Foster Cats or Dogs

admin     2015年5月12日 16:40

Foster Cats or Dogs

Love animals? Miss having a cat or dog? Not able or ready to adopt a pet? Fostering is a great, temporary way to help BFC re-home rescued stray and abandoned animals while enjoying their companionship.

Fostering a rescued animal is a rewarding experience. Watching a needy cat or dog grow healthy and happy thanks to your time, patience and attention offers volunteers a great sense of accomplishment. It can be hard saying goodbye when the time comes for a foster animal to move to a forever home, but knowing these animals may have struggled on the streets in a short life without foster parents to care for them puts our efforts into perspective. With the rewards of fostering, including companionship and a sense of contribution, come responsibilities towards BFC and our animals.

Interested in making a difference in a rescued cat or dog's life? Please read our Fostering FAQ below and fill out the Foster Parent Application Form (http://www.jotform.me/bestfriendschina/foster). We look forward to hearing from you!

How you can become a Foster Parent Here are the basic steps: 1) Fill in our foster form at www.jotform.me/bestfriendschina/foster to let us know about yourself, your lifestyle and your pet preferences 2) Add “nanouisthebestever” and “helzcurrah” on Wechat so we can send you an updated list of Foster Animals 3) We will do an initial screening of the application 4) If screening is ok, we will send back details of a selection of dogs or cats who most urgently need foster care 5) Let us know a shortlist of the ones who interest you most 6) We will arrange a visit to those dogs or cats (they may all be in the same shelter) 7) You will select a dog and fill out a foster agreement form and take him/her home! 8) You will stay in contact with BFC and the rescuer regarding the animal’s status and welfare 9) If any disagreement occurs that can not be resolved to all parties’ satisfaction, the agreement will be cancelled and the pet will return to the rescuer.

How it works for a Rescuer Here are the basic steps: 1) You must list your rescued animal on www.bestfriendschina.org before it becomes eligable for the foster programme. 2) All fosterable pets must be healthy, vaccinated, neutered, dewormed and deflead before the foster period. Disability is ok as long as all reasonable treatment options have been pursued. 3) You must provide a vaccination booklet with the animal as proof that vaccinations are up to date. 4) In general we will not accept puppies or small kittens onto the foster program as this is the most likely time for an adoption to occur. Exceptions may be made for puppies and kittens with disabilities for whom adoption is difficult to secure.

Who is paying for what? Foster and Rescuer Agreement The rescuer and the foster carer will agree divide up the responsibilities between them. The following items must be considered and agreed prior to a foster agreement taking place:

● Food ● Grooming ● Vaccinations (required every year) ● Microchip (if pet doesn’t already have one) ● License (if applicable) ● Routine vet checkups ● Emergency vet care ● Taking pet to adoption days ● Boarding while foster carer is away

If you have any other question, please reach us at foster@bestfriendschina.org

Fostering - Frequently Asked Questions

Can I choose my foster pet? Yes, of course! You can choose all the terms of your fostering! Foster parents also should indicate in their volunteer application whether they currently have pets and if they have children. BFC will do our best to ensure a foster animal is a good match for a home based on the information provided to avoid placing potentially contagious animals around other pets and kids and to minimize the stress of adding another animal to the home.

How long will I wait to start fostering? We would like to match you up with a foster animal as soon as possible! Just fill out our foster application form and we will start the process of matching a pet. You will receive your pet once a rescuer has the chance to vet you and agrees to let you foster their animal.

How can I introduce a foster animal to my pet? Foster animals who can safely mix with pets (e.g. no obvious signs of illness and with flea control and de-worming) often benefit from having a friendly pet to socialize with and vice versa. Introductions should be made slowly and under supervision.

What is the minimum fostering commitment? Ideally, foster animals will not move around to multiple foster homes while awaiting adoption. A minimum 3 month commitment is appreciated. There is also a need for temporary cover for when foster parents travel so being available for a few weeks or over holidays can also be very helpful.

I work Sundays. Can I still foster and skip adoption days? We would like all our animals to attend foster days so they can have the best possible chance of finding forever homes. However, you should arrange between yourself and the rescuer who will take responsibility for getting the animal adopted. If you actively promote the animal on forums, Craigslist etc then it is acceptable to miss adoption days.

Who pays for medical care and at which clinic? For dog grooming, we ask foster parents to please carefully choose salons / shops to avoid poisoning or sickening foster dogs from dangerous chemicals and poor hygiene practices at less reputable pet shops and grooming salons. We don’t insist on any particular vet as we understand different people have very different levels of resources available. You should agree this and the question of who will pay with the rescuer.

What happens when I travel? Can I have my Ayi or a friend watch my foster animal for BFC? Everything can be managed! If your friends and ayi are already familiar with the animal and you are sure they will take good care of the animal, this should be ok. Please note, however that if the rescuer feels concerned for the welfare of the animal at any time they may request that you return it to them. You should agree in advance with the rescuer who will be responsible for boarding fees when you are away. In some cases the rescuer may be able to take the animal back for boarding, other times Best Friends China may be able to arrange relief care. Otherwise you should arrange your own care.

If you have any other question, please reach us at foster@bestfriendschina.org

Shanghai abandoned pets thank you for considering fostering them !

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