The Power of Fostering

Meet Daisy and Teddy, who have been our first dogs to be fostered in the UK this year. When we launched our new Adoption and Foster Programme at the end of 2025, we wanted to make this an opportunity to bring over dogs who needed the sanctuary of a home and a chance to find their paws on UK soil before finding their forever family. If you are thinking about fostering, we’d love you to read about Daisy and Teddy’s journey so you can see how impactful it has been for them and what a difference you could make today.

Daisy
Daisy, our 3 year old sweet and adorable Bichon Frise, who came into ROLDA’s care in October 2025. It wasn’t long before a dog as wonderful as Daisy drew plenty of adoption and a promise of a home of her own on the next journey to the UK on early 2026. However, due to unforeseen circumstances her original adopter had to pull out with not much time for us to find her a new home. However, we understand that circumstances change and we want the home to be ready and perfect for each and every one of our dogs, so in came our wonderful team member Joanne, who had already prepped herself to be a doted foster carer for our cause. Having a foster carer on hand meant Daisy could keep her reservation on the transport bus and meant all of her in date health checks wouldn’t go to waste, she had somewhere to go to and a safe place to call home whilst we worked on finding another family for her.

Once Daisy arrived with Jo, she was understandably a little nervous at first but like a true hero and with Jo’s kind guidance, she quickly made herself at home, began eating well, exploring the garden and finding her spot on the sofa! Like with most rescue dogs and with a quick change of environment, there is a lot to get used to so we gave Jo a hand with some tips on toilet training and teaching her the correct places to go. Otherwise, she adapted to Jo’s resident dog and the house beautifully, showing off her cuddly personality.

Of course it wasn’t long until Daisy caught the eye of a new family keen to give her the long term adoptive home she was here for. Within a week, Daisy had had the opportunity to adjust to a domestic setting, learn some basic skills and decompress from the journey and huge life shift. Jo, our dedicated foster, drove Daisy to her new home and spent some time settling her in with her new adopter. She went along with a few of Daisy’s favorite things, as well as the blankets she had been used to and watched as she charmed her new family right away.

Now nearly 4 weeks into her new home, Daisy is going from strength to strength. Her new family have been able to advance the skills that Jo taught her in her foster home, such as toileting and she is making great strides. She has the luxury of a cosy sofa and bed in most rooms, enjoys wrapping herself in her blankets and walks with the wider family’s friendly dogs.

We like to think that Daisy’s story is one of fate, if the sliding doors hadn’t happened the way they did, if Jo didn’t give her the sanctuary she needed to still come to the UK, she may not have found the family that she is so perfect for and adored by now.

A note from Daisy’s foster carer:
“I loved the whole experience. From following the GPS of the van travelling through Europe to  Daisy arriving at 5.30am. It was so lovely to meet her and watch her settling in and gain her confidence over the few days I had her with me. We all grew so fond of her and whilst we were sad to say goodbye, it was great knowing that she had such a lovely home to go too. Daisy’s adopter was so excited to meet her and Daisy felt right at home immediately.”

Teddy
You may remember Teddy from a call out we did prior to January 2026, looking for a special foster home to help him leave Romania before the new Animal Welfare Bill came into play. Due to his docked tail, which was saved after his rescuer found him under a car with an injured tail, we were not sure if the bill would allow exemptions for rescue cases and therefore, if Teddy would be able to travel to any new home in the UK.

Thankfully, we had two wonderful foster carers that gave Teddy the best start he could whilst he awaited a forever home in the UK. On arrival, he was giddy and excitable – keen to play with the foster’s resident dogs and making himself front and centre when it came to cuddles and reassurance from his foster family. It is often this hyper attachment that means we also need to give the right level of attention and build independence from these dogs, who are so happy to have found their feet in a warm home with plenty of attention. Luckily – Teddy is a smart boy with plenty of eagerness to learn.

It was also clear to see what a loving and kind boy Teddy is, how able he was to take on new tasks and how happy he would soon make his forever family. Teddy was in foster for 3 weeks where he became brave enough to be left alone for a few hours at a time, play nicely with his canine foster friends and pick up wonderful skills, like loose lead walking and a “settle” on your bed que. Our in team trainer, Maddy, also travelled to spend the day with Teddy and his foster family to give them some training games to play with Teddy so that we could build on his basic skills and give him ways to build his confidence before meeting his forever family.

Again, with Teddy’s striking look and adorable nature, he soon found a family that were desperate to meet him and take him home as soon as they laid eyes on his videos and pictures that we had been sending them. It was wonderful to be able to give adopters real time updates on how Teddy was doing day to day, with his training and with all aspects of living in a home – this level of communication and support from our fosters was crucial in helping Teddy shine in the best way possible. Now Teddy is making himself happily at home and building on all the wonderful skills his foster carers gave him. Go Teddy!
A note from Teddy’s foster carers:
“I’ve had rescue dogs all my life and have been fostering for the past six years with a number of different organisations. Recently, we had the privilege of fostering Teddy, an 8-month-old puppy rescued by ROLDA. Teddy was the sweetest boy, but what made this journey especially positive was the level of support we received as foster carers. Maddy was always on hand with thoughtful training guidance, proactive advice, and genuine care for both Teddy and us as a foster family. Fostering is always incredibly rewarding, yet it can feel overwhelming without the right support system. With ROLDA, we felt like we were part of a dedicated care team, which made all the difference and allowed us to focus on giving Teddy the love and stability he needed.”

“I have experienced firsthand how varied fostering experiences can be, but fostering our dog through ROLDA was such a rewarding experience! He was the best foster dog we’ve ever had, and it was clear from the moment he arrived just how loved and well cared for he had been by the shelter team. We can’t thank Maddy, ROLDA’s Foster and Adoptions Manager, enough for guiding us through every step of his transition. Her experience, knowledge, and steady support made what can often feel like an uncertain process feel really manageable. The whole team is incredibly hands-on, and you never feel like you’re in it alone. We’re so grateful we had the opportunity to give a dog a second chance through ROLDA and can’t wait for the next one.”

If Daisy and Teddy’s journey’s have struck a chord within you, please do consider fostering for us in the future. We are a small charity with limited resources but to give our dogs sanctuary within the UK is absolutely paramount to us and you will change a life. As a foster carer, you are given training support and everything the dog needs so you aren’t out of pocket.

All we ask is that you have a secure garden, the time, energy and dedication to help them with their training and a car to help get them to meet and greets or any necessary vet appointments. For some dogs, we ask that it is an adult only, cat free home but we remain flexible, so do not hesitate to ask if you aren’t sure.

To apply, head to the application form on our website and one of our team will give you a call to discuss further; please note a virtual home check is mandatory as part of our application process.