Fostering

Note: In the interests of reading ease, we will refer to your foster Golden boy or girl as he/him.

You will be required to complete an adoption/foster application. Approval of that application will depend on results of past/current veterinarian care, interview and home visit by a Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida, Inc. (GRRSWF) member.

The member will call you when a Golden needs fostering; GRRSWF makes every effort, beforehand, to ensure that you foster a dog whose needs and characteristics are compatible with you, your family and lifestyle. If this doesn’t turn out to be the case, then we will place the dog with another foster family and let you know when we have dog that would be suitable for you.

When the dog comes to you, he will have been to a vet where he will have been evaluated, heartworm and intestinal worm checked, and, health permitting, brought current on all his vaccinations, micro chipped, and neutered/spayed if necessary.

GRRSWF will cover all pre-approved veterinary costs and medications; heartworm preventative, flea/tick control and a collar & leash with GRRSWF ID tag will also be provided. You will cover the cost of food and any toys you choose to purchase for him. Charges that you incur will probably be considered charitable donations and, therefore, tax deductible, so you should check with your accountant or tax attorney as to how you can go about that.

The dog will be with you for a minimum evaluation period of two weeks, during which time we will ask that you evaluate his personality, likes/dislikes, needs, behavioral patterns and overall temperament, and establish what sort of family it would be best that he be adopted into. You will report all you learn about him to your GRRSWF Representative – this will allow him/her to evaluate which applicants would be suitable for the dog.

During his stay with you, you will be responsible for:

• Daily feeding, walking and exercising (dog MUST be kept on leash when outdoors if not in fenced-in yard)
• Reinforcing basic obedience commands such as sit, come, down, stay, and housetraining
• Basic grooming such as brushing, baths
• Providing an abundance of love and attention

 

The duration of his stay with you may range from as short as two weeks to a few months. All the while, you'll have the support of a truly experienced, reliable and responsive GRRSWF member, and other fosters, upon whose knowledge you can draw at any time.

If you decide, at any time, that you truly cannot give him up then you have the option to adopt him yourself and will make the same adoption donation as anyone else. Foster homes do have the first right to adopt their foster Golden. But remember – while yes, you will become attached to the dog (how can you not?), that you are providing love and stability to a dog that is in dire need of that attention at this stressful time in its life and that there is always another dog coming into the Rescue that is in need of the same nurturing from you.

When a potential adoptive family has been identified and approved, you will be asked to meet with the family and introduce your foster dog to them. This usually happens in your home as this is the location in which your dog is most comfortable and allows the new family to meet him in a relaxed setting; however other options may need to be discussed. While the potential adopter meets with the dog, you will have an opportunity to interview them. You know your foster best, you are his representative, and you will be there firsthand to see how they interact with the dog, and he with them. Even though the family has been approved by GRRSWF, if you are not completely comfortable with this family taking him, you have the right to veto any home. If you do not want the dog to go to this family, you just let your GRRSWF Representative know and he/she will inform the family that this is not the right dog for them. For you this is a decision – for the Golden, it is his life.

If you give the final approval to the adoptive family, then they may take the dog home with them that day, or they may ask to wait in order to think it over or prepare for his arrival. You will complete a form giving the new family all the information that you have gathered about the dog, and you will review the adoption contract with them prior to their signing it.

The dog will then leave with his new family. Goldens are highly adaptable to new circumstances and bond quickly with new people. Your foster dog will likely leave without a backward glance. While this is not necessarily the most flattering for you, it is a testament to the fact that you have taken a frightened, confused rescue and turned him into a happy, confident do g ready to join his new family and start a wonderful life.

You will now have a space in your home, and your heart, for the next Golden who needs you.

If you are interested in learning more about fostering a Golden, or are ready to open your home to one, please contact Leslie at foster@grrswf.org