Foster Cats and Dogs • Greater Edmonton Animal Rescue Society

foster with gears

GEARS is a foster home based rescue. This means we don’t have a central shelter location, and all our animals are in loving homes learning everything they can to prepare for their forever home. We are always looking for both temporary and long-term foster homes. The more foster homes we have, the more animals we can help.

What makes fostering so great?

GEARS provides everything you need to provide proper care for your foster animal. We provide supplies such as a kennel, leash, toys, food, treats and more as well as covering veterinary expenses.

We need loving homes to keep our rescues happy and healthy. Along with regular exercise and feeding, we expect our foster homes to provide socialization and training to ensure our fosters are ready for adoption. We also ask that you and your foster attend one of our events per month.

Fostering isn't always glamourous

The animals in our care come from many different backgrounds. Some are injured, some are sick, some have behaviour problems, and let’s face it.. all animals poop!

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Fostering animals that are sick or injured can be difficult and trying at times, but these are the ones that often become our biggest success stories and seeing the progress they make in your home can be the best feeling in the world.

We know not everyone is equipped to deal with these tough cases – and that’s ok!! Not all of them have major hurdles to overcome, and we’ll never make you foster an animal you’re uncomfortable with.

become a Foster with GEARS

We need your help! As a foster-home based rescue, GEARS can only intake animals if there are homes available. With more foster homes, we can help more stray, injured and abandoned animals and find their forever homes. All veterinary expenses, supplies, and food are covered by GEARS.

APPLY TODAY

Most frequent questions and answers

What happens if I want to keep my foster animal?

Sometimes people sign up to foster fully intending to go through the process until the animal is adopted out, and then they fall in love with the animal along the way. This happens, in rescue we refer to this as a “foster fail”. You are allowed to keep your foster animal if you fall in love with them. You will need to let us know that you intend to adopt your foster animal, and then when they are cleared for adoption, you can adopt them. You will still need to pay the adoption fee, and get photos of your foster taken (for future promotional images).

How long will my foster be with me?

All of our fosters are dewormed, receive 2 or 3 rounds of vaccines, will be spayed/neutered, microchipped and receive their rabies prior to being cleared for adoption. If they require additional medical care, they will also receive that prior to being cleared for adoption. Depending on the age of the foster, it could take anywhere from 2-4 months to be medically cleared for adoption. Adult dogs, puppies and kittens tend to get more applications than adult cats. It’s hard to say exactly how long the animal will be in your care, but generally speaking they should be at least cleared for adoption in 2-4 months’ time.

Where do the animals come from?

Our target community is the Alexis reserve. Our outreach team does trips every 3 weeks to the community where they bring food, vaccines and other supplies to the residents of the community. On the trips, animals will often be surrendered, or if there are strays, we will also bring them into care. GEARS also works with other rescues and will take transfers from another rescue if we have room. GEARS will also take owner surrenders if we have room.

“I would foster but it would be so hard to give them up”.

We hear this a lot when trying to recruit foster homes. While it is sad when your foster animal is adopted, it is also very rewarding to know that you played a major role in saving their lives and helping them find a loving forever home. You get a say in who adopts your foster animal, and often times they will add you to facebook, or send you updates through email, so you get to see them happy in their forever home. It also very exciting when you get a new foster animal and get to start the process all over again.

Is everything for the dog covered? Where do the supplies come from? Where does the rescue get money for medical procedures?

All the supplies, food, crate, leash, collar, toys, treats, litter etc are provided to the foster homes when they get their foster animal. GEARS relies on donations for all of our supplies, we are lucky enough to work with some great stores and companies that donate large portions of food for our animals. We also re-use all the other supplies (crates, leashes etc). GEARS relies on monetary donations as well as fundraising to pay for the medical care that the animals need.

I want to know more. who can I talk to?

You can contact us with more questions at any time by emailing [email protected]