In order to become a foster parent, you will need to:

 

• Complete a Foster Dog Parent Application; this form is available online at wingsoflovekuwait.com.

 

• Complete a Foster Dog Parent Agreement; this form will be provided during your home visit if you are approved.

 

• Wings of Love, Kuwait (WLK) must approve all dog matches with a household. A representative of WLK may also remove a foster dog from a foster home for any reason he or she deems necessary.

 

Items you WILL need

 

• Food and bowls. A small amount of dog food can be provided initially upon request, but fosters are expected to provide food and water to their foster dog(s).

 

• Peepee pads if you are fostering a puppy or a dog that is not housebroken.

 

• Bedding - a clean, old blanket or towel, or a dog bed that is washable.

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• Crate - WLK will lend fosters a crate if necessary.

 

Items you MAY need​

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• Odor neutralizer (like Nature’s Miracle); it’s the only thing to use to clean housetraining mistakes. If you clean mistakes with soap and water, your dog will still smell the urine and continue to go to the bathroom in that spot.

 

• Toys such as: hard rubber balls, Kongs, fleece toys, rope toys, or Nylabones. Do not give your foster dog hooves, rawhide, pigs’ ears or vinyl toys as they can cause diarrhea or choking.

 

• Collar and Leash. WLK will often provide a collar and leash to fostering families.

 

• Bitter Apple (to spray on leashes, woodwork, drapery — anything you don’t want chewed).

 

 

IMPORTANT RULES AND REMINDERS REGARDING YOUR FOSTER DOG

 

In addition to the requirements and responsibilities outlined in the Foster Dog Parent Agreement, foster parents MUST abide by the following rules:

 

• No off-leash park visits. Foster dogs must be on a leash at all times and supervised by an adult when they are outdoors unless they are in your own secured fenced yard.

 

• Foster dogs may not be left unattended at any time outside, even in a secured yard. You may not leave your dog loose in the house with an accessible doggie door when you are not present.

 

• Do NOT transport your foster dog anywhere unless preapproved by an authorized WLK representative. This is a liability to the organization. Transporting a foster dog without authorization will result in the removal of the foster dog and end your role as a foster parent.

 

• Any aggressive behavior must be immediately communicated to a WLK representative.

 

• No Flexi-leashes. It is more difficult to control dogs on this type of leash. Moreover, the cord may cause injury to you, the dog, or another person or dog.

 

• All vet visits must be pre-approved.

 

• Foster parents must respond within 24 hours to communications from a WLK representative.

• All dogs and puppies MUST be kept in a crate when you are not home with them.

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GETTING READY TO FOSTER A DOG

 

After being approved by a WLK representative as a qualified foster home, but before you bring a foster dog home, we suggest you prepare yourself, your family, and your home for a new canine companion.

 

Be physically and mentally prepared

 

Fostering is a family affair, so please make sure that everyone in your household is ready, willing, and able to provide a loving home for an orphaned dog. Many adults and children have a difficult time adjusting to a new schedule or routine, and also have a difficult time “giving up” an animal to his forever home. Make sure everyone is ready for this new, albeit temporary, addition to your family. Be realistic about your time commitment to a foster dog.

 

Where to keep your foster dog

 

Planning where you will keep your foster dog before you bring him home will make the entire process easier for everyone. When you first bring a foster dog home, confine him to a single room, such as a kitchen or family room. Your house will be a new environment for the dog, so keeping him in one room allows him to become comfortable in his new surroundings. Use baby gates to block off entrances to other rooms. The room you choose should not be an isolated room, but a room where you spend a large part of your day or evening, as dogs are pack animals and want to be with you. Keeping the dog in this room is especially important when you’re in another part of the house as it will help to prevent “accidents” in other rooms that may occur due to stress. (Even a house-trained dog might have an accident or two during this adjustment period.) For dogs that are not housetrained, keeping them confined to one room will help start this important training as it allows you to monitor their activities. WLK requires that you use a crate in this room for times when you are away from the house. This protects your furnishings and home, and ensures that the dog is safe while you are away.

 

The Do’s

 

• Do keep your foster dog indoors in a location with a crate available. All foster dogs MUST be put into a crate when they are left home alone.

 

• Do keep your foster dog in a warm/cool (depending on the season) and dry location.

 

• Do keep your foster dog on a leash at all times when outdoors unless in your secured fenced yard. When in a secured yard, you must supervise him at all times.

 

• Do keep your puppy indoors in a kitchen, bathroom, mudroom or laundry room (you may want to use baby gates to limit access to other parts of your home) while you are not in the room with him. Puppies should be around humans for socialization purposes and should not be isolated. When you are away from home, WLK requires that you keep the puppy in a crate.

 

The Don’ts

 

• Do not place your foster dog around other strange dogs as we often do not know the dog’s past history. Foster dogs should not be put in a position where they may possibly fight with a strange dog. This reduces their chances for adoption!

 

• Do not allow your foster dogs to be outside unless they are supervised by an adult. Never take your foster dog to an off-leash park. This is a liability to the organization. Taking a foster dog to an off-leash park will result in the removal of the foster dog and end your role as a foster parent.

 

How to dog-proof a room

 

Walk into the room in which you plan to confine your foster dog, and ask yourself:

 

• Is there room for the crate (dog’s safe place)?

 

• Is there quick access to the outside for bathroom breaks?

 

• Is there anything that can be chewed, such as drapes, a couch, or rugs?

 

• Are there exposed electrical wires?

 

• Is there anywhere the dog can hide that would make it difficult to get him out?​

 

• Are there coffee tables with objects that can be knocked off by a wagging tail?

 

• Are there plants in the room? If so, move them out of the dog's reach. Many plants are toxic to dogs.

 

• Where will I set up the crate once all hazards are removed?

 

• Is the crate in a quiet, low-traffic area of the room, out of direct sunlight?

 

• Is there a blanket in the crate to train your foster dog that it’s his bed?