Shelter Spotlight: Foster Dogs NYC Fospice Program

Kate Barrington
by Kate Barrington
Homeless dogs deserve to spend their last days surrounded by people who care. That’s the idea behind Foster Dogs NYC’s Fospice Program.


It is a fact of life that our dogs have limited time on this earth. As much as it pains us, we eventually have to say goodbye and let our pets go. But for every dog who leaves this world surrounded by the people who love him, countless others die in shelters around the world – alone. The fospice program was started by the Foster Dogs NYC organization to give old or sick homeless dogs a comfortable way before passing to the Rainbow Bridge, surrounded by people who care.


About the Foster Dogs NYC Organization


The Foster Dogs NYC organization was founded in 2009 by Sarah Oren Brasky. Though there are plenty of shelters and rescue organizations in New York, Brasky recognized a need for an organization that was dedicated solely to foster care for dogs.


Foster Dogs NYC works closely with local rescue organizations and shelters to find foster homes for dogs and to educate the community about fostering. This organization sponsors a number of unique programs including workshops that provide education about dog care and training as well as exercise programs and foster placement programs. Foster Dogs NYC also holds fundraising events throughout the year to support their own programs as well as other local rescue and shelter organizations.


Related: Don Cherry’s Pet Rescue Foundation


What is the Fospice Program?


One of the most unique programs that Foster Dogs NYC offers is their fospice program. The name for this program is a combination of the words “foster” and “hospice” which should give you an idea what it entails. Essentially, the fospice program is catered to homeless dogs who are sick or elderly – it gives them a comfortable and loving home for the last days or weeks of their lives so they don’t die in the shelter. Foster Dogs NYC has partnered with local businesses to create a fospice sponsorship package that includes the following:


  • Help in lining up a “forever foster” home for the dog
  • A donation made to the rescue organization made in the dog’s honor
  • A dog bed from local pet product supplier Harry Barker
  • A custom portrait made by Amanda Moeckel of My Animal Art
  • A professional photoshoot in the home
  • A handmade leash from Found My Animal


Each dog that enters the fospice program has unique needs so Foster Dogs NYC takes great care in finding them the perfect forever foster home. Once they are placed, fospice dogs will receive the medical care they need to live out the rest of their days in relative comfort in an environment that is much more pleasant than the shelter. All dogs deserve to leave this world in the care of someone who loves them, not afraid and alone in a shelter setting.

Kate Barrington
Kate Barrington

Kate Barrington is the loving owner of two cats (Bagel and Munchkin) and a noisy herd of guinea pigs. Having grown up with golden retrievers, Kate has a great deal of experience with dogs but labels herself a lover of all pets. Having received a Bachelor's degree in English, Kate has combined her love for pets and her passion for writing to create her own freelance writing business, specializing in the pet niche.

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