Fostering is the most direct way you can help save a dog’s life. It means bringing a dog into your home and treating them as your own beloved companion. A commitment to foster is on a per-dog basis, and we welcome occasional as well as ongoing foster families.

Also, as a foster, your experience with the dog will help GSRNJ identify the family in which he or she will flourish. You will learn their personality, their level of training or perhaps training still needed. Our goal is to match up the skills of the foster home with the needs of our foster dogs. We will work with you every step of the way during the foster process.

Sound good so far? Here are more things to consider when making the decision to help save a life. 
  • Everyone in your home should be committed to fostering a dog.
  • You should be willing to crate or otherwise limit the access that your foster dog will have to your home when you are not there. GSRNJ will loan foster families a crate if necessary.
  • GSRNJ pays for all approved veterinary expenses, including vaccinations, spay/neuter, heartworm and flea preventative. We work with vets who offer us reduced rates. We will coordinate any initial vet visits, shots and other needed medical attention, however, you may be asked to take the dog to the vet and follow through on any follow-up care required (e.g. giving medication).
  • GSRNJ will provide food for your new ward.
  • You should be able to spend time with your foster dog including helping them with leash manners and simple obedience training.
  • Please note that we may require proof of homeowner's insurance policy to approve your foster application. 

If this experience sounds rewarding to you, the next step is to complete a foster application form. We will review your application and set up a home visit to meet you and your family.

Finally, if you know others who would be interested in fostering please share this webpage with them.  The number of dogs we can rescue is directly proportionate to the number of foster homes we have. We are always looking to grow our foster network and save more dogs as we work on educating the public on the importance of spay/neuter and helping to bring about the day when there will be no more homeless pets.
FOSTER REQUIREMENTS
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  • The foster must be between the ages of 21 and 74 years of age.
  • If you rent, you must ensure that your landlord allows large breed dogs to live in the apartment or home and provide us with proof of the consent. You must also have homeowner's insurance that covers German Shepherds and are not a restricted breed on your policy. 
  • We DO NOT adopt/foster to applicants that have dog doors.
  • All dogs currently living in the home must:
    • be up-to-date on rabies and distemper vaccinations
    • be on heart worm preventative or be tested regularly 
    • ​receive a health and wellness screening every year. Cats must be seen for a health screening every two years.
  • Our service area is the state of New Jersey and some counties in bordering states. The geographic limitation is due to the need for our volunteers to drive to your residence for the required home visit and meet and greet steps of our adoption process. If we do not have a volunteer within a reasonable driving distance to you in these areas, we will let you know that we are unable to process your application. If you are not sure of where you geographically fall or live OUTSIDE the state of New Jersey, PLEASE CONTACT US BEFORE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION.​