Foster Packet Guidelines and Policies for Foster Parents

Foster Program Guidelines and Policies for Foster Care Providers

Great River Rescue maintains four distinct varieties of foster care for companion animals: Foster-to-Adopt, Fostering Animals with Medical or Behavioral Issues, Short-term fostering, and our Pet Safe Housing Program.

Foster-to-Adopt: Great River Rescue maintains a 100% spay/neuter policy. Animals are generally not spayed/neutered until they are at least 16 weeks of age. Also, sometimes animals cannot get into the vet clinic due to scheduling conflicts for several weeks or longer. Therefore, if someone wishes to adopt an animal that has not been spayed/neutered yet, they are required to foster the animal until it is spayed/neutered. After the surgery, the foster parent has the first choice to officially adopt the animal. Animals in our foster-to-adopt program belong to Great River Rescue and are placed in the care of a foster parent. Caregivers residing 30 miles or further from GRR may only foster-to-adopt if they agree to spay/neuter the animal at their own vet and at their own expense.

Fostering Animals with Medical or Behavioral Issues: This program is for animals that are in need of a home environment. A foster can choose to adopt their foster, upon approval, once the foster pet is ready.

Pets in need of foster will consist of the following cases:

• Pregnant or nursing dog or cats • Pets not doing well in the shelter environment and in need of a home environment

where they can receive one on one time and training • Recovering from illness, injury or major surgery

Short-Term Fostering: Great River Rescue offers two short-term fostering programs: Sleepover/Weekend fostering, and Field Trip fostering. These programs are meant to get the animals out of the shelter and into the community, and to help us learn more about the animals’ personalities and behavior tendencies.

Pet Safe Housing Program: This program exists to ensure safe housing for pets of victims of domestic abuse working with the Northwoods Battered Women’s Shelter. Foster care is provided for up to a maximum of 60 days with the intent of returning the animal to its owner.

General Procedures

A: Approved Foster Homes

1. All foster care providers must sign a foster contract each time they take a new foster animal home

2. All foster care providers must be approved by staff at the discretion of the executive director

3. Foster care providers must agree to comply will all federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances applicable to this animal

4. All foster care providers must provide a copy of their Driver’s license, all contact information and a secondary contact person, and two references

5. Foster care providers must agree to bring their pet in on scheduled days for vaccines, check-ups and to vet appointments. We will try our best to work with their schedule.

6. Foster care providers must be 18 years of age or older. If a foster care provider still resides with their parents, parental approval will be required for fostering.

7. Individualized training may be provided to foster care providers as needed depending on the specific needs of the foster pet.

8. All foster care providers excluding foster-to-adopt providers will be asked to sign up for our Facebook Foster Care Group– a group created tofacilitate communication between GRR and foster care providers.

9. Foster care providers are expected to log their volunteer hours through GiveGab – an online platform for volunteers The GiveGab Great River Rescue pagehas a document which can be downloading with instructions on how many hours should be longed depending on your situation.

10. Foster care providers must keep the pet(s) primarily indoors. A foster pet should only go outside on a leash or harness or in a fenced-in area. Lost pets must be reported immediately to GRR. Foster parents will be responsible for paying the full adoption fee if an animal is lost.

11. Foster-to-Adopt providers are expected to provide their own supplies (food, litter, collar, etc.). Other foster care providers may be given needed supplies upon request.

12. Foster care providers will be given on-the-spot training and care instructions for the animal(s) they will be fostering.

B: Medical

1. Great River Rescue will pay all medical expenses previously authorized by the executive director or authorized staff while the animal is in foster care

2. The foster provider does not have permission to take their foster pet to the vet without prior approval of the director or kennel coordinator. In cases of emergencies, the foster provider will make all reasonable attempts to contact the director or kennel

coordinator. If all reasonable attempts have been made to contact have failed, the foster may contact a licensed vet. This is only in cases of emergencies. Emergencies include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Becoming unresponsive • Listlessness (unable to wake up or stay awake) • Hit by a car • Any accident that has caused injury • Temp over 104 degrees for more than one hour • Becoming cyanotic (blue) or jaundice (yellowing of the eyes, ears or gums) • Uncontrolled bleeding from any orifice

Anything that is outside of what constitutes an emergency, will be addressed the following business day.

Your emergency contacts are:

Brandon Mustful: Executive Director 218-760-1375

Kylie Hudzik: Kennel Coordinator: 701-330-4139

3. Foster care providers that wish to pay for the foster pets vet expenses, must submit a copy of the treatment the dog/cat received to the shelter for our records. If this is done with the intent to adopt and then the animal is not adopted, the expenses will not be reimbursed.

4. Please refer to www.greatriverrescue.com/contact/resources and your foster care packet for further information about pet care.

Sleep-overs:

• Pets can be picked up between 5 and 5:30 pm Tuesday through Fridays and 4 and 4:30 pm Saturdays, and must be returned to the shelter the next day we are open for business between 12 and 12:30 pm.

• Participants must be approved foster care providers. • Participants must contact us by phone or email (fostercare@greatriverrescue.com) prior

to a sleep-over and will receive confirmation from shelter staff or volunteer. • Dogs must leave the building on a leash, martingale style collar, and Easy Walk Harness.

Dogs must be wearing a GRR Identification tag. Training for use of the Easy Walk Harness will be provided.

• Before leaving the building, the foster care provider must program the organization’s emergency contact information into their personal electronic device, or must write it in a secure place.

• Foster care providers are encouraged to share photos, videos and stories of their foster care experience on the Great River Rescue Foster Care Group Facebook page.

• Foster care providers must complete a “report card” for the pet to help us learn more about the pet’s behaviors in the home.

• Dogs must wear an Adopt-Me vest, leash or bandana they taken to a public place. • If foster care providers wish to introduce the dog to their dog(s), they must discuss a

plan for this with shelter staff. We do not recommend introducing foster dogs to cats during a sleepover.

• Foster care providers must sign a liability waiver, provide a copy of a Driver’s License or State ID, and two means of contact.

Field-trips:

• This program is intended for shelter dogs only. • Participants must be both approved foster care providers and trained GRR volunteers. • Dogs can be picked up during any of our open hours and must be returned by 5:30 pm

Tuesday through Friday and 4:30 pm on Saturdays. • Field Trips should last at least one hour but no longer than three hours. • Dogs must leave the building on a leash, martingale style collar, and Easy Walk Harness.

Dogs must be wearing a GRR Identification tag. Training for use of the Easy Walk Harness will be provided.

• Before leaving the building, the foster care provider must program the organization’s emergency contact information into their personal electronic device, or must write it in a secure place.

• Field Trip participants are encouraged to share photos, videos and stories of their field trip experience on the Great River Rescue Foster Care Group Facebook page.

• Field Trip participants must complete a “report card” for the pet to help us learn more about the pet’s behaviors on an outing.

• Dogs must wear an Adopt-Me vest, leash or bandana they taken to a public place. • Field Trip participants must sign a liability waiver, provide a copy of a Driver’s License or

State ID, and two means of contact.

For dogs: Anyone approved for fostering will need to bring any resident dogs in to meet the foster dog. If an approved foster will be fostering a pregnant, or nursing dog, the foster will be required to keep the dog in their home, or heated barn or garage, away from any resident dogs. This is for the safety of the mama dog and puppies. Mama dogs can become protective of her pups and this can lead to a fight. The foster will be required to alert us when a pregnant dog gives birth and will need to bring the puppies in at two weeks for their first de-worming and an exam. The foster will be provided with supplies needed for their foster dog. This will include blankets, food, extra dishes and toys.

For cats: Anyone approved to foster a cat, the same rules apply. Pregnant or nursing cats must be kept in the home in their own room. No cat may be kept in a garage or barn. The foster will be required to alert us when the cat gives birth and will need to bring the kittens in for their first exam and de-worming at two weeks of age. Supplies for cats will include, cat litter, cat box, food, bowls, blankets and toys.

Any pets in foster care, must be adopted through Great River Rescue. Please remember that foster pets are still the property of Great River Rescue and you do not have permission to send your foster pet to another unapproved home. If you can no longer care for your foster pet, it must be returned to Great River Rescue. If you are planning to go out of town for any length of time, you will need to contact Great River Rescue to get your pet into another approved foster home, or they will need to come back to the shelter while you are out of town.

Any resident pets will be required to be altered and vaccinated. This is for the safety of all pets involved. You will need to provide veterinarian information so that vaccines can be verified prior to approval to foster.

Email Communications

For all non-emergency situations, Great River Rescue can be contacted via email at:

fostercare@greatriverrescue.com

Please feel free to send us any updates, photos, questions, or concerns through this email address. Our foster care coordinator will respond as necessary.

Logging Hours as a Foster Home Provider

Foster caregivers who are fostering animals with medical or behavioral needs must log their volunteer time through our GiveGab page (foster-to-adopt fosterers do NOT need to log their time). As a foster care provider, you are volunteering your time to benefit the animal(s) and our organization. Tracking your hours helps us better understand the needs of our organization which better helps us communicate with our donors and grant funders. We really appreciate your help by logging your volunteer time.

On the next page, you will find a chart which defines how many hours you should be logging based on the type of foster care you are providing.

If fosters need assistance with their GiveGab account or the chart, they can contact fostercare@greatriverrescue.com.

Foster Volunteer Hours

Please only claim the most accurate amount of time that you are spending daily directly caring for

your foster(s).

Max hours is the most time you are pre-approved to claim as volunteer hours. If you are spending

more time than what the chart shows then you must get the hours approved. Contact the Foster Care Program at fostercare@greatriverrescue.com for approval. The chart was created to be

accurate for the average foster animal and we do acknowledge that some special cases will take

more care than the chart allows.

Kittens (4 months or less)

# of

Fosters

Base Hours per

Day

Bottle-feeding Sick Feral* MAX

HOURS

1-2 2 + 5 + 2 + 1 8

3-4 3 + 6 + 2 + 2 10

5-6 4 + 7 + 3 + 3 13

7-8 5 + 8 + 3 - 15

9-10 6 + 9 + 4 - 18

11+ 7 + 10 + 4 - 20

* Feral kittens only count if not bottle-fed (4 weeks old and up)

Puppies (4 months or less)

# of

Fosters

Base Hours per

Day

Bottle-feeding Sick MAX

HOURS

1-2 4 + 5 + 2 10

3-4 5 + 6 + 2 12

5-6 6 + 7 + 3 15

7-8 7 + 8 + 3 17

9-10 8 + 9 + 4 20

11+ 9 + 10 + 4 22

Dogs (4.5 months or more)

# of

Fosters

Base Hours per Day Behavior

Issues

HW Positive Sick* MAX

HOURS

1 4 + 2 + 1 + 2 8

2 5 + 3 + 2 + 2 12

3 6 + 4 + 3 + 3 16

* Heartworm positive dogs do not qualify for sick hours unless their case is severe and/or

have other medical issues

Cats without kittens (4.5 months or more)

# of

Fosters

Base Hours per Day Behavior

Issues

Sick MAX

HOURS

1 2 + 1 + 2 3

2 3 + 2 + 2 5

3 4 + 3 + 2 7

Health & Wellness Your foster dog may not display any signs of illness until quite ill. Therefore, it’s up to you to observe your dog closely each day. Call your Foster Coordinator if you see:

• Unusual discharges from the eyes, nose or other body openings • Abnormal lumps • Limping • Difficulty getting up or down • Loss of appetite • Abnormal waste elimination • Other abnormal behavior

Diarrhea Diarrhea can be caused by several factors, including stress, change of diet, poor diet, eating garbage, parasites and viruses. If your foster dog has diarrhea and has no other symptoms, rule out change of diet by feeding your dog 2 cups of cooked rice mixed with one cup of cottage cheese for a day or two, and then reintroduce dry kibble. Provide plenty of fresh water since diarrhea can cause dehydration. To check for dehydration, pull the skin up over the shoulder blades. If it snaps back quickly, the dog is not dehydrated. If the skin goes down slowly, then the dog is dehydrated and needs fluids. Call Great River Rescue immediately if you suspect your foster is dehydrated. In an emergency, take your foster directly to your vet. Distemper Distemper is an extremely contagious and often fatal viral disease. It is an airborne infection that can be transmitted with or without direct contact with an infected dog through mucus, urine and feces. Some of the symptoms include squinting, congestion of the eyes, pus from the eyes, weight loss, coughing, vomiting, nasal discharge and diarrhea. Contact Great River Rescue immediately if you suspect Distemper. Fleas Most foster dogs have been treated when arriving at the shelter, but additional flea treatments are available if needed. Puppies younger than 4 months should not be treated with toxic chemicals. Puppies over 8 weeks of age and adult dogs can be treated with topical flea treatment. Flea treatments contain insecticides that can cause nerve and liver damage, impair the immune system and even cause cancer. Regular flea combing is the best way to control and monitor the fleas. Vacuum all areas of your house that your foster uses at least every two to three days.

Good food, minimal stress, proper hygiene and TLC help keep the dog from getting fleas or an illness. To check for fleas, inspect your dog daily, including rear groin, belly, tail, neck and under the chin and head. Look also for black specks of flea dirt, which is actually digested blood. Before you begin combing, get a bowl of tap water and put a few drops of dish soap in it. You can put any fleas you find in the water and they will drown. (If you don’t use soap, the fleas may swim to a fluff of fur and jump out of the water.) If fleas are present, treat as soon as possible. Change bedding and vacuum the floors daily. The washing machine will remove fleas, eggs and dirt. If your foster dog had fleas, watch his stools for short pieces of white rice that are tapeworms, which come from ingesting fleas. Tapeworms can cause diarrhea. If you see tapeworms, call Great River Rescue, who can provide you with medication. Injured Dogs Injured foster dogs will have specific needs. They’ll most likely be recovering from surgery and will come with veterinary orders. Generally fracture, cast or other surgery patients may need to be confined to a crate or a small room to limit mobility. This type of foster situation may require you to schedule follow-up appointments with the dog’s veterinarian. As with all foster dogs, watch for signs of illness, since injured foster dogs are under additional stress and are more prone to illness. Lots of human contact is important for healing injured dogs. Active play should be limited, but cuddling, petting, talking, brushing and massaging are all good social activities for a recovering animal. Kennel Cough The shelter is much like a child day care – as soon as one dog has a cold, most all the dogs in the shelter get a cold. Just like people who have colds, kennel cough develops when the dog is stressed or when the immune system is compromised. Kennel cough usually goes away as soon as the dog has a warm, quiet and soothing place to sleep, where they can drink lots of water, eat healthy food and receive lots of TLC! Kennel cough is typically a dry, hacking cough. There may be some discharge from the nose and a clear liquid that is coughed up. It’s generally a mild, self-limiting illness of the trachea and bronchi encountered in all age groups of dogs, but especially in those under unusual stress. Because kennel cough is contagious, infected dogs should not be around other dogs until they’re over their cough. If you have a dog at home and plan to foster a dog with kennel cough, we have found that if your own dog is healthy and has been vaccinated annually, then he will most likely not get sick. Talk to your vet about giving your own dog the Bordetella nasal vaccination. Immunity to kennel cough is usually established 3-4 days after vaccination.

Make sure your foster dog has plenty of fresh water and healthy food. If your dog is not eating, try cooking up something special and smelly such as eggs, chicken or steak. Take short, leashed walks. If your dog’s energy is good and the cough seems mild, try some Vitamin C (5-10 mg/lb, 2-3 times a day with food) and Vitamin E (3-5 mg/lb, once a day). If you don’t see improvement of the cough or cold after 3 days, or if the condition worsens, call Great River Rescue. Strenuous activity can bring on coughing episodes, so limit activity and encourage rest. Even baths can be stressful to the system and should be avoided. However bringing your foster dog into the bathroom while you’re taking a shower can be beneficial as the steam can help loosen mucus. Incubation of kennel cough is 5-10 days; its course is 10-20 days with symptoms generally more marked the first week. Fever, lack of appetite and a yellow-green-brown nasal discharge can indicate secondary infections. Call your Foster Coordinator if any of these symptoms occur. Parvo Parvo attacks the intestinal tract, white blood cells and heart muscle. Signs of infection are depression, loss of appetite, vomiting, severe diarrhea, fever and sometimes kennel cough symptoms. The illness is contracted through contact with the infected feces of another dog. Call Great River Rescue immediately if you believe your foster dog may have this illness.

♥ Learn more about parvovirus: www.aspcapro.org/resource/shelter-health-disease-management/canine-parvovirus-timeline

Parasites Parasites can cause diarrhea, stomach bloating or vomiting. Parasites include tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms and mange. Tapeworms will look like pieces of rice coming out of your foster dog’s anus or in his stool. Round worms and hookworms may be vomited, and roundworms look like spaghetti (hookworms are smaller and rarely distinguishable without the aid of a microscope). Mange is an infestation of tiny mites that bite and cause intense scratching, reddened skin and loss of fur. Only rare cases of mange (sarcoptic) are contagious to humans. If you suspect your foster dog has parasites, call Great River Rescue immediately. Vaccination & Worming Your foster dog’s vaccination and worming history will be given to you. Your dog has most likely been vaccinated for Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvo and Bordetella. Rabies vaccinations are given in limited circumstances. Contact Great River Rescue for more information.

If you’re fostering a puppy, you need to return the pup to the shelter for boosters. Your foster contract will have the dates of all scheduled vaccinations. Most likely, your foster dog had one dose of wormer upon arrival to the shelter. If you see worms in the dog’s stool, return to the shelter for more wormer. You will be instructed on the correct dosage and frequency.

♥ These tips can help keep your home free of infection: www.aspcapro.org/infection-control-foster-homes

♥ Learn about household toxins that cause seizures: www.aspcapro.org/resource/shelter-health-poison-control/most-common-causes-seizures-dogs

Spay/Neuter Spay and neuter surgeries are generally done at our clinic at the time of adoption, but any time a dog has to undergo anesthesia for a procedure, he should be altered at the same time. The scheduled date of the spay/neuter can be found on your foster contract.

Behavior Housetraining Be patient with your foster dog. Even housetrained adult dogs will make mistakes, especially if they’ve been at the shelter for a long time and have been eliminating in their kennel. If there are smells in your house from another dog or cat, some foster dogs may “mark” their territory. This action should be redirected immediately with a calm “Oops” – then escort him outside where he can finish. You will then want to use some odor neutralizer (like Nature’s Miracle) on the areas where the dog “marked” to insure he will not smell and mark that area again. You can begin to housetrain a puppy at 8 weeks of age. Even if you bring home an adult dog who is housebroken, you will want to follow these guidelines until your foster dog adjusts to his new situation and to your schedule. Determine where you want your foster dog to eliminate – it could be the backyard, side yard or an indoor spot such as a Pup Head, litter system or one you have designed. Then take him there every time with a spoken command (such as “do your business”). Take him out when he wakes up, after he eats or drinks, after a play session, or at least every 2 hours. Puppies should go out every 45 minutes until you learn their pattern.

Stand with him for 5 minutes. If he eliminates, reward him (with treats, praise, a favorite game and your own special happy dance). If he doesn’t go in 5 minutes, take him back inside and try every 15 minutes until he goes. Every time he goes, make sure you reward him! Supervise the puppy closely while you’re inside. If he starts to sniff the floor, or even squats to go, interrupt with a calm “Oops,” scoop him up quickly and take him to the approved spot and praise when he finishes. If he eliminates in the house while you’re not paying attention, don’t correct him – it’s not his fault. Clean it up and go back to your schedule. Use an odor neutralizer to get rid of the smell. Never put the dog’s face in his mess or yell at him; he won’t understand you, and you will only be teaching him fear. Crate Training Crates provide safe havens and dens for dogs. They calm them and can help prevent destructive chewing, barking and housetraining mistakes. Puppies should not be crated for more hours than they are months old, plus one. For example, a 4-month-old pup should not be crated longer than 5 hours. How long an adult dog can be crated will depend on many factors. For example, if your foster dog was left outside, he has never been required to hold it for any period of time. It will take time for this dog to learn to hold it, and you will need to start slowly. Older dogs and dogs with some medical conditions may only be able to successfully hold it for short periods of time. Rigorous exercise should be given before and after any long periods in the crate, and good chew toys should be in the crate at all times. You may want to crate your new foster dog for the first few nights in your bedroom – most of them feel more secure in their crate and it protects your house from accidents. Crates should never be used as a means of punishment; they’re not to be used for keeping puppies under 6 months out of mischief all day either. Crates should be thought of as dog playrooms, just like child playrooms with games and toys. It should be a place dogs like to be and feel safe and secure. Attention & Playtime Gentle and calming human contact is important for dogs. Human handling is especially important for the healthy development of puppies. Be sure to give your foster dog several minutes of playtime periodically through the day. Do not allow children to behave with the foster dog in a manner you would not want the child to behave with a younger sibling. Teach children to leave a dog alone when he is eating, chewing and sleeping. Never allow a child to remove a toy or any other prized possession from a dog.

Do not play tug of war or wrestle with your foster dog. If you have a shy or fearful dog, do not throw a toy toward the dog, because he may think you are throwing things at him and become more fearful. After you have finished playing with a toy, put it away so that you are controlling the toy and the playtime. When giving the dog a toy or treat, have him sit before giving it to him. That way he has to work to get the toy or treat – making it a reward. Behavior Issues Many of the behaviors that we find problematic – such as barking, whining, digging, chewing, scavenging and hunting other animals – are really just normal dog behaviors and can be explained as “dogs being dogs.” The easiest way to coexist with our canine companions is to provide more appropriate outlets for these behaviors. If your foster dog is exhibiting any behavioral issues, ask yourself the questions below:

• Is my foster dog getting enough exercise? • Is he being left alone for long periods of time? • Does he have interesting toys to keep his mind engaged and stimulated? • Is he getting enough attention and playtime? • Am I reinforcing bad behavior? Some examples include verbally scolding a dog when he

is seeking attention or engaging the dog when he uses bad manners to get you to play. • Does my foster dog have a safe place that is dog-proofed with appropriate chew toys, or

am I leaving my own belongings within reach? • Am I providing specific outlets based on his natural instincts and drives?

We don’t expect foster parents to be miracle workers. If your foster dog requires more attention, exercise or training than you can provide, talk to Great River Rescue – another foster home might be best for both you and the dog. Regardless of the issue, we don’t condone punishment, which will not address the cause of the behavior and in fact it may worsen behavior that’s motivated by fear or anxiety. Punishment may also cause anxiety in dogs who aren’t currently fearful. People often believe their dog makes the connection to discipline because he runs and hides or “looks guilty.” But dogs display submissive postures like cowering, running away or hiding when they feel threatened by an angry tone of voice, body posture, or facial expression. Your dog doesn’t know what he’s done wrong; he only knows that you’re upset. Punishment after the fact will not only fail to eliminate the undesirable behavior, but may provoke other undesirable behaviors, too.

♥ Try these easy enrichment ideas: www.aspcapro.org/resource/saving-lives-behavior-enrichment/tips-canine-enrichment

2/2017

Great River Rescue FOSTER POLICY

The Board of Directors formulates and approves the Foster policies of Great River Rescue, and delegates administration of those policies to the Executive Director. Great River Rescue will foster out animals that meet the following terms; medical conditions or concerns that can be better met in a foster home, behavioral concerns (examples; kennel rage, un-socialized), too young to be spayed/neutered. Animals will not be fostered out in exchange for a trial adoption. Great River Rescue retains all rights of legal ownership of the animal until it returns to the shelter or is adopted. The shelter will be responsible for all medical needs of the animal while in foster care. Clear and accurate reports showing the number of animals in foster care will be presented to the Board of Directors at each regular meeting.

PROCEDURES A. APPROVED FOSTER HOMES

1. All foster parents must sign a foster contract each time they take a new foster animal home. 2. All foster parents must be approved by staff at the discretion of the executive director. 3. Foster parents must agree to comply with all federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances

applicable to this animal. 4. All foster parents must provide a copy of their Driver’s license, all contact information and a secondary

contact person, and two references. B. MEDICAL

1. Great River Rescue will pay all medical expenses previously authorized by the director or authorized staff while the animal is in foster care.

2. All unauthorized medical expenses will require a receipt submitted to the director for approval and possible reimbursement. Any bills over $150 will need board approval for reimbursement

3. Fosters parents that wish to pay for the foster’s vet expenses without being reimbursed must provide a copy of the treatment the dog/cat received to the shelter. If this is done with the intent to adopt and then the animal is not adopted the expenses will not be reimbursed.

C. ADOPTING FOSTER

The foster parent has the right to adopt the animal in their care. If the foster parent wishes to adopt their foster they must contact the shelter prior to an adopter requesting to adopt the animal. Once the foster makes a request to adopt the dog/cat in their care they must complete the adoption at such time that the dog/cat is available.

D. SHELTER HOUSING

Great River Rescue agrees to reserve open kennel space for all animals in foster care in case a foster parent needs to return the animal to the shelter for any reason. Foster parents agree to keep all fosters indoor most of the time. If the fostered cat or dog is outside it must be kept on a leash at all times or dogs must be in a fenced in area.

…TRANSITIONS DOGS AND CATS TO LOVING HOMES, SERVES AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE, AND ADVOCATES FOR KIND, RESPONSIBLE PET CARE.

OUT OF THE AREA FOSTER TO ADOPT PROCEDURES

Definition Out of the Area – Any foster home that is located approximately 30 miles or more from the city of Bemidji.

Rationale Great River Rescue is committed to finding homes for all shelter pets regardless of the location of the foster provider. However, maintaining a foster program with foster providers living over 30 miles from our shelter can be challenging. Out of the area foster providers will be expected to adhere to these guidelines to help us manage our program effectively. GRR reserves the right to deny fostering to any applicant.

Vaccinations Foster care providers must have needed vaccinations done at their local veterinary clinic at their own expense. Vaccination records must be sent to Great River Rescue as soon as possible after each round of shots.

Spay/Neuter Procedure Foster providers must have the pet spayed/neutered at the veterinary clinic of their choice. Guidelines for spaying/neutering the pet can be found on the Spay/Neuter Agreement.

Payment Foster providers must pay the adoption fee plus a $50 spay/neuter deposit upon fostering the animal.

-All other foster/adoption procedures not mentioned above remain in force- Out of Area Foster Care Providers understand and accept all of the above procedures and all

other adoption/foster policies of Great River Rescue.

Caring for a Puppy or Dog

Happy, Healthy, and Home www.starelief.org

Taking care of a dog or puppy is a big job! Find out what supplies you will need and what responsibilities you will have to take care of your new best friend.

•  Anything harder than your pet’s teeth. This

includes cow bones, nylon bones and real bones. These can break a dog’s teeth.

•  House plants •  T-shirts or knotted socks. If accidently chewed

apart and ingested, they can become “foreign bodies”, causing your pet to become very ill.

•  Medicines unless it’s recommended by a veterinarian

•  Alcohol •  Chocolate •  Coffee •  Grapes and raisins •  Moldy or spoiled food •  Onions, garlic or chives •  Poultry bones •  Salty foods or salt •  Tomato leaves or stems •  Unripe fruit •  Nuts

Supplies Needed •  Premium quality dog food and treats

for the right breed and size •  Food and water bowls – ceramic and

metal bowls clean up better •  Safe toys – make sure there’s no lead

paint or breakable parts •  Dog brush and comb •  Dog shampoo •  Pooper scooper and biodegradable

poop bags •  Collar with license and ID tag •  Leash •  Dog nail clippers •  Carrier or crate •  Dog bed •  Dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste

What to Feed Your Puppy or Dog •  Adult dogs should eat premium-quality

dry food. If you want, you can mix the dry food with water, low-salt broth or canned food

•  Dogs can eat MOST fruits and vegetables, but never more than 10% of their daily diet. See the Dangers! list of foods that shouldn’t be given to dogs.

•  Puppies need a high-quality puppy food •  Avoid “people food” for all dogs and

puppies •  Dogs and puppies need clean, fresh

water available at all times

Dangers! Never Give Your Puppy or Dog

Caring for a Puppy or Dog

Happy, Healthy, and Home www.starelief.org

Exercise •  Different dogs need different amounts of

exercise. Some dogs need a lot. Some dogs get hurt if they exercise too much. Ask your veterinarian what’s best for your pet.

•  When walking your pet, be careful of ice or snow, deicer salt, or hot pavement

Daily Chores •  Gently brush your dog’s fur •  Play with your dog •  Walk your dog – ask your veterinarian how

long and how much •  Brush your dog’s teeth – chew toys aren’t

enough •  Clean up poop •  Clean water and food bowls •  Feed and water your pet

Monthly •  Bathe your dog if needed. Some dogs don’t

need to be bathed monthly. •  Have your parents or guardian:

–  Check your dog’s nails to see if they need to be clipped

–  Give your dog a heartworm pill from your veterinarian - no matter which state you live in!

–  Ask your veterinarian to see if your dog needs his/ her ear hair trimmed or if he/she needs his/her “anal glands expressed”

–  Apply a flea/tick prevention treatment

Be Gentle •  Never hit a dog, they don’t understand

what hitting is •  Never grab your dog’s fur or tail •  Don’t force a tired dog to play

Get a License and ID •  Follow your city’s licensing laws •  Attach the license to your dog’s collar •  Microchip your dog

Spay and Neuter •  To prevent health problems, females

should be spayed and males should be neutered. Check with your veterinarian on the appropriate age to spay or neuter your pet.

•  Dogs that are spayed/neutered don’t run away or fight as much

Yearly •  Have your parent or guardian take your

dog to your veterinarian for a check-up every year

Pet Report Card

Pet’s Name: Date of Field Trip/Sleepover: _____

My behavior was:

Absolutely wonderful Better than most Could have been better Did my best Forget it. I’ll be good next time!

Notes:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How I played:

I was so excited I played like crazy I was shy It took a while for me to feel comfortable with my new friends

Notes:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My personality:

I was very friendly I was shy I was quiet I was talkative

Notes:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My listening skills:

Perfect Better than most Needs improvement

Notes:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Riding in the car/travelling:

I behaved and didn’t move around too much I moved around a bit or made some noise I was difficult the whole trip

Notes:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How I walked on a leash (dogs only)

Perfect – no pulling Better than most Needs improvement – lots of pulling

Notes:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How well did I interact with others? Please note below:

Dogs_____________________________________________________________________________________

Cats______________________________________________________________________________________

Kids______________________________________________________________________________________

Strangers__________________________________________________________________________________

My body language was (check all the apply):

Alert Anxious Curious Friendly Frightened Irritated Relaxed Stressed

DOGS:

ears flat ears up Growling/barking hair standing up hyper vigilant major cowering moving away pacing panting

slight cowering tail wagging

CATS:

arched back bristled tail hair standing up hissing/growling tail straight tail relaxed