Save a Life – Be an ISWMP Foster:
All you need to start fostering is love.
Being a foster for an animal in need is an incredibly rewarding experience, and one that can save the life of a dog or cat that may otherwise not exit the shelter, or be euthanized. Almost 8 million animals enter shelters every single year in the US, so fostering really does save lives.
As a foster, you do not need to make a long term commitment of adopting a companion animal of your own, so this is a great way to make a huge difference and save a life without the responsibilities of adopting. I Stand With My Pack also provides all food, medical care, and anything else your foster animal may need during their stay with you.
Fostering can be for as short as a weekend, or you can commit to a longer period until your foster animal finds their forever home. This also helps our rescue make room to save more homeless animals, and helps local shelters free up space so they may not have to euthanize to create space.
LARGE DOG FOSTERS NEEDED
Finding fosters for large dogs is often difficult, but during the holiday season it sometimes feels impossible! Fostering is the very best way to help rescues save dogs’ lives; if you have the time and space this holiday season, please consider opening your heart and home to a large dog who needs a safe space to land.
It could end up being the best gift you ever gave yourself!
Here is what our fosters say
I Stand With My Pack is the best dog rescue I have worked with in Los Angeles! They are willing to take dogs that other rescues aren’t… the medical needs, the elder, the forgotten, the behavioral management cases, and are willing to help not only take on the responsibility of nourishing them back to health but giving training and using events to make a sweet DOGGO an even better doggo for their forever home! The team behind the scenes have massive hearts and are always there when you need them and are willing to help you foster every step of the way – even if you’ve never done it before!
– Kelsey, ISWMP Foster
The journey fostering takes you on is an incredibly rewarding one. To know that one less dog who was dealt a bad card is safe and loved (often for the first time in their life) is what it’s all about. Once you know what it feels like to prevent a dog from being given up on and unnecessarily having their journey cut short, you will never want to stop fostering.
– Jenny, ISWMP Foster
As an avid animal lover, I believe fostering is a small thing I can do to help animals in need. I often feel disillusioned about how many animals are experiencing neglect, but fostering is a way of making a small difference in a few dogs lives. It’s one less dog in a shelter, one less dog in a breeding situation, one less dog on the streets looking for food, one less dog suffering in a bad situation. Although I want to keep every dog I foster, I see the service I do as an important step in a dog reestablishing their sense of safety. The more I foster, the more I see the dramatic effect it has on each dog, and the more easier it becomes to say goodbye and pass them on to new loving forever home. I see fostering as the bridge between a dog in a frightening situation into a more loving place where s/he can begin to trust humans again. I like showing dogs that humans can be loving and that their lives from that moment onwards will be nothing but full of love and safety 
– M, ISWMP Foster
Fostering has become one of the most life changing experiences of my life. During the pandemic I found myself coping by watching inspirational dog rescue videos where I first learned how crucial fosters are in giving dogs a chance. I knew my big goofy dog and I have a lot of love to give so we took the chance and opened up our home. And we are sure glad we did! There is nothing more rewarding than seeing how love, patience, consistency and affection can transform a dog who was once overlooked into being who they were made to be. We celebrate every small moment of seeing a dog build confidence and trust. I mean it doesn’t get any better than watching a pup finally feel safe enough to play, or promise a dog that they will never feel unloved again. It is costly of time and isn’t always easy but it has changed the way I look at others and show gentleness to myself. Everyone must experience the relentless appreciation and love a foster will show you, how incredible the dog rescue community is, and how you heart can break to say goodbye but also burst in happiness to see a dog find a home to love them forever. It’s a risk worth taking and worth every moment.
– Jessie, ISWMP Foster
Fostering with ISWMP was a dream. Not only did they give me the ability to provide a home for a dog in need, but they made the process SO easy so I was able to just enjoy my time with the pup. From start to finish, the wonderful staff & volunteers went out of their way to ensure Harley and I had everything we needed, and were always there to lend a hand. Most importantly, they made me feel like I was really making a difference in Harley’s life, and it felt so good to be the person she needed at the time. I will definitely foster with I Stand With My Pack again in the future!
– Maddy, ISWMP Foster
Fostering has been one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve ever had. We’ve been lucky enough to foster 6 sweet pups through ISWMP and it has changed the way we view caring for animals forever. ISWMP is such a supportive and loving organization that recognizes what a specific dog needs, and provides it for them. Even as first time fosters, we felt at ease because ISWMP is responsive, available to answer all questions and provide everything necessary to make sure their dogs are well taken care of.
– Felix and Kylie Ho, ISWMP Foster
Fostering these animals has changed my life and given me purpose outside of myself. These animals, by no fault of their own, have been let down by humans – abused or forgotten – they have ended up in shelters, terrified and alone. Seeing the transformation that these scared, neglected dogs go through once they get a chance to decompress in a safe, loving space is the most heart-warming and rewarding experience in my life. Fostering saves lives, shows these animals what love feels like, and, in return, you get to witness their healing journey and the joy of their full personalities blossom.
I am so grateful to ISWMP for their commitment to rescuing these animals that need medical attention, love, and safety. In return, these pups give endless love and joy. Their gratitude is palpable. Being a foster is the most rewarding and fulfilling journey. You’re saving a life – one animal at a time.
– Courtney Davis, ISWMP Foster
By providing a safe temporary place for a homeless animal in need stay, you are not only saving their lives, but also helping them decompress from the high stress of being in a shelter (which can be overcrowded and very scary), and also help them trust and learn that humans are kind after any trauma, neglect, or abuse they have suffered.
Non-human animals, like people, are very sensitive, so can expect that your foster dog or cat may be very scared at first. It is important to be patient and to understand that you may be the first time they are experiencing any kindness, a home, safety, or stability.
You can also expect that even if your foster animal was not abused, they still may be very frightened from what they experienced by losing their previous home, or from living on the streets with no security of access to food or shelter. Please understand because of this, they may exhibit behavior that is fear based, such as cowering, being fearful of loud noises, or being shy at first. Please know this is totally normal and that your being kind and understanding will make a huge difference in their ability to be safe enough to feel relaxed and learn that life is not so scary. Many animals we rescue may have never had a home, or done normal things such as being inside a house, learning where to sleep or go to the bathroom, learning how to walk on stairs, walking on a leash, or playing with toys. All these things may be new, so patience, kindness, and understanding go a very long way in helping them to adjust. Allowing them to feel safe and comfortable in a home is so important for your foster animal to learn to trust, and this is a huge step towards their being able to find a forever home!
”I am alive because someone fostered me”
– Violet, Shar Pei
Please keep in mind that animals at shelters ended up there, not because there is anything wrong with them or because they are bad, but instead because there are simply too many unwanted animals and they were failed by humans. Most dogs in shelters are pitbull, rottweiler or other large dog breeds, and these dogs need help the most because they are being overbred and therefore dumped at shelters. Please consider opening your home and heart to a dog that although they may look “scary” or “different”,often they are the sweetest, most grateful and most gentle dogs you can meet! We temperament test all of our animals, so being open to what the animal you foster looks like can be the most rewarding and life changing experience of all! Giving a chance to someone who has never been given one is one of the most important things a foster can do.
I Stand With My Pack does not have a facility and is a donation funded non-profit, so the more fosters we can work with, the more lives we will be able to save together!
If you are considering being a foster, please feel free to reach out to use with any questions at foster@iswmp.org