Foster FAQs

What does Thulani provide?

Thulani provides each foster home with food and supplies to care for the foster dog for as long as you have the dog. This includes medical care for the dog.

How long will I have the dog if I am a foster?

It depends. Dogs can be adopted within a few weeks to more than a year, so it is best to expect to integrate the dog into your family and routine.

What if I want to adopt my foster dog?

We LOVE it when our fosters decide to adopt a dog. In fact, fostering is a great way to see if you are ready to adopt a dog. If you decide to adopt, you simply have to fill out the adoption application, and we will make it official.

Can I foster if I have a cat, a kid, or another dog?

Yes, yes and yes, but each Thulani dog has its personal preference on each of these topics. If you have a cat, a child or another dog, we will make sure the dog is compatible before we give them to you to foster.

How much can you tell me about my foster dog’s history?

Many of the dogs we rescue from shelters were originally strays, so we do not know their background. We will give you as complete a picture as possible when we give you the dog to foster. We look to you as the foster to learn about the dog!

Can I take my foster dog to a dog park?

Unfortunately, no. We do not know the temperament, health, vaccination status or compatibility of the other dogs in the dog park, so we do not allow off leash interaction.

Will my foster dog be trained?

It depends. Because we rescue senior dogs, there is a high probability that they will have some type of training, but we receive all types of dogs. Some are trained and some are not. If you would prefer a well-trained dog, we will do our best to match you with the right dog, but if you would like to train the dog yourself, we would absolutely love the help!

How does Thulani help fosters get dogs adopted?

We will promote your foster dog on the Thulani website. We will also post your dog on the AdoptAPet, Petfinder and Petstablished websites. Thulani hosts Adoption Days twice a month that fosters can bring their dogs to in order to get them exposed to potential adopters. We also send out a weekly Available Dogs newsletter and can post your foster dog on our social media.

What will I need to do to help get the dog adopted?

After you have had your dog for a couple of weeks, we will ask you to fill out a questionnaire, which will provide information for us to write a bio of your dog. You will also need to provide periodic updates and submit photos and videos of the dog to post to our Facebook and Instagram pages. The more content you submit, the more posts and the more exposure we can give to the dogs in order to get them adopted. If you live in the greater San Francisco Bay area, we ask that you bring the dog to Adoption Days that Thulani hosts.

What if I want to take a vacation or I need to go out of town for business or personal reasons?

No problem, our fosters deserve breaks! Thulani will find a short term foster home while you are away.

What if my foster dog doesn’t work out in my household or my circumstances change and I cannot keep the dog?

We understand that sometimes a foster dog may not work out. If that is the case, we will take the dog back. Unless it is an emergency situation, we ask that you give us two weeks to find another foster home for your pup. We also ask that you let us know immediately of any potential issues.