BECOMING A FOSTER.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A FOSTER?
A MUTTS foster is a special person/family. They accept a dog into their home, treat them with care and love, prepare and train them to live with their fur-ever family. Sometimes they ‘fail’, but that’s a good thing - when there’s a foster fail, it means that the foster and the dog have created such a strong bond that they (and we) can’t imagine the dog living their best life with anyone else.
As MUTTS is a Toronto-based rescue, please note that we do look for fosters who live within the radius of the GTA.
WHAT DOES THE FOSTER DO?
Fosters:
Feed and care for their dog, providing structure, boundaries and love
Provide regular exercise for their pup, but NOT at leash-free parks. These are STRICTLY OFF LIMITS.
Provide the dog with basic training (potty training if needed, crate training and basic commands like sit, stay)
Bring the dog to vet appointments, as needed
Update the MUTTS foster coordinator with any issues, including behavioural and running low on food/supplies
Picking up additional/refill supplies as needed
Accompanying the dog to vet appointments, or advising the foster coordinator if transport is needed
Provide updates, lots of pictures and create a bio of the dog, and upload to social media tagging @mutts_dogrescue on Instagram using the #muttsdogrescue for all social media posts
Participate in Meet & Greets with potential adopters
Post-COVID, attend adoption/fundraising events with your foster dog
The MUTTS team:
Provides all needed supplies - food, toys, leash and collar, poop bags and a crate
Pays for all basic vetting
Promotes the dog on all available platforms
Provides guidance/training when needed on working with your pup
Screens all applications to determine suitability
key points:
Travel: If you have to go out of town for any reason (work/vacation/etc) please let us know as soon as possible. We require you to advise us at least 14 days in advance if you need a sitter. Do not give your foster to anyone else unless you have permission from us - this includes friends, babysitters, other fosters, foster to adopt situations, etc. The dogs are our responsibility and we need to know where they are and under whose care at all times. This is very important!
Medical Issues: Please email muttsdogrescue@gmail.com if any medical questions/issues arise to gain support or permission if medical attention is necessary. MUTTS will contact you to schedule a vet appointment for your foster at our approved vet clinic. If you take the dog to your own vet or even to one of our vets without our permission, we will not be able to reimburse the costs.
Supplies: Please contact our Supply Manager at muttsdogrescue@gmail.com. They will answer any questions and help resolve any issues that may arise.
Dogs Moving Foster Homes: We typically do not move dogs from foster homes once they have been placed in care because it adds unnecessary stress to the dog in an already new and stressful situation. If you find yourself having issues and need advice, please reach out to your Foster Counsellor.
Dog Parks and Group Play Dates: We DO NOT allow you to bring your foster to a dog park. If you decide to ‘break the rules’ and use a dog park, we require you cover all costs if any incidents occur. Your foster dog may behave well at home but that doesn’t mean the rest of the dogs will or that your dog won’t jump in on a fight. We do not know the full background of our dogs and we want them to feel and be as safe as possible.
Other Dogs and Cats in the Home: All dogs and cats in the household must be fully up to date on vaccines (especially Rabies). They must also be on heartworm and tick + flea prevention before bringing a foster dog into your home.
Meet and Greets: Please do not schedule meet and greets with potential applicants without our permission. We require all potential adopters to apply online and be pre-screened before we schedule a meet and greet. This process must be followed even if a friend, family member or co-worker wants to adopt your foster dog. If someone is interested in your foster, please have them fill out an application on our website and we will be in touch with them. Let us know if you would like to recommend someone so we can be on the lookout for their application! After a meet and greet with a potential adopter, please share your feedback with us - we will take your thoughts and insight into consideration in selecting the best home for your foster dog. After all, you know them best!
Handing a Dog Off to an Adopter: Do not transfer your dog to an adopter until you have approval to do so from your adoption coordinator. Once the dog is adopted, all supplies must be returned to us. Please do not give these supplies to the adopter.