FOSTER POLICIES 

Below are some policies that have been established for all Abandoned Pet Project Rescue foster families. Please familiarize yourself with these policies before bringing a pet into your home. Let us know if you have any questions.

Commitment and Term: All of the animals that are brought into our program are placed into foster care. APPR does not have a shelter or facility so foster families must commit to fostering their pet until the pet is adopted or transported to another rescue partner (through set up and agreement with APPR). This agrees to working through unexpected behavioral and medical issues that may arise and following through with advised treatment. We understand that personal issues can arise that are out of your control such as but not limited to illness, death, moving to another state, change in financial status, etc. We will do our best to accommodate these unexpected life changes but cannot guarantee an immediate solution.

Beyond providing plenty of love, foster homes are generally responsible for providing a safe, clean, and caring environment; shelter, food, water, and toys/enrichment; and exercise and socialization as appropriate. In addition to providing these basics, foster parents may also be asked to monitor any medical and/or behavioral issues and work with our medical and behavior teams, as needed, to provide the best care possible for the animal. Foster parents are responsible for picking up their foster from the shelter and transporting them to and from medical appointments, and events. We also expect our fosters to actively market their foster pet for adoption, screen and meet with potential adopters, be responsive and courteous towards potential adopters, and otherwise follow our adoption protocols.

Who Should I Foster: It is important to be thoughtful of your decision to foster any live animal. When going through the album of available animals, please consider your family’s needs and lifestyle, the dog’s needs, and the care you are willing to provide. Many of the foster animals brought into our care are not yet ready for adoption due to outstanding medical needs. In addition, many times we do not know if the pet is house trained, how they are on a leash, if they are crate trained, etc. It is important to understand what you are and are not willing to deal with during your foster commitment.

Medical Care: We will provide you with as much information that we have about the pet’s medical needs before they are pulled from the shelter. This information is only what we have been given from the shelter and sometimes we find out more extensive care is needed once pulled. Foster families must commit to dealing with any possible medical issues that may arise. Please note, this will be at no cost to you. We have approved vet services located throughout the greater Dallas area. Please make sure that you are able to commit to vet appointments at these locations before pulling a foster animal.

Cost: APPR will pay for the medical care of your foster pet at one of our approved vet clinics. We also cover the cost of heartworm and flea preventative. If you decided to take your foster pet to an unapproved vet, it will be at your own expense.

Supplies: We recommend fosters have food, water, crates, toys, litter, baby gate and bedding when preparing for a new foster animal. At times, APPR may have crates and other supplies available to loan but it is not guaranteed. We recommend sourcing supplies on social media groups such as Facebook and NextDoor, local garage sales and Craigslist.

Expenses incurred related to fostering a pet are considered charitable donations on your annual federal tax return.

Food: In most cases, we ask you to provide food for your foster animal. In some instances, we can assist with food for specific medical needs recommended by a vet. Please do not feed your foster dog with other dogs or children.

Transportation: Foster families are required to have a means of transportation in order to attend home visits, vet appointments, adoption events and in the case of an emergency.

GENERAL RULES OF THUMBS

Indoor Pets Only: Foster animals should remain indoor pets at all times. Please do not leave your foster pet outdoors unsupervised, regardless of weather. Cats should not be let outdoors at all.

Dog Parks & Public Outings: It is strongly recommended against foster dogs visiting dog parks. There are many reasons for this, but mainly revolve around avoiding illness/disease from other animals, preventing any risk of injury from a dog fight and added increase of the dog’s ability to escape. We encourage you to take your foster dog to patios, stores that allow dogs, etc once they have decompressed, are medically up to date and are behaviorally capable. Be sure to watch their body language, follow cues, and protect them from getting into an issue that could harm them or another person/animal.

Children: It is important to be mindful of every interaction your dog has with another person but especially around younger children. Do not leave your foster pet unsupervised with children around and do not let a child get in your foster dog’s face, sit on or hug him/her. Additionally, a child should not walk the dog on a leash. Watch for body stiffening, a tendency to leave the company of kids, display the whites of the eyes and lip licking. These are all signs of stress.

Walking, Leashes, Collars, etc.: APPR does not support the use of retractable leashes due to the lack of control an individual has over the dog. In addition, a retractable leash can cause serious injury if wrapped around an animal or human. Due to these risks, retractable leashes will not be allowed at adoption events. As an alternative, APPR supports the use of martingale collars, head collars (gentle leaders), halti harnesses and prong collars – all when used correctly. Please educate yourself to ensure you are using them properly. Your foster dog should not be off-leash anywhere but within the boundaries of your home and backyard.