Fostering Policy & Procedure
Fostering through The Red Foundation falls in to two categories
Foster to Adopt
Dogs are placed in foster to adopt homes when we are not afforded the luxury of time with a re-home, due to various reasons. Where normally we would arrange several meets between the dog and potential adopter before the dog is re-homed, we occasionally need to place a dog in a home with a view to once the dog having settled the new owner will proceed to adoption.
- Dogs placed in foster to adopt homes often have no known behavioural issues.However, we would be working on the presumption that the information supplied to us by the current owner is truthful. You would need to be able to identify possible issues as soon as they arise, and if required dedicate the time to working on these issues with the dog. During this time we will support you with as much help and advice as you need.
- Due to the above, we will normally only place dogs in foster to adopt homes that have first hand experience of living with a Dachshund and their temperament (or has extensive knowledge of working with rescue dogs).
- Foster to adopt is for a limited period and once the dog has settled in nicely, we would expect you to proceed with a full adoption and in turn pay an Adoption Donation and complete a Adoption Agreement. (See our adoption procedure and policy for more details).
- If any issues have been identified with the dog, and after having worked on those issues with the dog with our support, it is decided between your family and your case worker that your family is not the right one for the dog, we will work to re-home them as quickly as possible. During this process we would, where possible, expect the dog to remain with you to limit distress, and would also require you to find the time to be able to chat to and meet with potential adopters.
Fostering
Dogs are placed into foster homes when they have known medical or behavioural issues or their history is unknown. This enables us to assess their needs and requirements before placing them in permanent homes.
- Due to this we will only accept fosterers that have dog (preferably Dachshund) experience.
- If the dog has known behavioural issues we will only place it in a foster home where the fosterer has experience of dealing with the issue successfully. We would verify this by either asking for references from a vet or behaviourist you have worked with to address the issue, or by asking one of our behaviourist team to call you and discuss the process you would put in place.
- If the dog has known medical issues we will where possible endeavor to place the dog in a foster home with someone experienced in the problem. If this is not possible and you are willing to foster a dog with known medical issues, we will ensure that you have all of the relevant information and, if required, training to deal with this. You may also be required to make regular trips to the vets or specialists, and it would be your responsibility to ensure the dog was transported safely.
- If the dog has an unknown background we can not place it in a home with young children.
- We will not place a dog in a foster home with anyone who would need to leave the dog alone for more than 4 hours. If a dog is known to have separation anxiety or other issues being left along we will only place it with a fosterer who is at home the majority of the time i.e retired, work from home, home maker. With any new Dachshund in a family we would expect you to be able to build up the length of time the dog is left to prevent any new separation anxiety issues or issues.
- A dog would be considered ready for adoption based on the observations of the fosterer coupled with knowledge of the breed and advice from behaviourists and The Red Foundation Team. Once the dog is ready for adoption, we would expect you to converse with potential adopters regarding the dog’s needs going forward and also be available to arrange meets with potential adopters in neutral locations.
For Both Kinds of Placements
- With either kind of Fostering we require the fosterer to pay for food & treats etc for the dog, unless it is on a specially medicated diet. If this is the case then The Red Foundation will cover the cost of this food.
- We would require you to provide ID, which we will keep on file for the duration of the foster.
- You must pass a thorough home check. This is to ensure that your home and garden are safe for a Dachshund. If any issues are found, they would need to be dealt with immediately due to the time constraints of the placement and we will require proof that any issues have been resolved before the placement starts. During the home check you will also be asked various questions about issues and problems that might occur and how you will deal with them. The home checkers we use are experienced and if they feel that you are not prepared for a Dog, we would need to act on this information and cancel the placement.
- You will be required to sign and adhere to the terms of our Foster Agreement.
- You will be assigned a case worker and will be required to check in with them at agreed regular times to report on the dog’s progress.
- We would expect you to take the dogs to your local vets for a check over within the first 14 days of the placement. The Red Foundation will cover the cost of this.
- The Red Foundation will normally cover costs of any health or age related medical costs for the duration of the foster.
- You may be required to get the dog in placement with you Neutered. Your case worker will discuss with you if and when this needs to be done, based on the age and behavior of the dog. We do not neuter dogs under the age of 12 months, and if a dog has behavioural issues we would prefer these to be addressed and dealt with before neutering takes place. If the dog is over 10 years old, or a vet has advised against it we do not neuter. The Red Foundation will cover the cost of the Neuter.
- We encourage all placements to try a Raw Diet for their dogs. Raw diets have proved to be beneficial for health, skin, teeth and temperament. We can provide you with a code for a months free trial of Nutriment, which is a complete balanced raw diet.
- Our dogs in foster must not be used to breed from.
- Fostered dogs must live as part of the family and not outside in kennels etc (unless agreed otherwise).
- We do not allow Third Parties to collect or deliver dogs going into foster unless previously discussed, verified and authorised by us.
- We can not accept applications to be a fosterer from anyone under the age of 21
To apply to become a Fosterer for The Red Foundation use this link –https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecrz9Bc5Y37wbWEzIjg10bQD_0LCaP02NO6D-oVh1_9peC3w/viewform?usp=sf_link
To view a copy of our Fostering Policy & Procedure click here