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| Taking care of senior dogs is not easy. But, it would mean the world to them. |
You may have seen our constant posts for fosters, and some of you have written in. Yet, we continue to post for fosters, because we can't find the right fit.
Pet fostering provides temporary care to rescue dogs who get to live in a safe home environment and begin their rehabilitation. It can be from a few months, to years, depending on when the dog gets adopted, and the foster's tenacity. Our minimum fostering period is 4 months as we try not to disrupt the dog's schedule by moving from one place to another as this might make them anxious especially since many of them were abandoned / given up.
Here are some facts to consider if you are thinking of fostering:
1. Many are senior dogs – so they should not be left alone for more than 3 hours a day. Some have poor vision, and may not be able to find the water bowl, or pee / poo all over. There are others who need to go down to pee, require medications/ wound cleaning, or small meals throughout the day.
2. Some, like Malcolm, have severe separation anxiety and will go berserk if left alone for long hours. Some may even destroy things in the house trying to get out or to their human.
3. Our foster must be willing to provide at least 2 to 3 home-cooked meals a day, and monitor fluid intake. Some dogs may be intolerant to certain foods so their diet has to be very specific or they may develop other health issues which then need to be treated. Senior dogs also generally have to be coaxed to drink and can quickly become dehydrated.
4. Some dogs require experienced fosters who can provide injections or subcutaneous fluids (subcut).
5. We work closely with the foster who is expected to observe the dog and give feedback constantly. This is especially so for sick dogs, like Olive & Chloe who have cancer.
6. We would need the foster to pay for food, while HOPE pays for the vet bills, although any help from the foster is very much appreciated.
If you have the above criteria and wish to help our dogs, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sgor fill out this form - http://goo.gl/forms/2SF2X06AMh
