Since Covid 19 we have received many kind offers of foster as people find themselves now working from home. We cannot operate as we have done previously due to health and safety guidelines and are trying to come up with ways that we can still continue to help homeless dogs & cats during this time.

We do not have our own shelter and pay for private boarding kennels for our dogs that could not find foster homes mainly because they are bigger breeds of dog.

For Hart to continue helping our homeless animals, we have put together a new set of foster guidelines which you’ll see below, these guidelines may not suit everyone but we have to ensure once the dogs get a foster home that they can stay there for the unforeseeable.  We will be working on finding homes for the dogs while in their foster home and the more information a foster home can give about the dog and pictures the easier it is for us to find them the right homes. We have to ensure in as much as we can that we provide a viable and safe option for all involved.

Taking on a foster dog is a big commitment to make and we ask that you consider this very carefully. We have no back up plans if a foster dog is not working out and has to be moved at any stage, we need you to think hard about what happens if the dog is proving to be hard work, dogs take time to settle and if committing to fostering in these times you will have be 150% sure you can cope with everything.  As stated already “we do not have anywhere else for the dog to go” .  We have no history on dogs coming in as they are strays or from a pound, most will never have experienced a home environment, training will be new to them, they will need time, patience and understanding.  We cannot put a time limit on how long a foster dog will be with you, and if your circumstances change we will need time to put another plan in place.  

Whilst considering fostering you will need to think ahead which we know is difficult at the moment, for example what happens when you return to work, we can’t have an influx of dogs being sent back to us as we do not have many foster home prior to this, can you still foster your dog even though your arrangements have changed, if you get ill which hopefully most people won’t what plan have you for this if it does happen.  If you have any doubts about fostering it is probably best not to foster, it will not help the dog if you change your mind after a day, a week  even a month.  We keep saying it but we do not have anywhere else for the dog to go if you can not foster him or her.

We really are so grateful for your support in these uncertain times and we want to ensure fostering works for families and the dogs, we are not being akward with our guidelines but we are the ones that have to pick up the pieces if things don’t work and we have our own dogs 11 between 3 of us.  Unfortunately we do not have the space in our own homes to take in the dogs if fostering does not work out. We will operate according to health and safety guidelines maintaining social distance, and endeavor to do the best that we can for the vulnerable animals that need us.

If you find a stray dog or cat, we would ask that you be prepared to hold them to give time for an owner to come forward. Dogs need to be kept in the area that they are found for a minimum of 48 hours in the hope of reuniting them, and to avoid unnecessary movement and contact.