DOGS Trust Basildon is home to amazing Ace, a nine-year-old American Bulldog. He is currently spending his time relaxing in a fantastic foster home, but as this is only temporary, Ace is hoping to land his own perfect place to call home for good.  

Home from Home fostering is an essential part of the rehoming process. While many dogs are happy to settle into kennels and enjoy being taken care of by amazing canine carers, some just can’t adjust and miss their home comforts too much which can be distressing for them – Ace is one of these dogs.

Kelly McMaster, Dogs Trust Basildon Manager says: 

“Ace is beautiful and brilliant; he always finds a way to bring a non-stop smile to your face and has an endless supply of love to give. He finds kennels extremely stressful, which is why he’s now living in a foster home. Whilst we are incredibly grateful to our foster carers, they are unable to keep Ace forever, so we are really keen to find him a permanent home, that can offer him just as much love back. 

“We have a wonderful team of volunteer foster families who really do go above and beyond for the dogs they care for, encouraging them to reach their full potential and giving them a safe and loving environment to enjoy whilst they wait for their new families. But we always need more.” 

Kerry MacGregor, Home from Home Co-ordinator at Dogs Trust Basildon says:  

“Ace is an absolutely amazing houseguest! His favourite thing to do is meet new people and have a fuss. Don’t be fooled by his age, he is an active boy who loves to get out for walks! He adores spending time with people and will thrive in a multi-person household, so that someone is always home with him. He would love his own garden to play around and relax in.  

“He travels well in the car, which is great for heading out on adventures. He much prefers living and walking in low dog populated areas, as he can be unsure of other dogs, and he’ll happily travel to these spots. Ace is perfect in the home, he is very well trained and used to a home environment, so should settle in wonderfully into his forever home.”

Dogs Trust Basildon is calling on local dog lovers to consider opening their hearts and their homes to give a dog a home temporarily as part of the charity’s fostering scheme. 

Dogs Trust’s Home from Home fostering scheme finds foster homes for dogs like Ace, who need a little extra TLC and time out from the hustle and bustle of the rehoming centre. 

There are currently eleven dogs living in foster homes, with 58 being rehomed through the scheme already this year. 

The centre is hoping to find more volunteers who would like a temporary hound housemate so that rescue dogs can continue to enjoy a home environment while they wait for their new owners. 

The scheme may be of interest to anyone who would love to have a dog in their life, but who can’t commit to the cost of taking care of a dog, as volunteer foster carers are provided with everything the dog needs such as food, bedding, and toys, and the charity will cover the cost of any necessary vet bills. They are also supported by the Dogs Trust team for guidance and advice whenever needed. 

Kerry MacGregor, Home from Home Co-ordinator at Dogs Trust Basildon, says:  

“Fostering a dog is extremely rewarding and I strongly urge anyone who has a dog-sized hole in their life, but who isn’t able to commit to having a permanent canine companion, to contact us to find out more about the scheme and if it’s right for them. 

“Dogs like Ace benefit so much from a foster home, and we couldn’t be more grateful to his foster family for providing him with all of the love he needs and more. The whole team at Dogs Trust Basildon will be so happy to see Ace thrive in a forever home and hope he doesn’t have to wait too much longer”.  

Foster carers need to be over the age of 18, preferably have an adult only home and be around for most of the day. As the dogs will need to visit the rehoming centre to meet potential new owners, fosters need to have their own car and live within an hour’s journey of the centre.  

If you could provide Ace with the loving forever home he so greatly deserves, please head to: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/ to find out more. 

If you would like to offer a foster home to a dog at Dogs Trust Basildon, please email Kerry on [email protected] or visit our website for more information: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming/fostering/