When you foster you save two lives.  The first is the life of the dog you foster, the second is the life of the dog you just made room for at the refuge

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RESCUE. FOSTER. ADOPT.

For a more detailed explanation of how everything works look below.

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The Basics

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• You must be 18 years or older

• You must complete our foster application

• You must agree to a home visit prior to any foster dog placement.

• You must have a stable residence, where everyone living there agrees to have a dog. This includes written landlord approval.

• You must be willing/able to bring the dog to adoption events when they resume.

• The Rescue4All Foster Program Manager will pair you with a dog in need. They will take into consideration the dog you request.

• You must be willing/able to transport your foster dog to scheduled medical appointments, adoption events, and/or training classes.

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What is Expected of Our R4A Foster Parents?

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• They provide access to nutritious food (supplied by R4A), fresh water, adequate shelter, and control of external parasites (fleas and ticks).  They provide the dog with exercise, basic obedience training and house-training. Proper training greatly increases a dog’s chance of being adopted.  Resources for training will be provided by R4A

• They are responsible for the safety of each foster dog that comes into their care, and for the safety of other dogs and people the dog encounters.  They never let their foster dogs be a nuisance to other people or other animals.

• They always keep a collar with the R4A ID tag on the dog.  This is the dogs link back to us. If the tag is lost, they immediately contact us for a new one.  They keep foster dogs on their leash when they are outside of a house or securely fenced in a yard.  Our dogs are never allowed to run or play off-leash in any open public area.

• R4A foster dogs are not allowed to go to a dog park, doggy day care, or dog boarding.  If you ever need to board your foster, you simply contact us, and we will arrange for temporary placement.

• They keep any fostered dog safely confined in a fenced yard, kennel run, or inside a house when the dog is not with them or a family member.  Crate training is highly encouraged, and a crate will be provided by R4A.

• At no time are foster dogs placed outside on a tie-out (in a yard, in front of a café, store etc.)

• Our fosters immediately notify us in the event of a missing, injured, or sick dog.

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How We Support Our Fosters

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We know it is imperative that you feel our support through the fostering process. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions at any time. We also love to get updates of our foster pups enjoying their new life with a foster home! The more information/ updates and photos you can provide, the more exposure your foster dog will receive.

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What Rescue4All Covers

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• R4A provides food, a collar, ID tag, leash, crate, and free access for foster dogs to online training courses through Method K9 and pays for all required medical procedures.

• Since we are a non-profit, we also appreciate tax-deductible donations toward caring for foster dogs. If a foster parent needs something for their dog, they should contact us to let us know.

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Vet Visits

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• All basic medical expenses for each foster dog are covered by Rescue4All.  The care needs to be from one of our designated veterinarians.

• Before adoption, all R4A foster dogs need to be spayed/neutered (if appropriate age), micro-chipped, and vaccinated. We schedule all vet visits. If you are unable to get the dog there on your own we can help.  We just ask you to work with us to make it happen.

• You are not allowed to go to a vet of your choosing, nor take your foster to any unscheduled or unapproved appointments.  you will be responsible for all the vet bill.

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Promoting the Dogs

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• When R4A events resume, fosters are asked to bring the dog to our adoption events. We ask that you be able to stay with your foster dog to answer specific questions potential adopters may have.  If you cannot stay, we ask that you give a thorough assessment of your foster to our coordinator.

• Our fosters also help advertise their foster dogs on the R4A official Facebook, and Instagram pages by submitting photos and videos of their dog to our Adoption Program Manager.

• R4A dogs are named by our board members to avoid duplicates and confusion between animals, but we like input from our foster families once you get to know your foster dog.

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Dog Adoptions

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• We welcome our foster parents input on potential adopters, but they all still must be screened, interviewed, and approved by our authorized Rescue4All Adoption Program Manager. Foster input is a part of the process, but the final decision on where to place a dog is made by us.

• Inquiries about adopting the foster dog should be directed to us.  We will arrange an official meet and greet where one of our representatives can be present for the visit. Also, we ask that fostered dogs be made available to meet prospective adopters that we may locate.

• Fosters sometimes decide to adopt their foster dog, which we love.  However, they must go through the same adoption process as anyone else, including paying the requested donation which we use to help cover the costs of helping and saving dogs.

• If you need to return your foster dog to us for any reason, contact us immediately so we can make the proper arrangements.

• We retain the right to remove a foster dog from foster care at any time.

• Our fosters cannot give their dog to anyone until an adoption has been approved and an Adoption Agreement form is signed off by an R4A representative.

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Foster Dogs and Children

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• Since we don’t know the total history of the dogs we rescue, our dogs should never, under any circumstances be left unattended with children, and parents should be cautious and observant when children are eating with the dog in the room.

• If there is a child under 5 in the house the dog needs to be in its crate or a separate room while the dog is eating or sleeping to limit the risk of accidents

• We ask that children under the age of 13 do not walk our dogs unless an adult is with them.

• Also, keep in mind that a child in the house with a dog is at risk of being accidentally knocked over, scratched, or bitten etc.

• If your foster dog gives you any concerns or you feel uncomfortable with the situation between the dog and a child let us know.

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Foster Dogs and Other Animals

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• Foster dogs and cats should be introduced to each other slowly and cautiously over a period of a few weeks while the dog is kept on a leash.

• Even if your foster dog has been housed with other animals before, no one can guarantee its behavior with your pets will be the same.

• Just as with children, do not leave your foster dog in the same room as other animals unattended.

• Do not feed your foster dog in the same room as other pets, and do not leave toys and treats laying around the house.

• If you need help, do not hesitate to contact us.  We can put you in touch with an R4A representative who will assist you with introducing your animals.

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​Levels of Fostering

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1. Basic Foster: You are available to be a foster home for a ready-to-adopt dog. You will give him/her a warm, safe, and loving environment and commit to take him/her to any scheduled medical, training, or adoption events. We appreciate our foster families assessing the dog for 1-2 weeks before we post them as adoptable.  This way, we can learn the dog’s personality to fit them with the best adopters.  Some ready-to-adopt dogs need foster homes for as little as 3-4 weeks, some stay much longer.  We appreciate our Basic Fosters being open to housing a dog for as long as it takes to find them the best home.

2. Hard-Core Foster: You can help sick/injured dogs or puppies that require more time and attention than our Basic Fosters.

3. Ultimate Foster: You can support dogs that may require special skills and time commitments from their foster parents. This includes helping pregnant moms give birth and wean their litters; helping dogs with behavior modification and enrichment; and giving dogs dignity and comfort they deserve at the end-of-life by providing hospice care.

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***REMINDER that this application will qualify you only as a foster. Being approved to foster does not automatically mean you will be approved to adopt. If you are planning to adopt at some stage, and hope to meet your dog by fostering, please fill out the more detailed adoption application. ***

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