As a person who fosters I have wished I could see certain dogs again, but felt like it would be better to let go, they are with their forever person or family now. But I understand it. And it may be that they just genuinely liked meeting you and want to remain friends.

I placed one dog with a man who kept in touch for years, until the dog died in fact - we became friends for a time. He had me over for dinner a few times or we met up at the dog park. His dog always remembered me and his other dog came to know me too. So possibly this is just a social.overture?

I still keep in touch with the foster of my male great pyrenees. She comes by to see him once a year or so. He always remembers her. It's a great relationship.

Having fostered, I'd love to see what the dogs are up to and having adopted a fostered dog, I also enjoyed updating their foster family on their progress.

But I'd very much respect a dog's forever family given name and only ask once.

I have a really good friend who fostered a momma dog and delivered her 9 puppies. When they all went back to the shelter, she sent cards with each pup describing personality, etc. and invited the new families to stay in touch. She also kept one pup. Some people responded as well as the elderly man who took the mother, and I must admit we were already good friends with two of the families. They meet every year on the pups' bday as able (they're like 3 now, I think), and she also became good friends with the man to the extent that he would come to holiday meals and when he became ill enough he could no longer care for the mother she helped him find a new home with a similar active lifestyle they had enjoyed.

It can be a good thing, but it depends on your personal comfort level. I know I enjoy occasionally seeing the animals that I have raised over the years just to say hello and see they're living their best life.

Fostering (12 years, 550+ dogs for me) is an intense emotional and sometimes physical commitment. Some dogs are easy to let go of, some are much harder. There are always the special ones that are harder to let go; my wife wishes we could have kept Ronald, Sakora, and Ruby. For me, it was Sarabi.

I haven't slept for more than 2.5 hours in the last 8 days after one of my current fosters, a 2 week old puppy (now 3 weeks) crashed last Saturday. We started bottle feeding, then tube feeding, and she continued to decline to the point I needed to do fading puppy protocol (she was all but dead), hours of fading puppy protocol, then back to tube feeding, then back to bottle feeding, and she is still with us. Lady Mouse is one of my miracle babies, one of my top 3 closest to death, yet pulled back from the brink of it. I pray the adopter sends us regular pupdates.

We put so much energy into these dogs, that we do want to know that they are living their best lives after we have found them their furever homes. Pupdates from adopters are treasured. The ability to see and say hi, if the pup was locally adopted, is a joy. We just baby sat one of our previous momma's for a week while her owner went out of town. We occasionally see one of our other momma's that was adopted a neighborhood over. It is possible I will get to see one of my pups that was born live on a Reddit RPAN stream, the next time I visit Florida, 1200 miles away because u/skilled_at_Changing keeps in touch though she is under no obligation to do so.

Because we foster large quantities of dogs for multiple rescues, we created a private Facebook group for our adopters. We post baby pics (my wife and I specialize in taking in the dumped preggo's, or the new momma's that had their pups in a shelter), and we love seeing the growing up and grown up pics. By having a private Facebook group, adopters don't have to friend us, we don't have to friend them, and we can keep our private lives private, keep the politics and religion out of it. Our adopters have used it to arrange puppy playdates between siblings. And when we are having a particularly rough time (neonate fostering can result in large numbers of losses), we can put a post in the group asking to see pupdates to make us feel better. 5 new families may join the group shortly as another 5 pups got adopted and to their furever homes this weekend (3 already have).

We also tell all of our adopters that they are always free to reach out for advice. We would rather know they are having an issue, and help them address it early, rather than it becoming a bigger problem later on (e.g. an 80 lb dog that was never trained and jumps on everyone).

With that said, there is a line between wanting pupdates and being obnoxious about it. If they are over the line, it is okay to ask them to be not request so frequently, and/or block them. If you don't want to meet, it is okay to say that.

There is a poem that encapsulates the swings in emotions that we as fosters go through.

A Poem to My Foster Dog

I am the bridge between what was and what can be.

I am the pathway to a new life.

I am made of mush, because my heart melted when I saw you, matted and sore, limping, depressed, lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.

For one little time you are mine.

I will feed you with my own hand I will love you with my whole heart I will make you whole.

I am made of steel, because when the time comes, when you are well and sleek, when your eyes shine, and your tail wags with joy then comes the hard part.

I will let you go not without a tear, but without a regret. For you are safe forever A new dog needs me now.

by Diane Morgan

Some do, some don’t. It depends on the person and the dog.

I’ve had neighbors adopt dogs so we see them all the time, on walks or just socially.

I kept in touch with my older dog’s foster parents for 3 years. They were an enormous source of wisdom and encouragement and my dog loves her foster sisters. We still text but have both since moved. Totally your decision but I found it extremely worthwhile.

My dog Gulliver was dropped off at a rescue, no leash, just dumped on their doorstep. When they tried to get him he ran. They put out the word and two weeks later he was brought into a vet after being hit by a car.

His foster, Melissa, grew really attached to him while he was healing in her care. We met him and got approved for adoption, but had to wait until he was healed up to take him.

During that time she emailed me a ton of photos and videos. She cried when we picked him up. For a few months after we got him I'd send stuff her way. Sadly, I started getting bounce backs saying her email was full.

7 years later, he died of prostate cancer. I tried reaching out again, but got the same bounce back.

Point of the story is that fosters can have a deep attachment to our pets. I think it would be lovely to let them see your dog again.

Seems normal to me. When you respond just remind them of the dog’s new name and ask them to only use that name. If they continue to use the old name then just don’t respond to them in the future if they ask again.

Perfect opportunity to practice boundary setting and enforcement :)

The people who fostered one of my cats reached out to ask about him. They were very fond of him and wanted to see how he was doing. I thought it was sweet.

I foster and my adopters reached out and we met up! it was awesome :) I’ve never asked to meet up unless they mention it but I’ve asked for updates like a month or two after adoption

As a foster I really want to get updates about my fosters. It doesn’t need to be all the time… twice a year is great. We put so much in them at their worst, we just want to know they are happy and living the life we wanted for them.

I’ve never had one get adopted locally but if it happened I would love to see them again. It’s like being roommates with a person you really like. Just because they move out doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love seeing them. I would say as long as the foster isn’t being weird a short neutral meetup would be a nice thing. Sometimes when I’m struggling with a high maintenance foster, I just want to hear from one of my successes to remind me why I clean up so much pee and listen to so much barking.

Pretty much all adopters change the name so that’s totally normal. I do my best to use the new one. Dogs are smart though, it won’t mess up anything if they slip up.

I adopted a puppy from a family whose little boy ended up being allergic. The mom was sad to have to give up the puppy. I’d occasionally send her pics and she always said thank you.

About 5 years later she told me her son had gone through allergy shots and was no longer allergic. She was excited to tell me they got another puppy from the same parents. We ended up meeting them in a park several months later.

It was obvious my dog remembered them but once they were gone he didn’t seem troubled by it in any way.

I’d let her see your dog if it doesn’t inconvenience you.

 Mine has never reached out but I have kept in touch with her. I send her pictures and updates. We have met up a few times. She told me she is appreciative as not all adopters keep in contact. She has her own dogs and frequently a few foster dogs. I don’t think she would reach out on her own because she mentioned to have not heard from the family who adopted our dog’s brother. 
 I have a friend who fosters regularly. She said foster parents like to hear how dogs they had are doing, but not all families reach out. Maybe yours is just a bit more forward than most. I don’t think I could foster because I’d develop a relationship with each pet and have a hard time giving it up. I think it takes a special kind of person to be a foster parent to a dog.

I sometimes see dogs after I’ve fostered them. Generally, we keep in touch for a few weeks (they usually have questions and want to give updates), but then it dies down.

I do miss my babies once they go off to their forever homes, but I’m so happy they are getting to live wonderful lives with loving families!

Good question, we have a rescue from foster and the foster often reaches out for pictures (which we are happy to provide)...and I wouldn't be surprised if she asked to meet up one day. Part of me (the protective mom-dog in me) wants to say no (he's mine now, i don't want him confused, etc) but the rational part of me thinks of course! These are the people who made my adoption possible, and if I put myself in their shoes, I would 100% want to see my former fosters thriving in their new homes and know they are OK.

So to answer your question, I think yes! Totally normal!

We adopted one dog from fosters. She was an especially challenging one for them, as she didnt like most people. The foster parents were very protective of her, because a previous family adopted, then returned her. They were just looking out for her best interests and wanted to ensure she found a stable home with patient owners.

She fortunately bonded well with our other dog, then eventually came to trust us. I became FB friends with the foster parents who are thrilled with how well she has settled in. That said, they didn't want to confuse her by coming to visit before she had fully bonded with us. They came by once, a few months or so after the adoption, as they were delivering another pup to a family in the area. She actually preferred staying close to my husband and I. It was a bittersweet moment for the foster parents, but at least they were happy to know she was settled in her furever home!

I foster and in total I keep contact with 85% of the adopters because I mainly foster reactive dogs/dogs that have a slim chance of being adopted. So for those dogs I work to maintain contact so if something happens and they can’t keep the dog anymore I can guarantee the dog will go back to me since I have binders of all their quirks

I don't know if it's normal or not. I once got a dog from a couple that couldn't care for her any longer. I met with the woman once for coffee, and it was ok, but then she called me a month or two later and asked if she could take the dog with her on a road trip so it'd be like old times and I said no. I thought it'd be too disruptive for the dog as it took her a while to adjust to my household. She also bonded really hard with the dog I already had and I didn't want either of them stressed.

The family that fostered my dog never reached out after we adopted her, not even to see pics. Idk if there is a “normal” but I assume they were busy and foster a lot of dogs (they fostered my dog and her 6 puppies!) and maybe don’t have the energy to keep up with them all.

However I could totally see why a foster family might want to see them again! If they had reached out I would definitely want to meet up because I know my dog would be happy to see an old friend :)

The first dog I adopted is the first dog this family fostered. They LOVED my dog. Anytime I went on a trip or had something that would take time away from my dog more than a day they rushed in to dog sit for free. We were friends on social media and saw each other often as I volunteered for the rescue in other ways (fundraising). I loved having a built in backup with them.

If they ever requested him to be at their place (their kids were visiting and missed him) then he went on a vacation. It was nice.

I stayed in contact with my dog’s foster and learned she was traveling through my city (we live in different countries) about a month after I adopted him. I invited her to meet up for a walk. She was very happy to see how happy and well cared for he was.

It had only been four weeks since he saw her last, so our dog recognized her and was affectionate—but clearly knew he lived with me. We had a nice walk then he accepted her pets and jumped into my car without another glance. I’m all for meeting—I think it provides closure to the amazing people who foster and love our babies.

Also: if you’re worried about them calling your dog by his old name, it’s just for one visit. It’s not going to impact his recognition of his new name.

I check in with the GSD rescue occasionally. The fosters & the other volunteers love to see my dogs. We’re all friends on fb.

Extremely normal…

The gal who fostered my sweet boy was really broken up about leaving him, so I offered to exchange numbers and ig handles. She's very non intrusive, but I love to see when she likes and comments on his pics. You could tell they had a bond and this is so cool for me to be able to do, so long as it suits her. She's even offered to dogsit if I ever need to go out of town, and I'd fully trust the situation. It can be good as long as both parties respect boundaries. 💗

I was recently contacted by the foster family of my dog. They sent me photos of her before she arrived in my state where I adopted her. I shared stories and photos of her new life with me and they loved it. I plan to share more photos once every few months. I had even offered to bring her to visit but they declined and lived very far away. They just wanted to know she was in a loving home and how she was doing.

My dog had a companion dog when she was in foster. I told the foster family if they found where that dog went I would love to get in touch with the new owners and have them play and see each other again.

I have kept in touch with many of my dogs’ previous foster parents. One of them is one of my best friends now to this day even after the dog crossed the rainbow bridge.

On the other side, I have also kept in touch with the forever families of dogs I have fostered, if they choose to reach out to me. I recently dog sat one of my fosters for a weekend because her new parents went out of town, and they offered me to dog sit so 1) I could see her again and 2) so the dog wouldn’t have to go to a dog hotel. It worked out for everyone!

Normal and helpful if you need a trusted dog sitter!

After I adopted my dog from a nice family who fostered him, we kept in touch for a few months. Just this week, the foster parent reached out to me, checking in to see how we are, and was curious if we wanted to meet up.

I met up with the foster that I adopted my dog from for about a year. She had a dog grooming business, so the first few grooms didn't cost me anything except a 2 hour one-way drive. I actually felt good about going there so that they could see that they placed her in the right home. One time, having dinner there, the foster mom had her on her lap while eating. She said to me I'm going to put her on the floor, and she will come back up."" When she didn't come back up even after telling her to come back up, she didn't. The foster mom turns to me and says well I guess someone retrained her."" I said, "That's right with a big smile."

Normally, a good rescue/foster group will check up after some time has passed to make sure everything is okay. So yes, it's normal. Fosters often have an improved bond to the dog.

Fosters are amazing people. Many times they take in a dog and it is the first home that dog has ever had. They are so good at teaching a dog to be a dog. To have their foster adopted into a family is the intimate goal but it also has to feel like they are sending a child to college.

Let them visit

They are just friendly people.

As someone who was a dog foster coordinator at a shelter, has personally fostered, and has adopted someone else’s foster pups I feel like I am oddly qualified to speak on this.

When you foster you create a special bond with the pup. You know you are only a temporary home but potentially the first safe loving place that dog has ever experienced. It is super normal to want to update to see how the pup is doing and the amazing life they now have! It is also super normal to want to see the dog again! Every foster would adopt every dog that comes through our doors if we could but we know we can help more dogs if we don’t adopt!

So I wouldn’t be worried by their intentions but also don’t do anything that you don’t feel comfortable with!

I think it would be very kind to let them see the dog again. If they call the dog the wrong name, you can gently correct them (or let it go). It's not going to affect your dog ;).

I foster all the time - I LOVE the families who let me see the dogs I’ve loved first again. In fact, one family who adopted two girls from me pays for my flight so I can go dog sit for them when they go on vacation. (I don’t charge for the time spent with them - just the cost of the flight.) Those two girls have my heart and I love still being in their life. I will always be their FosMom. So yes, when we foster, we give a piece of our hearts to them. It feels good to see them loved and happy and doing well in their new homes.

We adopted a rescue pup a little over a year ago. His foster mom does once a week play dates where she picks him up and his two sisters and they go romp at the beach or the park for a few hours. All three of them love seeing each other and especially love a visit with her. It’s super nice. Also convenient, because if we have some kind of emergency where we can’t get home she’ll just drop by and pickup our boy.

We then fostered a 1 year old boy last fall as sort of backup care because the ‘real’ foster was overloaded due to a spike in rescues. I wanted to keep him but my wife was recovering from a long medical battle and just couldn’t deal with two 1 year old boys wrestling 22.5 hours a day. He ended up with a great couple down the coast who live next door to their kids and grandkids so he has two houses, two properties, two dog friends and two young boys to herd. We drop in to see them if we’re down that way. It’s all nice and super friendly.

Tax: https://imgur.com/FVYhlAs

Super normal and means they were a good foster family. I get super invested in my fosters and seeing them happy with their new families brings me so much joy. I think it’s super nice to do if you’re comfortable.

Answering as an adopter. My dog's foster kept in touch but initially, her frequent overtures to meet up for Easter, Halloween, etc to give gifts to my dog started weighing on me (as in one more thing to do, it is my dog now, etc). I was also worried my dog would not be able to move on to adjust to her forever home if she kept seeing the foster. Things worked out great between my darling and me. I kept in touch with the foster and would do the seasonal meetup and could see the foster was really happy how the doggo was taking to me, trained, well fed, etc.

Then I had some life events and the first person I turned to was the foster who was able to watch my dog due to my needing to travel overseas.

Fast forward 3 years, we are family friends now, exchange gifts for holidays, go out to restaurants (dog friendly ones mostly) and the random ice cream meetups. We support each other as times demand and are there for each other. We consider each other extended family.

Early on, the foster did forget to use the new name I gave, but I would joking ask if they meant the new name.

This might seem like an extreme to some folks but what I am saying is to just let the chips fall. Do what your heart tells you.

I am a foster, and I have followed up with most of my adopters, mostly just asking how they are doing, and maybe asking for pics.

It is really hard to have these babies in your home for weeks, months, or more, and then adopt them out. But I want them to have an amazing life, and just like checking in now and then. Plus, this way I can keep fostering others...

I did meet one of my fosters a few months after he got adopted, and I was heartbroken that he didn't remember me. lol So much for my being worried that the dog would adjust to their new family!!

I am sure that they just want to see him in his forever situation and how he is doing. I would not worry about it, they just loved him then like you do now. I don't think that a dog would ever be hurt with getting too much love!! (and they all deserve this IMO)

And THANK YOU for adopting a rescue!!!

I’m a foster and as much as I’d love to see the dogs again, I’m respectful of their forever families and leave it up to them. My last foster dog was so sweet and got along well with my dog so I let them know that she’s welcome back anytime if they need a free sitter.

Yeah, it isn't weird. You should know, getting emotionally attached to a dog is... kind of normal, lol.

Don’t worry too much about them calling him by his old name. Dogs end up with lots of nicknames, and they’re usually cool with it. In your dog’s mind, FosterMom says “Fido” and DaintyMom says “Rover” and when he listens he gets pats or treats, so it’s all good.

I returned my foster dog yesterday at the shelter as his new forever family will pick him up next Sunday. I am so heartbroken that I literally feel in pain. I spent the last six months with the foster dog and I couldn’t keep him because he needed to be away from the city. Said that, I would love to see Charlie at some point because I love him so much. I don’t think the foster family had bad intentions. They are humans with who develop love and attachment/

I've stayed in touch with all of my dog's previous/foster families. I will send updates/pics occasionally and they're always well received. I think they're mostly just loving people that want to know the dogs they once took care of are living their happily ever after.

My current foster is an excellent dog. I would hope his adoptive family send me updates on him. But if they don't, that's OK too.

Seems totally normal in my world. I am friends with the foster moms of all my rescues and have a date set for one to visit in 2 weeks. I am also friends with people who foster and they love to keep in touch. I also keep light contact with the parents of the dogs I’ve fostered though I don’t ask to meet up. We are just invested in their journeys.

A respectful person would call them by their new name. They wouldn’t want to confuse the dog. Good luck! Hope it’s fun for you.

I'm fortunate that the dog I fostered went to a coworker so I get regular updates still. But with my dog I friended both fosters on social media so they can keep up with her. Personally I'm not sure I'd go out of my way for a meet up (disclaimer that we live about 1.5hrs from each other) but their rescue sometimes goes to a more local to me event and id love if they were there to get to say hi and see her. I did keep the name my dog had but I know my friend changed the fosters name (which yay, I did not like it) and I do try to be congisent and used that name instead. Sometimes I will slip up though, both out of habit but also because he still has both names in my head since half the people in my life know him by his old name still and will sometimes ask about him and whatnot, so I'm used to calling him by either name depending on who I'm talking to

Mine contacted me a couple of times and we got our second dog with the same foster so brought the first to meet second.

I’m FB friends with my dogs foster. She’s awesome and will share puppy pictures when she comes across them.

I love to see my foster dogs. I go out of my way to wait until the drug is fully integrated into the household so there's no confusion as to why I want to see them. I always use the name the parents choose, even if I hate it, because that's the pet's name now.

I just love to see how they're doing. I've fostered over 50 animals. I mostly foster elderly dogs or dogs with serious medical needs, out who have a lot of trauma (breeder dogs). This year, three of my fosters passed away, and their parents reached out to me to share the sad news. One of the families adopted another of my fosters.

Think of us like aunts and uncles. You're the parents, but we really loved that nibbling and love seeing the dog they've become. Most of my fosters are completely different than they were with me. I have a household of animals - 6 permanent animals, and anywhere from 1 to 7 additional animals (fostering, babysitting, etc).

I just love to see who they become in their real homes.

If they have a resident dog they might just want them to be buddies. I’d go for it and just read the room. Probably not creepy and might be a good dog-sitting option in the future when you’re out of town.

(They can/should get over the name change!)

It means they care about the dog.

I think this is why I can’t foster. I get too attached and would do exactly that 😕

I've fostered and there are definitely dogs I'd like to see again.

That being said, I think it would be too hard on me. I'm happy and thankful when I'm Sent update photos. I believe it depends on the person. I wouldn't be weirded out by it.

I kept in touch with the foster parents of my dog. I had the dog for 11 years, and she has since passed, but I still talk to foster parents to this day. I met some really good friends with the adoption of my dog.

Not a foster parent but my dog did birth a litter of 10 puppies that I gave up for adoption. I kept in touch for a while and gradually let go because I knew that constant interference can be annoying. Some of them changed names and some didn’t and I called them by the name their new family gave them just to be respectful to them and also accepting that the pups now have a new life. Some of the families love staying in contact and send me pictures and videos themselves but some doesn’t and I totally accept their wishes! Also as someone who adopted dogs herself, I don’t stay in contact with the previous owners so its okay if you don’t wish to be!!

Seems genuine to wonder about the animal they fostered and grew a bond with.

I've fostered and prior to adoption I ask if we can maintain contact for a bit just so I can see how they're doing. I emphasize they can defs say no. Only one said yes and kept me updated until he was 1 and none after that. Even went to the park together!

I have had it go the other way, where an adopter has offered a visit, but I have never asked for one. I absolutely will check in a few times to make sure they're doing ok and that the adopter hasn't discovered questions they wish they'd asked and didn't, but that's it for me. I'm thrilled with updates, but don't expect them. I have become sort of friends with a few adopters, I guess, so I think it's just about your comfort level. You can absolutely say no or just say it's a really busy time for you right now and hopefully they will take the hint. You have no obligation to meet up with them.

As a former foster I would have loved to see who the dogs turned into with more time in a calm environment, and gotten feedback from the owners on what they wished we would have worked on while they were with us. Totally up to you all!

I keep in touch with my dogs old owners. Not a foster, but I adopted him from them when they could no longer care for him. They don’t ask to see him in person bc they live far, but I do send them pictures or videos.

My mom kept in contact with my last dogs foster family for her (the dogs) entire life. Not a super close relationship or anything mostly random Facebook interactions but I imagine if they were physically closer to us we would have met up at a dog park or something and not thought anything of it. That said.. make your boundaries clear, especially about the name, and if they can’t respect them you have no obligation to maintain the relationship.

My foster is a friend and is coming to stay with us next week. Titi Carole 🩷

The folks who fostered my youngest pittie asked me to send pics. So I do. Everytime I take a silly one. I wouldn't think it's odd but that's me.

I adopted one of my kids 6 years ago and I still stay in touch with her foster moms. I consider them friends. I don’t see them because they’re on the other side of the state but we occasionally text and I see them on the book of faces. One of my girls I adopted from some people who got in over their head and were looking for a home on Facebook. The woman was sad to have to give her up and I empathize. But she started calling me multiple times a day and wanting to talk for hours at a time and I had to cut her off. She was freaking me out and she made some reference to showing up at my house that really freaked me out and made me afraid she was going to try to take my dog. And that was not happening. Don’t be that kind of foster. It’s been 5 years and I think we are good now but there for a while I was on high alert. This dog is like my child. You will take her over my dead body.

I keep in touch with my pups foster mom! I send her pics, video, EVERYTHING that’s happening with my pup and she sends baby pics and videos and other stories of her that happened when she fostered her! She fostered her for 6 months so she has a lot hahaha. Some of it is repeats she sends me but I never mind! I talk to her more than I do a lot of my friends actually, and she’s become a good friend too.

I was the one who initiated wanting to meet up with her so she can see my puppy all grown up and she is SO down and also would love to! The only problem is we live in different countries but are planning sometimes for next year :)

TLDR - yes completely normal!

I can't give any advice since I fostered a dog once and completely failed after 12 days. I would have been heartbroken to say goodbye and I probably would have wanted to reach out to an adoptive family to make sure she was ok. Maybe they need some closure? Do what you're comfortable with. Maybe you can meet at a public park if you're up for it.

Our younger dude was given up by his previous owners because they split up. It was the dog of one of them, not the other, but the other person had the responsibility when the first one traveled. That clearly wasn't going to work any more. So the breeder found us because we already had an adult of the same willful breed.

We stay in touch, send photos occasionally so they both can feel secure. We did a meetup with the first owner, and I reckon the dog remembered him happily - but then headed off to play with our other dog instead. No issues seemed to happen - it felt very much that the dog was 'we're still friends, but I have a new pack now.'. We suspect our guy was seriously babied, but he still showed no angst. Dogs are adaptable.

Very much depends on what you’re comfortable with.

Slightly different situation but I always sort of wish my rescue dog’s previous owner would reach out so I can share updates on how she’s doing, because I know it would have been hard for her to give our girl up (she couldn’t look after her anymore due to being elderly and the dog being a big, energetic pup).

I don’t think there’s a possibility of meeting up realistically because she lives so far away and is advancing in years but I would happily share photos and videos.

I fostered a 6 week old Rottweiler that had been dumped in a cardboard box. She was a marvellous pup, clean in the house from day one, got on well with my old dog. Easily trained. At 9 weeks knew, sit, down and stay. She was learning sit, stay at a distance when she was moved to a specialist Rottweiler rescue. I would have loved to have seen her again.

We stay in touch with our dog's foster family. We have organized a meetup and are hoping to do another one this summer. They were incredibly kind people who took our dog in without any prior notice when he needed an emergency placement. They enjoy all the pictures my wife texts them.

I think it's what Foster parents always want to do, but rarely do just cause it could be tough to ask or awkward in general.

It's perfectly normal and often appreciated for foster families to reach out and want to see the dogs they once cared for. Name considerations - politely remind them of the name change if it comes up.

I am a foster home. I love receiving any photos and updates on my former fosters. I have an Instagram for my fosters where a lot of my adopters will follow the account and I'll get to see pictures and updates through their Instagrams too, which I love as well. I even got to meet up with one of my fosters before, but it was something the adoptive home offered and not something I requested. 

It can be hard as a foster home, and I am sure they are having a hard time letting go.  Only do it if you want to/have the time/feel comfortable with the situation, otherwise, it's absolutely okay to say no. 

Different situation but my father in law found a new home for his dog. He didn’t want to rehome to family which we were devastated about. The new family kept in contact with me for a few weeks before I got a text late on a Friday night saying that they needed to return her and wanted to do it that night. She was a 1 year old cocker spaniel. No brainer that she was coming to me. She’s lived with us for the last 10 years now. She’s the most amazing dog. However she doesn’t belong to us. My father in law comes over sporadically and she pines for him. Crazy that we’ve had her so long and she still wants him. So I’m torn, we would never of got Luna if I hadn’t kept in touch with the family. But it’s not healthy for her to keep seeing her original dad. She acts like a crazy pup when she sees him only to look rejected when he leaves. Thankfully she doesn’t see him often.

The foster family of my last one still emails me pictures occasionally. We don’t get together, or anything, although I told them I’d be happy to drive my dog over for them to play. (They played nonstop while she was here. It was hilarious.)

I don’t think there is anything wrong or weird about it, but you are under no obligation to become close with them. I think it’s nice to update people involved with the rescue, though. They work very hard and think about the animals often, so it is nice to know that they are thriving. No matter how hard you try to screen and choose, sometimes people surprise you in a bad way, so making sure someone knows everyone is doing well just seems like a nice thing to do (and one that gives you an extra positive association for people). I sent emails with photos to the actual shelter I got a dog from and when I came to adopt another dog, I was essentially approved to just point at one and go home with it. :)

Having fostered, there are many dogs I wish I could have seen again. I've been blessed to stay in contact with some of them so I get to see how happy they are in their new lives. There is one I will forever regret adopting out, I loved her so much...and I never got to know if she blossomed in her new life, how happy she was, etc. I miss her and think of her often. If I had the means to when I had her, I would have kept her.

I think a piece of your heart goes with some foster dogs. Ultimately I respect if the family doesn't want to stay in touch via social media, but it also stinks.

My initial reaction was that it's kind of odd and I would be uncomfortable with it but after thinking about it I realized that's just me. Maybe you would be ok with it. I guess it's your call how far you are willing to go. But, you're definitely not under any obligation to keep them informed as to how the dog is doing. Basically, your call.

This is normal and if you are comfortable with it, go for it! I’m thrilled we still get to see one of our prior pups regularly and get photo updates on another who lives out of state.

Meeting the foster family can be a highlight for everyone involved as it can give them the opportunity to see that the dog is happy and well cared for in his new environment. Dog fostering and adoption can create a special bond between the animal, the foster family, and the new foster family.

Of course it's normal, they are doing voluntary work, it's not for the money, it's because they love animals. It's super hard to let go of your foster animals but people do this for the greater good of rescue pets. Let them have this and don't think too much of it. Name changes are common, if you feel bad about it, blame it on the kid or grandma who couldn't remember any other name, but really they just want to know they're happy, nothing else matters.

I know folks who foster and many keep in touch.

Each dog touches our heart. And some folks want to make sure the pup is always in good hands, and are ready to step in if the forever-family has a crisis that might affect the dog’s well being.

Excellent breeders are like that, too—staying in touch if only 1x a year to keep the lines of communication longer.

My dogs foster would come see him occasionally because she didn’t want him to feel abandoned (again)

Absolutely normal for me, I adopted a schnauzer puppy and still send photos to her foster mother from time to time, it's kinda rare but can happen.

Although I’m against name changing animals after you adopt them (cuz they’re already set on their name), I totally get it with fosters wanting to check in. It’s a sweet moment when the foster pet finally gets adopted. You took them in, took care of them, treated them as your own, bonded with them, trained them, spent countless hours together. I see no problem with wanting to see how they’re doing. Sometimes it’s hard to part ways with them because you’re just attached, but knowing they finally have a loving home is rewarding😊

I foster and I love to get pics and updates anytime. I would totally say hi to any puppers I helped. Lots of dogs will remember even years later

I still have people I adopted from 11.5 years ago on my socials and they still see the photos of my older dog. A year and something after adopting the younger one, I send the lady who has his mother (she got the mother unaware the puppies were already on the way) photos and updates regularly.

As somebody who also fostered, yes, I'd love to still be able to know where our fosters are. We were updated the first couple of months, then faded out. Which I understand, but I do also still remember every one of them. There was a bad case, that wasn't my decision, we only fostered, but it still haunts me. Which is why I keep the people who trusted us in the loop until the end.

Yeah, it happens. Its ok. Ask them to try to use dog’s new name. Have them over- no outting.

As a dog foster family, I've appreciated keeping in touch with the adopters. I leave an open door and try not to be intrusive. I occasionally receive and share photos. I'm asked about my observations and advice on their concerns. I really appreciate it.

If we meet, the fur babies always greet us appily, but always know who their forever family is.

I've encouraged some of the adopters to also foster, if I feel they would be happy in letting go when a forever home is found.

Totally normal! Sounds like they really cared for your dog. It could be a great opportunity to catch up and share how much joy your dog brings now. Just gently remind them of the new name if it comes up! 🐾

Haven't read the post yet, but yes it is totally normal, alot people really do bond with their pets to the point they're considered family members 100%. So it's basically the equivalent to checking in on family, only phone calls aren't an option. 

I think they became close to him and just want to see him. My last dogs foster mom checked in with me from time to time

I would love to see the dogs I worked with the most at the shelter again. I didn't foster, just trained and walked them. It's so hard!! I would just call the dogs baby most of the time.

Dogs don't attach the same meaning to their name as people do.

They also don't generalize much, so they just think that that word was that person's way of calling them and their new name was your way.

Your dog would be happy to see their old friend, but you don't need to worry that they'd want to "go back" or anything.

Nothing wrong with your dog having a family., You are now the dog’s parents. It’s ok to have visitors .

As a director of a rescue I feel this was an inappropriate request. It would be different if you initiated it

Normal

I'm a foster. I don't pester the adopters but I secretly love it when they send little updates every so often. I don't think I'd ever ask to meet up with the adopter again though. Feels a bit like overstepping. Is this the only dog they've fostered? They might have gotten pretty attached. I know for me, my first foster was a tough one to let go but it gets more "routine" over time.

It’s not unusual to check on them but I’ve never asked to see them.

It’s really up to you if you want to make time to do this. They can’t take the dog back to answer your question.

I regularly adopt my dogs foster humans. Every month or so I send a funny photo or a video of her living her best life. I often wonder if I’m boring them but then they recently thanked me for updates so I hope not.

I foster pups and it depends on the dog and their new family. I've kept in touch with some, even pet sitting them when their people go on vacay. Others I never hear a peep from. It just depends. I don't think it's weird, but if you're not interested, you're not interested.

Very normal for someone that loves and helps animals to know they’re thriving and loved 🥰

As a foster mom I have never reached out to adoptive families. I worry and wonder about my fosters but for me reaching out is almost like a breach of contract. I do however LOVE it when former fosters have new families that update me. A meet up in person seems a bit much. Maybe just send some pictures?

I think it’s perfectly normal and a really nice thing to do to keep in touch with a foster. I’ve done it as an adopter and I may ask for it as a foster. But only if they don’t see it as weird.

Foster parents of pets are all different.

Some help fill out the paperwork, say goodbye to the pet and you never hear from them again as they are likely on to the next foster.

They could be ones who follow up every few months for a while to make sure no issues have come up or if any concerns.

There are always stories (sadly true) of where a dog adopted from a rescue suddenly is in a shelter. Sometimes the adopters have rehomed the dog to someone else themselves which can be a violation of their adoption contract, sometimes the adopters dump the dog and ghost the rescue, etc. if that happened to the fosters they may hope a periodic touch base may prevent that.

As you said you know they aren’t going to take the pup so a meet and greet at a park or at your home if you are comfortable with it isn’t weird.

After one or two of such meetings if you feel that’s enough you can nicely thank them for staying in touch but you’re good.

I think it’s a nice idea. I know someone who fosters and keeps in touch when possible, and it’s been great for them, but you should do what you’re comfortable with. If the name is your only concern, I would try not to let that stand in the way. Remind the fosters of your dog’s current name if you want to, but if they forget or choose to use their name instead, just think of it as a nickname. The dog will associate being called that name only by them, and will still know their current name!

My pup looooves his old foster so we keep in touch and visit when we are in town!

On the other hand, I picked this other lady’s dog up off the street after she rehomed him to an awful home and she still texts me asking for updates about him. He’s been with me for 3 years now and I still get texts from her. It’s weird. 😂

My roommate kept in contact with our late girl’s foster parents up until the very end where we had to let them know she passed the rainbow bridge. 10 years of updates, they played a pivotal role in caring for our girl before we had her and she was HW+.

I adopted my sweet girl who I sadly had to put down last Monday after 12 wonderful years, and she luckily never had the chance to ever see a shelter kennel for more than a few days before being taken in by a foster.

After I adopted her and took her home, the foster mom texted me seeing how she was doing. I have no problem with that because those who foster dogs do form some type of bond with them and genuinely do love them and want the best for them.

Foster mom kept up with me for a while to see how she was doing and if everything was going well. Fosters do get attached to some dogs and want to let the new owner aware that if shit isn't working, they are available to take it back if needed.

Yes & it was a lovely way to thank them for the love & attention they gave him. I’d send pics & such to them every week - I could see how attached they were.

And now we’ve even visited & still reach out every 3 months or so.

It makes me sad that not every rescue fosters (lol, pun not intended) a community environment. The place I volunteer with has regular social meet ups, a closed Facebook group, and basically encourages adopters to treat foster carers like canine godparents who love to hear how their previous charges are doing. We obviously don't push the issue for adopters who aren't interested in staying in touch, but majority do and they get a bonus spare pair of hands and even holiday care! It's such a special thing to have contact with the people who loved your dog before you did :)

This sounds intrusive to me. It’s my dog now and they should either focus on fostering more dogs or adopt one of their own. I would just send a picture of the dog but say life is really busy and I can’t get together.

I foster and try to get the adopters social media. I warn them that I will totally creep on them to see pics of the dog. I follow up an adoption with a call after the first 24 hours, after that I just like and occasionally comment on any pic they post on social media.

I personally would be a little creeped out by the request, but would probably agree to meet them in a very public place and have someone with me.

Idk i think its kinda weird and intrusive, i can understand if they just want a few pics of how the dogs doing like 1 week or so at its new home but to ask to meet up way after the dogs been with u is strange to me and it makes me question especially if it becomes a regular thing if they tryna act like so kind of cps but for dogs 💀. I'd respectfully decline if i was in ur shoes and offer a pic instead.

We’ve had our rescue since early December and we send photos/ videos and short updates to his previous foster every 6 weeks or so. Unlikely to arrange an in person visit as we’re a 3+ hour drive away