Dogs leave pawprints on our hearts.
Open Your Home, Change a Life: Learn How Fostering a Dog Makes a Difference
Foster Guidelines
Bringing a new dog into your household can be a fun experience. It can also be somewhat fearful. When the rescue group gets a dog, we never are sure of its background and what social skills it may or may not have. This is where you, the foster, comes into play. Evaluating the dog’s personality and developing social skills necessary to allow this dog to become an integral part of someone’s family. It’s not always a small task but it can have many rewards. Due to unforeseen circumstances we reserve the right to not allow families with children under the age of (7) to foster dogs.
As a new foster, there are most likely many questions you may have concerning things to do and not to do as well as what may be expected of you from the rescue. The Foster Guidelines information below will attempt to answer all your frequently asked questions, but may not answer them all. Feel free to contact the rescue at anytime if you are unsure.
Intake
Dogs come to the rescue in a variety of ways. Some are strays found on the street, some are pulled from high-kill or other shelters and some are surrendered. Regardless of how the dog comes into rescue they are all vetted, micro chipped and altered before being adopted, sometimes before a foster receives them, or sometimes the foster will need to help facilitate the vetting necessary at no cost to them.
The dogs will be handed over to the foster home with the following items:
Vetting
Vet care is important to the rescue as well as any potential adopter. Each dog will be brought up to date on vaccinations, microchipped and altered while in foster care, if not done so already upon arrival to the rescue. Dogs will be brought up to date on the following vaccinations:
A state certified health certificate (CVI) is required for all dogs being adopted. Contact the rescue for more information on obtaining a certificate, if needed.
Any vet care that is needed outside of the “normal” check up the dog is initially given, must be approved by the rescue before payment will be processed. Emergencies will need to be treated immediately, but the foster home must notify the rescue ASAP. Contact the rescue if you have any questions or concerns with the health of the dog.
Behavior Assessment
When dogs come into the rescue, they are assigned to a foster home to temporarily house, evaluate and socialize the dog.
Housing the dog means that the foster home will provide a warm, loving, low stress, comfortable environment for the dog and that the dog will not be left outside unattended at anytime. It is up to the foster home to determine whether or not the dog will need to be crated at night or while home alone. While the dog is staying at the foster home, the foster home should be working on basic obedience and house manners. The evaluation aspect is simply to observe the dog to see how they react in certain situations and environments.
Items or actions a foster home should make note of when evaluating the dog are:
These are the types of questions potential adopters will want addressed. Notes should be made on a foster notes document and a copy should be placed in the adoption packet before the dog is transferred to its new home.
Socialization should continue throughout the course of the stay at the foster home. Socialization includes; meeting new dogs, cats, people, children, walks in the park or on the street and constantly exposing the dog to situations they may not be or have been accustomed to. Socialization will help the dog adjust to new situations and environments easier and with less stress.
The dog will be placed in the foster home for no less than three weeks, and will remain until an approved adopter is found. The rescue uses this time frame to evaluate the dog’s behavior and personality. Initially, the dog may be scared or unsure of their environment, but after three weeks in the foster home, the dog should be showing their true character.
Prior to the “foster” period ending, the dog will be placed on on our adoption network sites. It is the foster homes responsibility to provide photos and a biography of the dog for its profile - the more detail the better. Inquires will be submitted to the rescue and passed onto the foster home if questions need to be answered.
Promotion
The best way to get a dog adopted is exposure. We use several tools to highlight the dogs available through the rescue, but are in no way are limited to these resources.
We promote the adoptable dogs in several ways:
Weekly Updates
Foster homes are required to submit weekly notes on how the dog is acting, the type of exercise they are getting, their appetite, socialization with other people and dogs, etc. It is required that there are weekly updates provided for each dog in the rescue’s care. This is very important that updates are received no later than Thursday of each week. A weekly foster update will be sent out, updating on the status and progress of each dog available through the rescue.
Many foster homes and volunteers use these updates as a way to recommend certain dogs to interested parties. It helps give everyone a better idea of which dog would be a good fit for a potential adopter.
Weekly updates can be submitted to: [email protected]
Adoption Process
Once your dog has been listed on the website, Petfinder and Facebook interested parties may start inquiring about the dog. The process for an interested party to adopt a dog will start by filling out and submitting an application before any other action will take place. See the process below, once an application has been received for the dog you are fostering:
An application for your foster dog will come to yourself or the rescue either by mail, email, or in person (if it comes to you, pass onto [email protected]
Cost to adopt: Cost varies by the age of the animal. There are no “discounts” for adopting multiple dogs at one time, unless approved by the rescue.
Foster Failure: Parting with the dog can be difficult and sometimes the foster home ends up being a “Foster Failure”. “Foster failure” is when a foster home ends up adopting the dog they are fostering. If the foster home chooses to keep the dog they are fostering, the adoption contract must be filled out and sent to the rescue with payment. No home or reference check is necessary, since you went through it all to become an approved foster home.
Reimbursement
Foster homes will be reimbursed for necessary expenses. The rescue will reimburse foster homes for dog food, necessary vet care and medications or approved supplements for the dog.
Items Mit Liebe GSDR will not reimburse the foster home for:
In order to be reimbursed for your expenses, send an original receipt to the rescue and a check will be mailed in the amount of the receipt/s you provide.
Send receipts to:
Mit Liebe GSDR
PO Box 376
Suamico, WI 54173
Donations & Fundraising
Some foster homes elect to make donations to the rescue in various ways. It can be by not asking to be reimbursed for various items such as dog food or vet care. Others simply make monetary donations or donate crafts and baked goods. Donations to the rescue are completely optional, but very much appreciated. If you need a donation receipt for tax purposes, be sure to request it from the rescue.
The rescue has several events throughout the year to help raise money for the rescue. If you have any ideas for new fundraisers or changes that can be made to existing fundraisers please send your suggestions to [email protected]. We also need volunteers at each of the fundraising events. Please consider donating some of your time to help at one or several of these events throughout the year. The yearly events are listed on the website, but updates will be made periodically through the weekly email update.
Event Participation
Events help to generate the much needed money the rescue needs in order to continue feeding and providing the necessary vet care the dogs need. The more people we have participating in events the better equipped we are and the less time each volunteer will need to spend at an event. While participation is optional, we do encourage our foster homes to attend as many events as they are able to with their dog.
If you are not able to volunteer at events, but would like to help in other ways, contact the rescue. The rescue needs help collecting donations, gathering raffle items and making crafts and baked goods to sell all year round.
Non Profit Status
Foster homes should keep in mind that Mit Liebe GSDR is a registered 501c3 organization and as such, donations can be tax deductible. It is up to each foster home to keep track of any such donations. Mit Liebe GSDR will, upon request, issue a donation thank you letter that can act as documentation of the donation for tax purposes. To receive such a letter you need to send an email to [email protected] indicating the total donation amount as well as a summary of the types of donation-receipts must be provided, if available.
As a new foster, there are most likely many questions you may have concerning things to do and not to do as well as what may be expected of you from the rescue. The Foster Guidelines information below will attempt to answer all your frequently asked questions, but may not answer them all. Feel free to contact the rescue at anytime if you are unsure.
- “Foster Home”: refers to the volunteer being put in charge of fostering and caring for the dog
- “Rescue”: refers to the Mit Liebe GSDR organization
- “Dog”: refers to the foster dog available for adoption through Mit Liebe GSDR
- “Adoption Contract”: refers to the binding contract between the rescue and the adopter
- “Foster Notes”: refers to the weekly notes document all fosters are required to fill out and submit to the rescue weekly
Intake
Dogs come to the rescue in a variety of ways. Some are strays found on the street, some are pulled from high-kill or other shelters and some are surrendered. Regardless of how the dog comes into rescue they are all vetted, micro chipped and altered before being adopted, sometimes before a foster receives them, or sometimes the foster will need to help facilitate the vetting necessary at no cost to them.
The dogs will be handed over to the foster home with the following items:
- Leash, collar, and identification microchip and rabies tags
- Vet records (current and past-if available)
- Informational packet- contains educational literature
- Dog food (if needed)
- Any medications the dog is currently being administered- if additional medication is needed the foster home must contact the rescue and request more
- Belongings from their previous owner
- Leashes- are sometimes scarce, always bring a leash when picking up a new dog
Vetting
Vet care is important to the rescue as well as any potential adopter. Each dog will be brought up to date on vaccinations, microchipped and altered while in foster care, if not done so already upon arrival to the rescue. Dogs will be brought up to date on the following vaccinations:
- Rabies
- Bordetella
- DHLPP
A state certified health certificate (CVI) is required for all dogs being adopted. Contact the rescue for more information on obtaining a certificate, if needed.
Any vet care that is needed outside of the “normal” check up the dog is initially given, must be approved by the rescue before payment will be processed. Emergencies will need to be treated immediately, but the foster home must notify the rescue ASAP. Contact the rescue if you have any questions or concerns with the health of the dog.
Behavior Assessment
When dogs come into the rescue, they are assigned to a foster home to temporarily house, evaluate and socialize the dog.
Housing the dog means that the foster home will provide a warm, loving, low stress, comfortable environment for the dog and that the dog will not be left outside unattended at anytime. It is up to the foster home to determine whether or not the dog will need to be crated at night or while home alone. While the dog is staying at the foster home, the foster home should be working on basic obedience and house manners. The evaluation aspect is simply to observe the dog to see how they react in certain situations and environments.
Items or actions a foster home should make note of when evaluating the dog are:
- Is the dog friendly with other dogs?
- Is the dog compatible with children?
- How does the dog react to cats?
- Is the dog food or toy aggressive?
- Does the dog do well walking on a leash?
- Does the dog do well riding in a vehicle?
- Are there any medical issues with the dog?
These are the types of questions potential adopters will want addressed. Notes should be made on a foster notes document and a copy should be placed in the adoption packet before the dog is transferred to its new home.
Socialization should continue throughout the course of the stay at the foster home. Socialization includes; meeting new dogs, cats, people, children, walks in the park or on the street and constantly exposing the dog to situations they may not be or have been accustomed to. Socialization will help the dog adjust to new situations and environments easier and with less stress.
The dog will be placed in the foster home for no less than three weeks, and will remain until an approved adopter is found. The rescue uses this time frame to evaluate the dog’s behavior and personality. Initially, the dog may be scared or unsure of their environment, but after three weeks in the foster home, the dog should be showing their true character.
Prior to the “foster” period ending, the dog will be placed on on our adoption network sites. It is the foster homes responsibility to provide photos and a biography of the dog for its profile - the more detail the better. Inquires will be submitted to the rescue and passed onto the foster home if questions need to be answered.
Promotion
The best way to get a dog adopted is exposure. We use several tools to highlight the dogs available through the rescue, but are in no way are limited to these resources.
We promote the adoptable dogs in several ways:
- PetFinder.com foster homes will be asked to write up a biography of the dog as well as take several pictures
- Meet-n-Greets at local pet stores
- Facebook updates and photos will be added
- Mit Liebe GSDR website
- Fundraising events bring your foster dog to the event to help get more exposure (must be approved by rescue prior to event)
Weekly Updates
Foster homes are required to submit weekly notes on how the dog is acting, the type of exercise they are getting, their appetite, socialization with other people and dogs, etc. It is required that there are weekly updates provided for each dog in the rescue’s care. This is very important that updates are received no later than Thursday of each week. A weekly foster update will be sent out, updating on the status and progress of each dog available through the rescue.
Many foster homes and volunteers use these updates as a way to recommend certain dogs to interested parties. It helps give everyone a better idea of which dog would be a good fit for a potential adopter.
Weekly updates can be submitted to: [email protected]
Adoption Process
Once your dog has been listed on the website, Petfinder and Facebook interested parties may start inquiring about the dog. The process for an interested party to adopt a dog will start by filling out and submitting an application before any other action will take place. See the process below, once an application has been received for the dog you are fostering:
An application for your foster dog will come to yourself or the rescue either by mail, email, or in person (if it comes to you, pass onto [email protected]
- The foster home will receive notification from the volunteer processing the application that a new applicant has applied to adopt the dog you are fostering. The Foster home will be copied or updated on all communication happening throughout the process until the potential adopter has been approved or denied.
- The volunteer processing the application will call the applicant’s vet references ask if the applicant’s current or past pets are/were kept up to date on their vaccinations.
- A home check will be performed by either the foster home or another rescue volunteer.
- Once the vet check and home visit have been approved, the foster home can set up a time for the applicant and the dog to meet.
- The foster home has the best knowledge of the dog and will be asked for input on the final adoption decision. Sometimes you get a feel of how the dog reacts with people.
- If approved and everyone is comfortable-including the dog, the foster home sets up a time and place for the new family to take the dog home. It’s up to the foster home to determine when and where the pickup will take place.
- Prior to picking up the dog, MLGSDR will coordinate contract finalization and adoption payment with the adopter.
- The foster home will go over all notes and instructions as well as take several photos of the adopters and their new family member. The foster home will need to inform the adopter of any necessary items they may need to bring in order to take the dog home with them (i.e. leash, crate, etc.).
Cost to adopt: Cost varies by the age of the animal. There are no “discounts” for adopting multiple dogs at one time, unless approved by the rescue.
Foster Failure: Parting with the dog can be difficult and sometimes the foster home ends up being a “Foster Failure”. “Foster failure” is when a foster home ends up adopting the dog they are fostering. If the foster home chooses to keep the dog they are fostering, the adoption contract must be filled out and sent to the rescue with payment. No home or reference check is necessary, since you went through it all to become an approved foster home.
Reimbursement
Foster homes will be reimbursed for necessary expenses. The rescue will reimburse foster homes for dog food, necessary vet care and medications or approved supplements for the dog.
Items Mit Liebe GSDR will not reimburse the foster home for:
- Toys
- Treats
- Bedding
- Supplements (outside of what is provided by the rescue)
- Grooming
- Boarding
- Travel or mileage
In order to be reimbursed for your expenses, send an original receipt to the rescue and a check will be mailed in the amount of the receipt/s you provide.
Send receipts to:
Mit Liebe GSDR
PO Box 376
Suamico, WI 54173
Donations & Fundraising
Some foster homes elect to make donations to the rescue in various ways. It can be by not asking to be reimbursed for various items such as dog food or vet care. Others simply make monetary donations or donate crafts and baked goods. Donations to the rescue are completely optional, but very much appreciated. If you need a donation receipt for tax purposes, be sure to request it from the rescue.
The rescue has several events throughout the year to help raise money for the rescue. If you have any ideas for new fundraisers or changes that can be made to existing fundraisers please send your suggestions to [email protected]. We also need volunteers at each of the fundraising events. Please consider donating some of your time to help at one or several of these events throughout the year. The yearly events are listed on the website, but updates will be made periodically through the weekly email update.
Event Participation
Events help to generate the much needed money the rescue needs in order to continue feeding and providing the necessary vet care the dogs need. The more people we have participating in events the better equipped we are and the less time each volunteer will need to spend at an event. While participation is optional, we do encourage our foster homes to attend as many events as they are able to with their dog.
If you are not able to volunteer at events, but would like to help in other ways, contact the rescue. The rescue needs help collecting donations, gathering raffle items and making crafts and baked goods to sell all year round.
Non Profit Status
Foster homes should keep in mind that Mit Liebe GSDR is a registered 501c3 organization and as such, donations can be tax deductible. It is up to each foster home to keep track of any such donations. Mit Liebe GSDR will, upon request, issue a donation thank you letter that can act as documentation of the donation for tax purposes. To receive such a letter you need to send an email to [email protected] indicating the total donation amount as well as a summary of the types of donation-receipts must be provided, if available.
Apply to Foster a GSD
To apply to foster any of our available GSDs fill out the application below. Once your application has been submitted a volunteer will work to process your application. Processing apps takes some time, please be patient (expect up to a week).
Please make note before applying:
Please make note before applying:
- Foster dogs MUST be kept in foster care for at least 3 weeks
- We keep applications on file for 6 months
- You MUST contact your vet & let them know we will be calling (they'll need consent from you in order to talk to us)
- You MUST have your other dogs spayed/neutered
- A home check and reference check are required and non-negotiable