Fostering a Rescue dog in Toronto
Meet Buddy! He’s a rescue dog from a Toronto based rescue organization, but is also a “foster failure”.
What is a Foster Failure?
A “foster failure” is a warmhearted term used to describe when a foster pet parent permanently adopts the dog or cat. So, while it is technically a “failure” because pet foster placements are meant to be temporary, it is also a “success” because the pet has found a new home.
The focus of being a foster parent is to provide temporary shelter until the dog finds his or her forever home. But sometimes things don’t go as planned and the foster family falls in love with their foster dog and decides to adopt him/her permanently. And so you have a “foster failure”.
More on fostering and recommendations for Toronto-based rescue organizations is below.
But first back to Buddy.
A photo shoot for a rescue dog
I met Buddy and his humans when they received a gift certificate for a pet photography session with me (how lucky were they?) Buddy was originally fostered on behalf of the Etobicoke Humane Society. But his foster parents simply could not part with him and so decided to adopt him on a permanent basis. Buddy is now living his best life in a safe and loving home. I could see why they fell in love with Buddy. His good looks and sweet personality made their decision to adopt a no-brainer.
We held his session last summer at the beautiful High Park. High Park is one of my favourite places for dog photography in the Toronto area for a number of reasons. In the warmer months it’s long walking trails provide lovely spots for photography among nature and in the mini forests. In winter I like to use the dried grasses and plants as backdrops for your dog’s portrait.
Scroll down to the end to see more from Buddy’s dog photography session
Four Recommended Dog Rescue Organizations in the Greater Toronto Area
If you are considering rescuing or fostering a dog in the Toronto area we have some really amazing groups that work tirelessly to find homes for animals in need.
As I have done a lot of photography work for the Etobicoke Humane Society, I always recommend them. They are always in need of foster homes but particularly now due to the COVID-19 precautions, they are not able to keep pets in the shelter and so the need for new foster homes is even greater.
Save Our Scruff is a non-profit organization located in Toronto. Unlike breed rescues, Save Our Scruff do not select dogs based on their size or age or breed. “A dog in need, is a dog in need. No matter if they need medical care or rehabilitation, we will provide them with the care they need before finding their forever home”.
I would also recommend you visit Just Paws Animal Rescue. Just Paws is a non profit organization located in the Toronto Area. They rescue animals that are in high kill shelters, abandoned, abused, or unloved. These animals are fully vetted and neutered/spayed before being re-homed.
Mattie’s Place believes in nurturing the human-animal bond through support and advocacy for homeless pets. Their mandate is helping Canadian pets with a focus on Northern dogs, shelter pets & owner surrenders. I like this because while all dogs need loving homes, many organizations focus on dogs from other countries and It’s nice to have a focus on our own dogs in need.
They also place importance on the rescue of medical cases, pets facing euthanasia or high probability of death in their current living situation.