Where do your fosters live?

We accept fosters within 55 miles of our primary veterinarian partner in Gaithersburg, Maryland. We accept fosters in the central Pennsylvania area on a case-by-case basis.

What are your requirements for fosters?

We require all fosters be at least 23 years old. If you have current pets in the home, all must be spayed/neutered, up to date on their core vaccines, heartworm test, and annual wellness exam, and receive monthly heartworm and flea/tick prevention. Fosters must be able to transport their foster dog to our approved veterinarian partners in the Montgomery County area for routine visits and/or emergency care if necessary.

How long will I have my foster dog for?

We can never guarantee how long you will have your foster dog for. The foster period can range from a few days to a few months. To ensure the foster dog has the most stability possible, we ask that you keep your foster dog until they are adopted.

I’d like to foster-to-adopt to make sure the dog is a good fit for my home. Can I do that?

Unfortunately we do not have a foster-to-adopt program. Our fosters are able to adopt their foster dog, but we cannot hold the dog or prioritize the foster over other adopters. Fostering is integral to our operation and simply put, we cannot continue saving dogs without committed fosters!

What are my requirements as a foster?

Fosters provide basic care to their foster dog. They are responsible for getting their foster dog adoption ready, providing them with exercise, basic training, and crate and house training. Most importantly, fosters are responsible for the safety of their foster dog, ensuring they are always kept on leash outside the home and introduced to new people and dogs in a safe and structured way.

What are Key to Lion’s Heart’s responsibilities?

We pay for all medical expenses for your foster dog, including monthly heartworm and flea/tick prevention. We offer all essential supplies you may need to foster, including high-quality food, crates, martingale collars, and leashes. Depending on our donation inventory, we can sometimes provide toys, treats, and bones. We can also provide professional training if it is deemed necessary for your foster dog. Our experienced foster team is available to provide support, training, and advice to all fosters. Our fosters are a part of a private Facebook group where they can share advice with each other and stay up to date on their past foster dogs who have found their forever homes!

Can I meet the dog before committing to foster?

We unfortunately cannot arrange meet and greets between fosters and their prospective foster dog. Since we are entirely foster-based, we cannot bring the dog from the shelter into the rescue without a committed foster home. Our foster team works hard to appropriately match fosters with the right dog for their family to ensure a smooth transition.

How can I help my foster get adopted?

The best way to help get your foster adopted is providing high-quality pictures and videos! We promote our available dogs on multiple social media platforms and rely on our foster families for our content. We also encourage you to post your foster dog on your own social media platforms! We hold periodic adoption events in the Montgomery County area where prospective adopters can meet multiple available dogs at once. We highly encourage all fosters attend these events as it is great in-person exposure for your foster dog.

I’m going out of town, what happens to my foster dog?

You are more than welcome to take your foster dog with you, provided they remain in a safe and secure space and stay on leash at all times. If you cannot take your foster dog with you, please provide us with at least two weeks notice if possible so we are able to find a temporary foster home for your foster dog. We understand emergencies sometimes arise and do our best to accommodate in those situations.

I submitted my online foster application, now what?

Congratulations, you’ve taken the first step to fostering! Our team is entirely volunteer-based, so we ask for your patience as we begin to process your application. You will hear from a volunteer within 48 hours of submitting your application. Please notify your references that we will be contacting them via email. If you do not receive an email within one week of applying, please check your spam mailbox to ensure you haven’t missed our communication. You can also email info@keytolionsheart.org to check on the status of your application at any time.