B.A.R.K. Foster Home Information

Please read all of our foster home information below. We can’t wait to have you part of our team.

    Our Philosophy on…

    First Time Foster Homes

    We appreciate the willingness to try foster care for the first time! We were all “first-timers” at one point and remember how exciting it was! For our first time foster homes, we want the transition to be as easy as possible and we want to match you with the right kind of animal. We often look for compatible foster animals that are already in our system. We will try to work with breed, temperament, and age preferences as much as possible the first time. If your requests or criteria are very specific, it may take longer to find an animal who fits those criteria but we will always try!

    Commitment

    Our foster homes are very committed to helping animals in need! Not every foster animal is one that you would choose to keep for your own family, but there is a family out there who is perfect for every animal! It’s our job to find them and commit to them from “save to adoption”.

    Foster-to-Adopt

    Adoption is a lifetime commitment. We do not send our foster animals out on “trial” if you can’t decide if you want to adopt or not. However, if you foster them and find that special one, you will get first priority on adopting them! Otherwise, you must see the dogs through to their adoptive homes.

    The Adoptive Home

    B.A.R.K. foster families know their foster animals better than anyone. That is why the foster home gets to decide which adoptive home will benefit the animal the most, and where you think your foster animal will be most happy. The foster home has the right to decline any application for any reason and the applications are not decided on a first come-first serve basis. The B.A.R.K. volunteers will assist you in the adoption process in the beginning and when you’re comfortable you can finalize adoptions on your own!

    We have an urgent need for foster homes. We cannot do it without help!

    Become a foster home today!

    • Food will be provided for your foster dog at no cost to you. 
    • Any supplies such as leashes, collars, crates, toys and grooming supplies will be provided at no cost (also many specialty items, when available).
    • B.A.R.K. utilizes Southview Animal Hospital in Inver Grove Heights as a primary veterinarian for the foster dogs. Just contact the B.A.R.K. director with any health concerns! Transportation can be arranged if your foster animal needs to visit the vet. 
    • Adoption events are NOT mandatory!
    • All B.A.R.K. adoptable pets are posted on our website and Petfinder.com but you are welcome to advertise your foster dog in any way you choose.
    • If the dog becomes a danger to itself, any foster family member or animal at any time, a different arrangement will be made within the foster system.
    • If you have a breed, temperament, or size preference in foster dogs B.A.R.K. will try to honor it.

    Foster Home Application

    xxx-xxx-xxxx
    Please include ages of children who regularly live in, or visit, your home. Also let us know what kind of pets you have (or had in the past) in order to better match you with the right foster dog.
    We will do our best to honor this.