Emergency dog fostering in NYC -- is this still needed?

March 16, 2020 10:08 AM

I called the ASPCA and they were like "we have suspended all operations," so, oops. I could take a dog for however long this lasts, and it would probably be good for me, because otherwise I am holed up by myself. I'm in Brooklyn. Caveats: I've never fostered before, so I won't be on any organization's pre-approved list. Anyone know anywhere that is still looking for emergency dog fosters?
posted by schadenfrau to Pets & Animals (7 answers total)

You could join NextDoor, or look for a Facebook group for parents-of-pets in your neck of the woods, and put out feelers.

(Your heart is in the right place, of course. I just want to note that dogs need to be walked, and a stressed-out dog bunking with a stranger is more likely howl, growl, whine, and have accidents which will be onerous to clean up (supplies-wise) in the current climate.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:37 AM on March 16, 2020

I'd look for local mutual-aid groups (these are popping up over the past week and I'm positive there will be ones in Brooklyn), local facebook groups, Craigslist, etc. Putting up flyers in your building or around your neighborhood, even. There are also apps to hire petsitters, you could join those and offer your services for free. The one I'm on allows the petsitter to specify that they only do hosting in their home, rather than going to the client's house.

Not to be a bummer, but even in the best-case projections many older people will have to go to the hospital and stay there. Elderly people who can no longer care for their pets are already a major source of the animals in shelters, and it will only escalate. I hadn't heard that shelters were shutting down (I'm assuming just stopping contact with public, still doing skeleton-crew care of animals at the shelter?). I don't know what that will mean for all the newly homeless animals we'll see soon, but definitely nothing good.

I think you should definitely do this, and other people with the capacity should also consider it, but with the assumption that you'll be on your own without any support from any official organization.
posted by 100kb at 11:00 AM on March 16, 2020

I know a vet in Brooklyn who is trying to get a foster for a pair of cats! They are older and have some issues requiring prescription food, but the vet is willing to pay for 6 months of specialty food and has done loads of tests on them to assure their good health.

Memail me if you are interested. Cats are great quarantine buddies <3
posted by wowenthusiast at 11:43 AM on March 16, 2020

I actually just saw a post through a rescue group on Facebook (Partnership for Shelter Animals NYC) that the ACC is looking for emergency fosters, so this is timely. The ACC is requiring a short questionnaire through Google Forms and they provide a link to online orientations: https://www.nycacc.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/ACC_Online_Dog_Orientation.pdf So, there's an option if you're interested.
posted by Recliner of Rage at 12:35 PM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you! I filled out the ACC thing, so maybe I'll get a needy pup before everything is totally shut down...
posted by schadenfrau at 1:43 PM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

I used to foster for Posh Pets (they're not posh at all). I believe there is an online application at the website, I don't recall the process of becoming a foster being lengthy. You can specify what types of dogs you prefer to foster, I always said large but they tend to stick to pups under 50 pounds. The good thing is the founder does all the legwork of getting the dog adopted, so you end up being just the caretaker. She pulls dogs from the euth list at ACC (at last that's what was happening years ago when I was fostering), so you're helping to save a dogs life.
posted by newpotato at 2:28 PM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

Are you near Long Island? This boxer needs a foster.
posted by mccxxiii at 6:04 PM on March 16, 2020 [1 favorite]