Foster a Rescue Dog | Georgia Jack Russell Rescue

Open Your Heart … and Your Home

This past year has been another busy one at the JRT Ranch. Our kennels have been full for some time, and we have (heartbreakingly) had to turn away a lot dogs because we simply didn’t have room or funds to care for them.

We also some very sweet dogs who have spent their entire lives as indoor dogs and/or had a lot of exercise and attention and now they are living the kennel life. As much as we try to spoil them and make them comfortable, it’s no comparison to a loving home.

If you have ever considered fostering a dog, this is your chance. Please, however, do not take it lightly as this is a big responsibility.

If you would like to open up your home to a dog between homes, please complete our online foster application form. We will be in touch to answer your question, discuss concerns, find the perfect dog for your situation, etc.

And don’t worry–not all of our fosters are failures. 😉

Complete Foster Application

Foster home responsibilities/opportunities:

Please note: All potential fosters should live in the Atlanta area and be available to take your foster dog to the vet, special events, and/or back to rescue to meet potential adopters.

- Provide a temporary home for the dog. We offer several foster opportunities: Medical recovery, temporary (holidays, bad weather, etc.), weekend “meet ‘n greets” and long-term/’til-adoption opps. Any amount of time spent in a home is a time well spent.
- Be patient. Understand that all of our dogs are rescue dogs, which means there may be some slight behavioral problems. (Don’t worry, we will never foster out dogs with severe issues … unless you ask for one, prove you know what you’re doing, and sign a waver. Wink, wink. We all realize they’re Jacks …)
- If possible, take your foster dog out and about to socialize with other dogs/people and meet potential adopters, networkers, etc. This can lead to wonderful adoptions.
- Bring your dog to join us at adoption/meet and greet events, whenever possible and/or if they are comfortable in this environment.
- Bring your dog back to rescue or another Atlanta location to meet potential adopters.
- Keep your dog safe and secure. Notify us immediately in the event the dog is sick or lost.
- Keep us informed about your foster dog’s personality, quirks, behavior, etc. Many rescue dogs arrive scared and timid, but begin to show their “real” temperament once they get comfortable in a home. This information is crucial to us in helping them get adopted.

Foster Stories

Read some of our fabulous foster stories to see how fostering has changes the lives of several of our dogs … and their fosters. 😉

Want to share your foster story? Please email a testimonial/update and photos to jrtadoptions@gmail.com.

We Love Lucy

August 18, 2017

Lucy's before and after photos show it all. Learn how you can help make a difference in the life of a rescue dog.

Foster to Adopt? Our fave opp!

June 23, 2015

Our little lamb Barkley has moved from his medical foster home to his new (possibly permanent) foster home. Yay! For those wondering if fostering before adoption is a possibility, absolutely! We actually prefer this route to adoption. It’s a great experience for the dogs and the adopters all around.

Kennedy’s Progress

November 20, 2014

Kennedy had the sixth laster treatment on Saturday. This is the final treatment of our "trial" period suggested by Dr. Smith, and we wanted to share an update ... not to mention these adorable photos. He has managed to woo every vet and vet tech he meets.

Chad Stays Home

November 4, 2014

Chad lived through so much heartbreak ... and so much hope ... and now it's paid off. He's not only home, he's STAYING home.

Fostering … and the Art of Letting Go

September 24, 2014

We have another wonderful success story from the Knight family ... and Boe. 😉 Abby originally wrote this on Sept. 15, but Bunny had just gone home with her new parents, Tyler and Brittany Hodnett, and we wanted to give them time to settle in and adjust before announcing it, which we were able to do on Facebook earlier this week.

Bunny Hops to Foster

September 7, 2014

Call her what you will (we still have to refer to her as Bunny as she is listed and linked everywhere under that name on our networks), Bunny is a pint-sized package of playfulness. She was recently spayed and is now living the good life in her fabulous foster home; the same fosters who shared their first-time experience with Jessie, who is now living the good life.

Jessie: A Foster Success!

August 18, 2014

Several of you have been following Jessie’s foster story via the great updates from foster mom, Abby. Mom kept us updated every week on her progress; so much so that we couldn’t keep up publicly, but were elated to know how well she had been doing these past five weeks on a personal basis. This was the family’s first time at fostering and, despite all of the encouragement to “fail” like so many of us, they held steadfast to their mission of being a foster … and they succeeded!

Jessie: It’s the Little Things

August 1, 2014

Jessie has been in foster care for a few weeks now ... and her mom is keeping a journal we just love. She's still available for adoption and, as you can see, is going to make someone an amazing forever dog. She's loving, patient, funny, laidback and sweet as all honey ...

Jessie: A First-Time Foster Experience

July 24, 2014

Fostering a rescue dog is about much more than just taking a dog into your home. It's about teaching a rescue dog how to live in a home. Some dogs' situations are more challenging than others, especially the ones who have spent most of or their entire lives living outdoors--in the backyard or in breeding kennels. And then there are other dogs who just leap into your arms and are ready to adjust to and learn everything. Jessie is the latter.

Our Girls: Once, Twice, Three Times the Ladies

July 22, 2014

Pippa came ... with incredibly advanced heartworm disease. But then she conquered ... with an incredible spirit. Now she's brought two more beautiful girls into the pack.

Mr. Wiggles: Lessons from a Foster Family

July 8, 2014

Over the past year, Kevin and Elisa Schwutke have been a “dogsend” to the group. They are currently fostering Chad, but prior to Chad, they fulfilled the ultimate foster mission three times: To foster a dog from rescue to adoption. Mr. Wiggles was one of those three. Read his story below.

Cobb: When a Rescue Dog Rescues Another

July 3, 2014

Mike and Lily Goldstein gave Carson his forever home in 2013--and have given more to rescue than we can ever thank them and their family enough for. With Carson's approval, they became fosters for Cobb a few months ago. And now? We are thrilled to announce Cobb has joined the family permanently!

Sam and Ossa: Both Sides of the Foster Story

July 1, 2014

To promote our push for fosters, we are sharing some stories from our fosters throughout the years. They all have unique and wonderful experiences – some short-term, some long-term and, yes, some permanent. The Brewsters have had a very unique experience in fostering: They fostered one dog (Sam) to the point of adoption, then took in another dog (Breeze) who was really down on his luck. They cared for him and nursed him from rescue, through the trials and triumphs of overcoming (and almost losing) a broken leg, to making the decision to add him to their family.

Chad: Learning to Trust

June 22, 2014

Over the past year, Kevin and Elisa Schwutke have been a "dogsend" to the group. They have fostered three dogs (Pebbles, Casper and Mr. Wiggles) to adoption and are currently fostering one of our more "difficult" cases named Chad. This is Chad's third foster home. Although he did well with the others, he has some fear issues (especially around men) that needed to be addressed directly and overcome before he can move on to a permanent home. It's been a long road, but he is finally learning to trust.

You Call It Foster Failure, I Call It A Three Time Adoption Success

Confessions of a Foster Failure

June 20, 2014

To promote our push for fosters, we will be sharing some stories from our fosters throughout the years. They all have unique and wonderful experiences - some short-term, some long-term and, yes, some permanent. It is only fitting that we kick it off with one of our favorite stories over the years. Three times, Jennifer Roose came to rescue to foster and, yes, three time she allegedly "failed." But what a beautiful way to fail.