20 years ago the humane society where I worked seized 80 dogs from one house. All inbred, terrified of people, but attractive smallish Eskimo type. I fostered a mama with 4 puppies. Puppies turned out well, adorable and social. Mama stayed with me and after 11 months in my quiet home with my sweet border collie cross, she was sufficiently not-terrified that we could adopt her out to a similarly quiet home. It was a project with a happy ending.
Guess what. Same house, 120 dogs seized recently. Yes I know, why was this allowed to happen again, but that’s how it rolls with hoarding.
These look like petite border collies. My favorite breed. I am sorely tempted to foster. Just one. IME these dogs are easy, love other dogs but I am 20 years older and fighting metastatic breast cancer. Which makes me want to do anything that could make me happy, and saving dogs is that. I could take one with a caveat to the humane society that if it gets too much, pup goes back to them. Anyway I am having that “am I about to do something dumb “ feeling. I plan to contact humane society Monday. We shall see….
First I hope you are “getting along” with your meds better ? And glad to hear you are doing anything and everything that brightens your life ~ Jingles & AO ~
with the foster ~ I know and you know that you will not get into or continue with a “not a good fit” ~ so bless you for helping one of these dogs and I hope it all works out for both of you ~ happier together ~
I admire your heart and desire to step forward. Could it be an option to be a respite foster home? Maybe signing up for 4-6 weeks and the. You can extend if desired. This would soften the commitment while also taking one dog off of their immediate foster home list. Do you have someone in your home who would be competent and capable if you needed to take a step back from caregiving for any reason?
Those feelings are how I get my most beloved and fun ideas.
As long as the humane society can take back if it gets to much, go for it.
I think only the OP knows what they are capable of handling.
A similar-but-different situation happened here. A so-called “rescue” was raided after many complaints–78 dogs were taken from a tiny house that the rescue woman rented (but didn’t live at).
A few months before the raid, my barn owner and his wife adopted a 10-month old retriever mix from this ‘rescue’/woman. They had tried another rescue, but the dog they liked didn’t like their current dog and vice versa. Their dog liked this 10-month old retriever mix female so they paid for/adopted her. (HINT: The rescue woman would only meet them in a parking lot with the dog.)
The new dog (let’s call her “Dee”) was totally unsocialized, despite the woman saying that she had had Dee and her litter mates from the time they were 4 weeks old. The barn owner and his wife soon found out that Dee was terrified of them, but they were determined to win her over.
Part of what they hoped, also, was that Dee would get used to their boarders (there are only two of us now) and visitors, including delivery people (Fed Ex, Amazon, UPS, etc.). In the past, the barn owner and his wife have let their dogs (3 that I have known) run free on their property. This has worked heretofore, because those dogs have been VERY people friendly. Dee is not one of those type of dogs.
I DO know that the barn owner (maybe NOT his wife) thought that letting Dee out when either I and/or the other boarder come out would get Dee used to us and help socialize her. Oh, no.
Initially, Dee wouldn’t come any closer than 50’ to me and would back off quickly, rather than try to ‘make friends.’ As time went by, Dee came closer and closer, but it was aggressive behavior. At first, it was running up to me, bouncing off my body, and then quickly retreating. Then it became running up to me, grabbing my hand, but letting go without biting. Then it became grabbing my pant leg and/or putting some additional pressure into the hand-grab.
At this point, I spoke with the barn owner’s wife (well, she asked me first after witnessing an incident), and I was honest with her about Dee’s aggressiveness. We then talked with her husband about Dee’s behavior.
Now, they are outside with the dogs to watch if I am there. Dee is pretty good with THEM now. Dee is slightly better with strangers. However, I don’t trust her any more than I could lift the barn owner over my head. I NEVER turn my back on her. I wish that they would keep her inside while I am there; I DON’T have to be friends with her.
Well, anyway, this may not be the situation the OP will experience, and they know their own strengths. I myself adopted an unsocialized Doberman Pinscher (MY breed) long ago, even getting an obedience title on him, but I will NEVER do it again. No ‘hoarder’ dog, no “retired breeder”, NOTHING of the ilk.
This ‘hoarder’ dog might be what the OP needs, something else to focus on, and it may turn out to be the best thing they’ve ever done. I hope if the OP takes on a dog that it turns out great.
I worry that if it doesn’t work out, even if the group says the OP can take it for a short time/trial, that there will be excuses that why they CAN’T take the dog back ‘at that time.’ And ‘at that time’ becomes forever.
I might not be the best one to ask…
I bought my mini - unbroke 2yo - the Summer after I had a mastectomy (well, about 3mos after).
I decided I was due a gift to myself & Now or Never
I still have him 8yrs later 
If fostering/adopting makes you happy, I vote Go Ahead - as long as you have an escape route if it doesn’t work.
Ha ha thank you COTHers for your responses. Mostly enabling!
But if I do it, I will make sure at the outset I might have to bail, and if they can’t tolerate that we won;t go forward.
Even though I’ve not worked at that humane society since 2013, I still know people there, and I now work at our city shelter, so I know the ups and downs of fostering from both sides.
ZuZu, thank you, I am still struggling with the med’s side effects, but got some of my “fight” back and my motto right now is Yes I Can.
Since I’ve done this before, I am going to inquire - I will update you!
I was at hospital rounds once, given by social worker or psychologist from Hopkins cancer center. She made a point to tell patients to live their lives and do what made them happy, cancer be damned. When I had chemo, my dog refused to come near me after chemo sessions. Must have smelled the poison. Best of luck to you.
yup it sure is poison.
If you trust yourself to know when you’re stretched too thin and make the call to return the dog, that’s wonderful. There are not make people who understand the work that will go into helping dogs from hoarding situations. Experienced fosters are incredibly valuable.
All I can say is,… I am glad I am not close, because I love a BC and would take on a foster which would most likely be a foster fail. My DH may divorce me if I get another dog.
I agree with the above posters, you sound capable and understand the ins and outs of fostering. I say DO IT! and then post pictures!
Maybe she will tell us so we can … Ahem… get a dog … 
I found out today from the veterinarian at that shelter they did the d.n.a. And they are border collie x husky. Look at pets for foster on lollypop.org
Outside Rochester NY
I have been fostering for a rescue for over 10 years now. I suggest speaking wit the organization about how quickly they would be able to take the dog back if there is any major issues. make sure you have the room to separate the dog from your pack while another foster is located. in my experience dogs from hoarding situations are not house broken, or socialized at all. crate training, a quiet place to observe the goings on in the home and a well socialized resident dog to mimic are often the best ways to get these poor pups to learn how to ‘dog’. Remember the 3-3-3 rule! 3 days for a dog to decompress from the change, 3 weeks for them to start learning your routine, and 3 months for them to feel at home.
Update, applied a week ago but have not heard from anyone, so maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
May not be meant to be but also they may still be slammed trying to get them healthy enough to foster out… Fingers crossed you get to foster one! I hope you are winning your battle with cancer!
After taking in a rescue several years ago that ended badly, I am hesitant anymore. That one was dog aggressive when triggered it turns out… It was a roller coaster for 4 months trying to make it work and looking back should have stopped trying the first time he injured our big dog.
My husband keeps wanting to add a 3rd dog after our Dane passed, but our two get along well enough. I can’t handle the risk of integrating a 3rd dog… I am not opposed to rescue dogs but personally couldn’t handle one from a hoarder situation. Our current two dogs are adoptions but were socialized before we got them!!
Jeeze, BC’s are hard enough to keep entertained and stimulated, add in husky blood. OY!!
Thanks HST. It is true that going from two to three dogs is more challenging. Speaking not only via 18 years working in shelters but also have lost count of how many fosters/ hospice care pups.
I’m so sorry. If it’s any consolation, I tried to foster and/or adopt from several different rescues and shelters in the past year and ALL of them ghosted me. 
