🐾 Foster a Dog. Help Them Find Their Forever Home.
A temporary home can change a dog’s life.
Fostering gives a rescue dog a safe place to decompress, build trust, learn everyday routines, and prepare for a lasting home. By opening your home, you also help Daisy’s Legacy make room to save another dog in need.
We provide supplies, veterinary care, and support. You provide daily care, patience, and love.
💙 What Fostering Really Means
The purpose of fostering is to help an animal become ready for their forever family. That may mean helping a frightened dog feel safe, teaching basic household manners, supporting recovery, or discovering the kind of home where they will thrive.
We often have limited information about a dog’s background. We may not know whether they are potty-trained, comfortable being alone, or familiar with children and other pets. Even dogs who previously lived in a home may need help adjusting to a new environment.
Accidents, uncertainty, and changes in behavior can be part of that adjustment. Fostering requires realistic expectations, consistency, and a willingness to work through challenges with our team.
Your observations help us understand each dog and find an appropriate permanent home.
🏡 Before You Apply
Please make sure every family or household member is on board with fostering before submitting an application. Discuss who will provide daily care, where the dog will stay, and how you will manage work schedules, travel, and existing pets.
Applicants must:
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Have permission to keep a foster dog in their home, including landlord approval if renting.
- Be able to provide a safe indoor living space and consistent daily care.
- Have space to keep the foster dog separate from other pets and children during the required initial decompression period.
- Be honest about their experience, availability, household, and the needs they can accommodate.
- Read and agree to our foster requirements and agreement.
We screen all applicants through background and public-record checks, veterinary-record checks, and personal references. Please provide complete, accurate information and let your veterinarian and references know we may contact them.
🐶 Your Role as a Foster
As a foster, you help your dog take the next steps toward a permanent home by:
- Providing food, fresh water, appropriate exercise, rest, and affection.
- Establishing routines and helping with potty training and household manners.
- Following our decompression, care, and safety guidance.
- Communicating promptly about health, behavior, or placement concerns.
- Helping the dog attend scheduled veterinary appointments.
- Sharing photos, updates, and personality notes.
- Helping coordinate meet-and-greets and adoption events as needed.
You do not have to have every answer. Staying in touch and asking for help are important parts of fostering.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need previous fostering experience?
Previous experience is helpful, but please tell us honestly if you are new to fostering. We consider your household, availability, and comfort level when discussing a potential placement. Some dogs need more experienced caregivers.
Are foster dogs potty-trained?
Not necessarily. We often do not know a dog’s training history, and a change in environment can affect established habits. Please be prepared for accidents and to help the dog learn a consistent routine with patience and positive reinforcement.
Will you know how the dog behaves with children or other pets?
We share the information available to us, but we cannot guarantee a dog’s behavior or compatibility. Behavior may change as a dog settles in. Tell us about everyone in your household, including pets, so we can discuss suitability and safe management.
What is the two-week decompression period?
Our foster application requires an initial two-week decompression period, sometimes called the “two-week shutdown.”
During this time, provide a calm routine and keep the foster dog separate from other pets and children. Give them time to rest and adjust without pressure to socialize. Follow our guide and contact our team for help with next steps.
Read the Two-Week Shutdown Guide
What does Daisy’s Legacy provide?
We provide food, essential supplies, veterinary care for the foster dog, and ongoing support. Please contact us when supplies are needed and coordinate veterinary appointments and treatment with our team.
How long does fostering last?
Our goal is for a foster dog to remain in a stable home until adoption. The length of a placement varies, and we cannot promise an adoption date.
Please tell us about travel, deadlines, or limits on your availability before accepting a dog.
Can I foster if I work outside the home?
Please describe your schedule and care arrangements in your application. A suitable placement depends on the dog’s needs and your ability to provide regular breaks, exercise, companionship, and supervision.
Review the foster agreement’s requirements for time alone and crating before applying.
Can I foster if I rent or do not have a fenced yard?
If you rent, we need to verify that your landlord permits a foster dog. If you do not have a fenced yard, explain how you will safely manage walks and outdoor time. Some dogs may require a securely fenced yard.
What if I need help or can no longer foster?
Contact us as soon as a concern arises. We can discuss the situation and next steps together. Finding another suitable placement takes coordination, so please give as much notice as possible if your circumstances change.
For urgent medical or safety concerns, contact our team immediately.
Can I adopt my foster dog?
Our foster agreement gives fosters the first option to adopt. If a suitable adoption application is received, you have one day to decide (additional time can be arranged in some cases), as outlined in the agreement. Contact our team promptly if you are interested.
The purpose of fostering remains to prepare the dog for a permanent home, whether that is with you or another approved family.
📚 Resources for Approved Fosters
Welcome to the Daisy’s Legacy foster family! These resources will help you get started and stay connected.
Foster Orientation Guide
Review expectations, practical tips, and contacts before welcoming your foster dog.
View the Foster Orientation Guide
Foster Facebook Group
Connect with other fosters, share updates, and ask questions in our private group.
Join the Foster Facebook Group
Dog Training Resources
Explore resources to support your foster dog’s adjustment and learning.
❤️ Ready to Make a Difference?
You can help a dog move from uncertainty to safety—and from a temporary home to a forever family.
Please review the expectations above, talk with everyone in your household, and apply when you are ready.
Questions? Contact us at info@daisyslegacy.org.
🐾 Support Our Foster Dogs
If you cannot foster right now, you can still help provide the care and supplies our foster dogs need.
Sharing our foster application with friends, family, and your community can also help a dog find a safe place to land.
Thank you for helping our rescue dogs prepare for the homes they deserve.
Support Daisy’s Legacy
Your generosity makes it possible to rescue and care for more dogs in need. Every dollar counts, and every item on our wishlist makes a difference!
- Donate to Support Our Mission
Click the button below to make a donation and help save more lives:
Donate Now - Shop Our Amazon Wishlist
Support us by purchasing much-needed supplies for our rescues. Check out our wishlist here:
Amazon Wishlist
How to Support Daisy’s Legacy Beyond Donations
- Spread the Word: Share our mission with friends and family.
- Volunteer: Help us with events, fostering, or transport.
- Follow Us: Stay updated on our rescues by following us on social media.