Shelter Foster Program
Fostering with Liberty Dogs™ is a powerful way to save a life, giving a shelter dog a second chance while supporting a Veteran’s healing journey. Fosters are essential partners who provide love, stability, and a home environment, while our professional team manages training and guidance and covers all supplies and costs. With flexible options and full support, you can make a meaningful impact without doing it alone.
Save a Life
Fostering with Liberty Dogs™ truly saves lives. We partner with shelters in high-euthanasia regions across the Central Valley and Northern California, where large dogs face the greatest risk due to space limitations and longer stays. Every foster home allows us to rescue more dogs while supporting more Veterans.
Because every dog is an individual, whether cuddly, adventurous, quirky, or calm, we thoughtfully match each one with the right foster for the best possible fit. We designed our program to be work- and travel-friendly, with dogs training alongside our professional team five days a week, flexible drop-off and pick-up hours, and travel support so you don’t have to pause life to foster.
Foster Opportunities
Long-Term Foster
(6-9 Months)
Foster a dog through training until placement or a career change
WEEKDAY SCHEDULE
Drop-Off:
7–9 AM (Mon–Fri)Pick-Up:
5–7 PM (Mon–Fri)
Dogs stay with you full-time on weekends
Professional training & behavior support provided
Weekend Foster
Pick-up Friday evening, drop-off Monday morning
Ideal commitment: 6–9 months, but occasional weekends welcome
Great option for those with weekday commitments
Short-Term Foster
For dogs needing immediate support
Commitment: 1–3 days
Helps dogs decompress outside the kennel environment
Training drop-off is optional during this time
Ready to Foster?
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our dogs come from trusted shelter and rescue partners across California, primarily in high-euthanasia regions like the Central Valley, Bay Area, and Northern CA. Each dog we bring into the program is given a second chance and the opportunity to become part of something bigger.
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Most of our dogs are large mixed-breed pups (40+ lbs) between 8 months and 3 years old. Because large dogs are often face the greatest risk in shelters, they are currently our greatest focus. Every dog is unique, and we celebrate them for exactly who they are!
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Fostering is flexible and designed to meet you where you are. Long-Term Fosters typically commit to 6–9 months, while Weekend and Short-Term options offer more flexibility. Life happens, and if a placement ever isn’t the right fit, our team will always support you and the dog.
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Not at all! Liberty Dogs provides professional training, guidance, and ongoing support from our expert trainers every step of the way. Your role is simple but powerful: provide a safe, stable, and loving home while being open to learning.
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We take care of all dog-related expenses, including food, veterinary care, and equipment. Fosters receive supplies like a crate, bed, toys, leash, and collar so you can focus on bonding.
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Many of our fosters have resident pets. We simply ask that they are friendly, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered, with a maximum of two resident dogs. Our team can coordinate meet-and-greets with trainers to ensure the right match for everyone involved based on the information you provide in your application.
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Because our dogs are still learning, we ask foster families to keep outings simple and primarily at home or on neighborhood walks. Our professional trainers handle advanced public exposure during daily training to set each dog up for success.
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Every dog has a purpose, even if their path looks different. Some transition into alternative roles like Hearing Dogs or therapeutic support. If another pathway isn’t chosen, foster families are given the first opportunity to adopt.
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It’s completely natural to form a strong bond, and saying goodbye can be emotional. Many fosters find comfort in knowing their love and consistency helped prepare a dog to change a Veteran’s life. And when the time feels right, there’s always another foster pup who needs a loving home!