions, especially if your foster dog is shy or stressed so that neither dog gets overwhelmed or off to a bad start with the other.

We do transports around once a month, but we also take in dogs from local shelters, and owner surrenders weekly. We notify fosters ahead of time of the dogs coming up to Wisconsin so they can read the bios and pick one they would like to foster. When they arrive in Wisconsin, the foster will be required to drive to Whitewater, where the dogs arrive, and pick the dog up.

A backup foster will step up for a transported dog if their meet-and-greet falls through. Often our dogs have families coming to adopt them when they arrive in Wisconsin. However, if the connection isn’t made and they choose not to adopt, we need someone willing to take that pup home until we can find them one. A backup foster is rarely needed, but we like to be prepared. A respite foster watches a foster dog while the main foster is on vacation. It’s a great way to dip your toe in without fully committing to fostering.

Each dog is different. Many dogs come housebroken, provided they have regular access to outside. Some dogs may mark in a new home for the first few days. Some dogs may have old dog bladders and just not be able to hold it as long. Some might have an upset tummy from the stress of transport, entering a new environment, or a diet change. We ask that you are patient with your foster dog if they have accidents for the first few days. We usually know their housebreaking status ahead of time. Most of our dogs are good with other dogs and are tested for that before they come to Wisconsin. We will not pull a dog that is obviously not dog friendly – they are difficult to find fosters for and adopt out. Some dogs are crate trained, and some do better loose.

Any dogs being transported from out of state or transferred from a local partner/shelter are checked by a vet for signs of contagious illness before they come, and no dog will be transported if they show signs of a contagious illness. However, these dogs are senior and special needs, and with that may come some chronic conditions. Dogs may be deaf, blind, have heart murmurs, liver issues, arthritis, etc. Some veterinary care and medications may be required, but most dogs are healthy and do just fine. You will be informed of everything (to the best of our knowledge) before taking the foster into your home.

No. Foster only when you are ready to take a pup into your home. We have some fosters that foster one or two dogs all the time, others that foster once or twice a year, and others that only respite foster for people going on vacation. Every dog you foster saves two lives: the life of the dog in your care and the spot in the shelter that opened up for another dog. We encourage people to foster as often as they can, but it’s important that you understand your limits and stick to them. We want our fosters to enjoy the experience!

That is different for everyone. It is never easy, and many fosters shed some tears. Some fosters like to make a care package for the pup to take with them into their new lives. Many like to give them a towel or bedding that smells like the foster home to help with the transition. We have a lot of supportive people in our foster group that would be happy to talk and shed tears with you. It’s a great idea to ask the adopter to keep in touch and send updates through email, Facebook, or phone. Have them join the adopters' group too! Once you see that first update of how much they are loved in their wonderful new home, it makes all of the heartbreak worthwhile!

Even if you are already approved to adopt or have adopted through Albert's Dog Lounge and you wish to foster for us, you will be required to complete the foster application. Our foster application has specific requirements and questions around fostering and a specific attestation you need to agree to at the end of the application which is targeted at fostering. These questions are required to be completed per the State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture as part of our licensing requirements.

Once the application is received, we will request you provide photos of your home, pets, and family for a virtual home visit and check your vet/personal references. Once completed, you will receive an official approval email with detailed instructions on getting started. We will also connect you with one of our two wonderful onboarding specialists who will meet with you to go over our processes and policies and be available for any questions.

If you are a previously approved adopter and your application was approved within the past year, nor have you moved, then you will not be required to do another home visit and will automatically be approved to foster.

If you have additional questions, please email us at albertsdoglounge@gmail.com.

Yes - you will always be able to choose the dog you want to foster! Our goal is to match the potential foster dog up with a foster home that is the best match based on the information we have on the dog. Once approved, all fosters are added to a private Facebook group where our foster coordinators will post and present any potential incoming dogs to our program. They will provide as much detailed information as they have about the dog, along with a photo of the dog. If you are interested, you will simply need to let the foster coordinators know and they will work with you to begin arrangements to get the dog to you or for you to pick up the dog.

It is not possible to meet a dog prior to committing to it. Most dogs are in shelters and for many, time is of the essence. Our foster coordinators will do everything possible to answer any questions you have and get as much information as they can about the dog. If you do take in a dog as a foster, we ask that you give the dog the necessary time to settle in and decompress. However, if given adequate time and all efforts are exhausted towards any issues that might make the dog incompatible for your home, we will work with you to move the dog to a different foster home. We have a wellness team who works with all our foster homes on any medical or behavioral issues.

Yes! You absolutely can foster while you are renting! As part of the application process, we will ask for your landlord's information and call and verify that you are allowed to have a foster dog in your rental and if there are any restrictions. We will always work to follow landlord requirements in the best interest of the dog and for you. Please note: Foster applications for renters cannot be approved until we are able to speak with your landlord. This is a requirement of the application process.

We ask that all foster homes have or are willing to use both email and Facebook. Email is used for the application process for both the foster as they get approved, and any potential applicant communications for a dog you are fostering. Once a foster is approved, we will add you to our private Facebook group for fosters and volunteers. Within this group is where you will get education, support, see requests to foster and volunteer and how we will communicate any events, changes, updates, etc. We will further use Facebook messenger to connect you with our support team and with whom you can go to for questions and issues depending on the need.

As a rescue, we do our very best to ensure that all dogs are vaccinated prior to going into foster homes. If a dog is coming from a partner rescue or a shelter, 99% of the time, the dog will have its core vaccinations. However, there are times when taking in an owner surrender where an owner will have fallen behind on giving their dogs vaccinations. We believe in full transparency when it comes to any knowledge we have about an incoming dog and if lack of core vaccines is something you do not want to take on, just let your intake team know, and they are always happy to help shuffle things so that you are only intaking a dog that meets your personal requirements to foster.

At Albert's Dog Lounge, we believe the immense value of our foster families and try to do everything we can to make fostering an easy and enjoyable experience for all. We have a very long list of approved vets from the Chicagoland area, all the way to northern Wisconsin. If we do not have an approved vet near you, we will work to get one established and set up for you. The only time you may be required to travel outside of your area for vetting is in the event the dog is in need of emergency care or has a medical issue that requires a specialist that may not be in your area.

Albert's will always pay for and provide any supplies you need, within reason. We have a full 2,000 sq foot building, located in Whitewater WI, that is absolutely full of supplies available to any foster family to access at any time. Should you need supplies, you would be provided a key-code to get in and you can go "shopping" for your incoming foster dog at your convivence.

We virtually have anything you can imagine available to you from harnesses, collars, ramps, dog beds, shampoo, dishes, clothes and coats, pee pads, disposable/cloth diapers and belly bands, vitamins, supplements, dog food (canned, kibble, and vet prescribed), life vests, specialty lifts, toys, carriers, crates, wheelchairs, treats, calming chews, probiotics, hip/joint supplements, blankets, lick mats, sniffy mats, brain games, and so much more!

If you are unable to get to our headquarters due to your distance from Whitewater, we will use either Amazon or Chewy to get you supplies as you need them.