Foster with us, the dogs need you!

Thank you so much for your interest in fostering pets for The Good Dog Rescue. By opening up your home to foster pets, you’re not only helping to save lives, you’re providing the individual attention and love these dogs desperately need.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHERE DO THE FOSTER DOGS COME FROM?

The dogs who are in need of foster care come to us from different situations:

  • Shelter rescue. The Good Dog Rescue pulls dogs out of shelters mostly in CO and NM, but could work with other states as well

  • Returned adoptions. The GDR makes a lifetime commitment to every animal we rescue. This means that if, for any reason, an adopter can no longer keep a pet he or she adopted from us, we require that the pet comes back to us. If the pet ends up at a shelter, we will pick the animal up and take the animal back.

  • Owner relinquishments - we will on occasion take animals out of private homes

WHAT DO FOSTER FAMILIES NEED TO PROVIDE?

  • A healthy and safe environment for their foster dogs

  • Transportation to and from adoption opportunities and all vet appointments as needed

  • Socialization and cuddle time to help teach dogs positive family and pet relationships

  • Lots of exercise and positive stimulation to help them develop into great dogs

HOW MUCH TIME DO I NEED TO SPEND WITH A FOSTER DOG?

As much time as you can. With that said, the amount of time will vary depending on the energy level and needs of the dog you are fostering. It is ideal to spend around two hours a day exercising and playing with your foster dog to ensure that he or she receives adequate socialization and stimulation.

CAN I FOSTER DOGS EVEN IF I HAVE A FULL-TIME JOB?

50512875_1330083530467999_6529273716478574592_o.jpg

Yes. The foster application is designed as a survey to help the foster coordinator match you with the best animal for your needs and your current schedule. If you have a full-time job, the foster coordinator will match you with a dog who may be OK alone during the workday. You would then just need to provide ample exercise before or after you go to work.

CAN I FOSTER A DOG IF I DON’T HAVE A FENCED YARD?

Yes. Even if you do have a fenced yard, we request that you supervise all outdoor activities with the foster dog. And we ask that you always keep him or her on a leash when you’re outside of the house.

HOW LONG WILL THE DOG NEED TO BE IN FOSTER CARE?

Ideally, foster dogs stay in their assigned foster homes until they get adopted. We realize this is not always possible, so keep us informed of any scheduling changes.

HOW OFTEN DOES MY FOSTER DOG NEED TO GO TO ADOPTION EVENTS?

Once a foster dog has been cleared medically and behaviorally for adoption, we ask that foster families bring their foster dogs to as many events as possible. There will be some events that are mandetory, and some optional - and we will communicate this accordingly.

WHAT KIND OF VET CARE WILL MY FOSTER DOG NEED?

Almost all of the dogs that we have in our foster program are rescued from shelters and have been exposed to shelter illnesses. While we do our best to ensure that we are aware of all the conditions that a foster dog may have prior to going home, many illnesses have incubation periods, meaning symptoms can arise after you take a dog home. So while some dogs do not require any medicine, others may. If your foster dog needs medications, we can show you how to administer them before you take the animal home.  We also ask that you fill in the nursing log as directed.

If the dog hasnt been spayed/neutered yet, we will work with you to schedule this as soon as possible. The rescue is required to have all animals altered prior to adoption and within 6 months of the animal entering the rescue

CAN I LET MY FOSTER DOG PLAY WITH MY PERSONAL PETS?

1492458475268.jpeg

There are a few guidelines that we ask foster families to adhere to regarding their personal pets. While foster dogs playing with other pets is often fine, we advise that you consult with your veterinarian before fostering to ensure that all of your personal pets are healthy and up-to-date on all vaccines. Dogs in shelters are very susceptible to illness and can carry or catch different diseases. If, for any reason, your personal pet becomes ill while you are fostering a GDR dog we cannot provide medical care for your personal pet.

WHAT IF I WANT TO ADOPT MY FOSTER DOG?

If you want to adopt a foster dog, you will need to complete an adoption application and follow the full adoption process. If you currently have a dog under the age of one year old we will not adopt another dog under a year to you. All other requests need to go to our Director of Behavior by email at least 3 days prior to an adoption event because once the dog is up for adoption, we cannot hold him/her for anyone, including the foster parent. For any questions regarding adoption please email us. thegooddogrescue@gmail.com

WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF MY FOSTER DOG IF I NEED TO GO OUT OF TOWN?

If you have travel plans while you are fostering, please let us know as soon as possible so we can arrange a back-up foster. You cannot leave your foster dog with an unauthorized person or pet sitter. We have specific training for foster parents, and pet sitters have not undergone that training or signed the release waivers for the foster program.

WHAT IF MY FOSTER DOG BITES ME?

If any of your foster pets bite you and break skin, causing you to bleed, you need to report the bite to the foster coordinator within 24 hours of when the bite occurred. The law requires that we report all bites. The teeth of the animal, not the nails, must have broken the skin. If you are unsure, then please report the bite anyway.

WHAT IF MY FOSTER DOG IS NOT WORKING OUT?

You are not required to continue to foster a dog if you feel it’s not working out. However, we may not have an immediate alternate foster home for the dog. We will work on moving your foster dog out as soon as possible, but ask for your understanding and patience. Please call the foster coordinator during business hours if this situation arises.

FOSTER APPLICATION 

If you are interested in being a Foster home please fill this out and we will get in touch with you to set up your home visit. 

 The Good Dog Rescue will provide a foster manual that will help you set up your home that includes tips to make your experience successful and further in person training will be provided. We do provide all of the necessary supplies to take care of your dogs/puppies but any supplies you as a foster are willing to supplement with is greatly appreciated.  

*Events and Vet Partners are located within 30 minutes of Denver