FOSTERING
(if you are interested in fostering, we ask that you read our agreement, and then fill out an application.) Thanks!
FOSTER AGREEMENT
Our rescue works hard to adopt out many puppies and adult dogs that are in parts of the country where adoption rates are low. Many times the shelters are overcrowded, and a whole shelter including all puppies are put to sleep. We get several calls/emails each week asking for us to help, but we can only help a few. One of our biggest problems is, since we don't have a building, is where to put the dogs, especially puppies while they wait to be adopted. Our only option is foster homes. By fostering a puppy/dog for even a few days, we can save another life. We ask that you read the following agreement, which is just some basic rules, and then fill out the application. We will call you, and fit you with the right dog or puppy.
The most important quality we need from you is
COMMITMENT. The shelters we help are always over-crowded, and each puppy we
bring into rescue would probably have been put down in a matter of days if we
didn’t step in. Foster care can be fun
and rewarding. You can experience
puppy after puppy or dog after dog, and not have to make a 10-15 year
commitment! If you like the puppy
stage, you can always be in the puppy stage.
If you are interested in an adult, but just aren't ready for the long
commitment of adoption, try fostering! As a foster home, you are given first chance at adopting that puppy
or dog (of course, you need to tell us before we have a home visit scheduled
with someone else!).
We do have four specific requirements for fostering
that we would like you to follow:
- Our puppies (and most older dogs) must be crate trained. This is for your own peace of mind, and those of the future adopters. It only takes a few minutes for a new dog or puppy to totally destroy your house. Plus dogs love a place of their own to go to. For the puppies, it takes two seconds for them to get into something and hurt themselves. You will be much happier with them in a crate.
- For any medical attention, you must use Layton Animal Clinic. We have an arrangement with them as far as our foster dogs, and the rescue simply cannot afford to go to a different vet. If you choose to ignore this, and go to a different vet, the rescue assumes NO responsibility for payment. If an emergency should occur off-hours, you must call Karen first to see where or when she wants the dog treated. If Karen is out of town, we will provide you with a the name of a volunteer with there phone number that can make that decision.
- Pictures must be taken of the puppies or dog (good, individual pictures), every two weeks, and emailed or mailed to either Karen or the web person. This may seem like an unnecessary requirement, but we have proven that on Petfinder, where most of our adoptions come from, that the pictures are what get the attention. Even within litters, the dogs with the best pictures get the most applications. If you don't have a digital camera, the webperson can usually do pictures.
- Updates on puppy's/dog's progress must be made at least once a week by email. We prefer email so we have it written down, sometimes phone messages don't get passed on to the right people. Housebreaking, health, getting along with other pets, people, etc. Any kind word that we can include in their description will help!
Fostering is enjoyable. What is more fun than
having a puppy in the house!? Unfortunately, we do want you to think about
what puppies and dogs are capable of. We can almost
guarantee that there will be some degree of inconvenience involved. Even an
adult dog that is usually housebroken can have accidents in the stress of
relocating. They might chew something you really value (especially
important mail or furniture). They might pee on your not so favorite Aunt
when she comes to visit. If you don't have a sense of humor, and can put
up with the unexpected, you might want to help us by volunteering in some other capacity.
If you foster for us, it’s vital that you are
FLEXIBLE. Seasoned rescue volunteers will assure you that a transport that was
supposed to bring in shih-tzu puppies, turns into large collie puppies. Puppies
that were absolutely promised to our rescue can end up being adopted out by
another shelter volunteer; a litter that was presented as vibrantly healthy can
turn out to be sickly, so we won’t take them. We’ll try to respect your
preferences, but we need you to understand that rescue is an unpredictable
endeavor in the best of times.
A commitment to foster means an agreement to be AVAILABLE. We,
of course, understand that vacations are part of life, and we can certainly plan
around them. We do ask, though, that
unless a serious emergency occurs, that you only commit to fostering for the
time you are sure you can keep the dog. Many times our foster homes are
all full, and we have no where to put an extra dog.
It is not necessary that you foster every time we get in dogs, but please only
commit if you can, in fact, help. It
also means that you’ll let us pick up the dog or arrange a visit from an
adopter with reasonable notice (say, about 48 hours).
It’s essential that you are able to PAY ATTENTION to any dog that you foster. This means putting on your winter coat, and taking the little guy for a walk. This also means that you’re attuned to sudden changes in appetite, energy and elimination. Puppies in particular are very vulnerable to parasites and viruses, and their low body weight means that we need to react in hours and not days to sudden health crises. We rather have phone calls from you, then to have you wait, and lose a puppy. Each dog's life is important to us, and we want to do all we can to keep the guy healthy before he reaches his adoptive home.
So. . . if you are still wanting to foster after reading all that, please sign below!
We hope you still want to foster for us! Please fill out the application. The link is below.
Signature:__________________________________________ Date:____________LINK TO APPLICATION: APPLICATION!
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