Mo Chara: Foster a dog, save a life

The past couple of months have been simply overwhelming with the number of pet owners getting in touch seeking to rehome their pets. As such, we and many other rescues are now full to breaking point. Both our kennels and cattery are operating over-capacity and until some of our rescue animals find forever homes we just cannot safely take in any more. We understand that not everybody is in a position to adopt, but perhaps some of you might be in a position to save a life by fostering?

A foster home is always preferable to having a dog confined in rescue kennels – many of the dogs who come to us at Mo Chara have had a difficult start in life and a foster home can provide them with their first experience of love and affection. Foster homes are less stressful for dogs than a kennel environment and so their foster carers get to see their true temperament, which is often only apparent when they are relaxed and comfortable – this allows us to match them up with the most appropriate forever home!

Perhaps most importantly, foster homes create space at the kennels allows us to help even more animals! Sometimes the difference between life and death for a dog is the offer of a safe haven, even if you can only help for a few weeks.

To become a foster carer you must be over eighteen. If you do not own your home, you must have permission from the owner to keep an animal on the premises. For puppies, the fosterer must be home almost all day to help with their socialisation and training and for older dogs, we ask that they are not frequently left alone for more than four hours at a time. Sometimes we must carry out a home-check to ensure your garden is secure (to prevent any cunning canine escapes!)

Fostering periods can range from a few days to a few months, depending on the individual situation. The dream is for you to provide a temporary home until the dog finds their forever home as routine and structure are extremely beneficial to dogs and we love to see them heal both physically and mentally in foster care. If you experience any difficulty, we are always on hand to offer whatever help we can to resolve issues, but if for any reason things aren't working out we will find an alternative place for the dog as soon as possible.

We can provide everything you need to foster – leads, collars, bowls, beds, toys and food. Should the animal need veterinary attention we will be arrange for them to be treated at our closest vets to you – fostering is not expensive; all it costs is your time and love!

For more information on fostering or adopting a pet from Mo Chara Animal Rescue, email mocharaanimalrescue@live.ie, call 087-2577182 or 087-6576022, or find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/mocharaanimalrescue).

Upcoming Events

Sunday, August 25 – Dualla Show, Dualla, Cashel

Find us at the Dualla show on August 25 where we will have our much-loved bake sale stall! Pop by to pick up some delicious homemade bakes! Scones, breads, tarts, cakes, cupcakes and more – whether you would like a classic munch or a luxurious treat, we have got you covered!