Congratulations on wanting to become a foster home! 

The Labrador Retriever is one of Utah’s most popular breeds, the most common family pet, and a breed that is commonly found in all animal shelters. Everyday Utah Lab Rescue gets calls from local shelters, Owners who can’t keep their dog, and people who find strays wanting us to take them in. We put hundreds of dogs in shelters on our waiting list to be placed in a foster home every year, unfortunately do to the lack of foster homes available, most of these dogs never make it out of the shelter to have a second chance at a better life. Becoming part of the foster home program, you give a loving Labrador a second chance. A majority of all Labradors found in shelters were once loving family pets, and for some unfortunate event, they had to be given up to the shelter. Most likely its owner surrendered the dog because the kids lost interest, they had to move, the dog simply is just too big, the dog is out-of-control, or the dog is noisy and destructive outside. Most people buy these cute adorable little Lab puppies, and not think ahead that this cute little 15 lb puppy is going to grow up into a chewer, a digger, and a huge dog weighing in at 75lbs. Instead of going to puppy obedience, they either give the dog up, or it becomes an outside lawn ornament.

Utah Lab Rescue screens all the dogs we rescue from shelters. They must be free of all aggression, must appear in good health, and have a great temperament. Most of the Labradors that we rescue know their basic commands, but some rescue dogs require more attention then others; for example the dog has always been an outside pet, “No Housetraining,” might not walk too great on a leash, maybe never crate trained. All these things can easily be worked on, and the Labrador is always looking for ways to please you. After the dog is placed in a foster home, and in our rescue, the dog is then vaccinated, microchip, de-wormed, altered, and heartworm tested, then given preventive.

Foster homes donate their time, their home, and their love to their foster dog. Utah Lab Rescue will supply anything that the foster home might need during the stay of their foster dog. This can be anything from food to crates, toys, leashes, and grooming supplies. Foster homes are also great ways to see the true personality of the dog. They can determine how the dog reacts to kids, cats, other dogs, and house/yard behaviors.
A great thing about being a foster home is that it’s flexible. We can work around your busy schedule. You can take on a foster dog only when you're available. Most dogs are in foster homes for a week or two just depending on the dog. You can also request what type of dog you would like to foster; male/female, puppy/young/adult, housetrained etc.

The next step into becoming a foster home is to fill out our online foster home application. If you have any further questions please email the rescue at info@utahlabrescue.com. Thank you again for helping us save the life of a Labrador.