Probably a silly question

I believe that foster care, is simply keeping an animal in your home until someone else adopts them. Adopting is keeping them as yours forever.

Foster care is just what you said - you would take care of the doggy until such time as he can/is adopted permanently by another person. Some rescues don't have an on-site shelter so all their animals go into foster, prior to being put up for adoption.

If a dog is up for foster but not adoption, it might have developed kennel cough, or need some additional training before being suitable for adoption. Some dogs also just do not take well to a kennel environment. Depending on the rescue/shelter and the dog's condition, this could be for a few weeks or a few months. It's also not totally uncommon for a foster parent(s) to grow so attached to the dog that they decide to adopt him permanently. You can just specify to the rescue that you want to adopt, not foster.

I occasionally foster cats from a shelter and even though I know I couldn't adopt them, it's tough to return them when they're well again.

For foster care most likely means that they need some sort of care at the moment and are not ready to be adopted out yet. For adoption means that they are ready to go to their forever family. At least that's how I would take it. If you find a Beagle you really like but it's not ready to be adopted yet, see if the organization that has them will do a foster to adopt. I know that's what Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue often does. They will make the family a foster and then officially adopt the dog to them once the dog is ready to be released (spayed, neutered, done with heartworm treatment, etc.).

thanks, that's what I thought, but didn't want to get into a situation that I really didn't want. When I take them home, I want it to be for life.

Cathy J

Most rescue organizations don't have shelter facilities - and their pets are fostered until ready for adoption. Even for dogs that are completely well, have all their shots, have been spayed or neutered, are usually fostered for a few weeks just to evaluate temperment, etc. before being placed for adoption. It gives the organization a chance to learn more about the animal so it can be placed with the most appropriate home. Foster parents are wonderful people. It would be very difficult for me to do, to keep an animal for a while knowing I would have to give it up. I have fostered on a limited time for friends until a suitable home could be found.