Why Foster?
Blackjack Animal Rescue and Catahoula Connection (BARCC) can always use more foster homes. BARCC does not have a physical shelter, we rely completely on foster homes. Our foster homes are the backbone of our rescue. This is because the provide the difference between life and death for our dogs. Without foster homes the majority of our dogs would not have made it out of the shelter alive.
Fostering makes you a greater part of the dogs rescue equation. As a foster you are getting our rescue dog ready for adoption by taking them into your home and we couldn't be more grateful to our foster families. You help prepare the dog for adoption by giving then the skills and training necessary to make a smooth transition to a forever home. BARCC doesn't have a physical shelter and can only rescue as many dogs as we have foster homes, therefore bybecoming a foster parent you are directly saving the lives of shelter dogs.
As a foster parent, you will enjoy nurturing your dog, physical and emotion until it is adopted and that can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. BARCC so be there with you every step of the way. You'll work with a foster coordinator to make sure to find the right foster for you. We will never pressure you to take in a dog, especially one that isn't a good fit for your household.
By temporarily taking an animal in need into your home you are:
1. Increasing that dog’s chance will be adopted. By fostering a dog, you are the link between them and their potential adopters. By fostering a dog, you also have the ability to transform a scared, or shy dog from the shelter into a dog anyone would be lucky or love to adopt.
2. You help BARCC learn more about the dog’s personality. As a foster, your daily interactions with your foster dog will help us learn about his/her unique personality as well as about any behavior issues. It can be hard to know about a dog when they are living in a stressful, scary shelter environment. By placing a dog in one of our foster homes it helps us learn if he/she likes children, likes other dog's, chases the cats or has a prey drive, has separation anxiety, barks when crated, knows any basic commands, or if the dog has high or low energy etc. Knowing all of this info helps us find and place each dog in the perfect forever home! Most of our dogs are fostered for at least 2 weeks down South prior to coming North, so we are able to know a bit about the dog before taking him/her into your home.
3. As a Foster, you will appreciate your own dog’s good behavior. On the contrary, you may realize your foster dog is better behaved than your own dog! Your dog will also be a
great teacher for your foster dog. Your dog will show him/her how to acclimate to life in a home. One of the benefits of fostering is the socialization your own dog(s) receives.
4. Most importantly by fostering you are saving lives! BARCC is almost always at capacity and once we are, we cannot commit to anymore dogs until additional foster homes open up. By taking in a foster dog, you save two lives; first your foster dog and the second is the dog who took his place in the shelter.
5. Our rescue (BARCC) would not and could not exist without foster homes. We depend entirely on foster homes because we do not have a physical building. If it weren't for all of our generous foster families, our rescue wouldn't be able to continue.
6. Foster families are a great benefit to the dogs we save because they get to live with a family not in a shelter. Most dogs get stressed out in shelter conditions. Shelters are extremely noisy and have limited one-on-one interactions. Many times the dogs don't get enough exercise, training or socialization. This causes some dogs to develop issues like pent-up energy, frustration, aggression or boredom.
7. Fostering is a volunteer position and volunteering makes a person feel good! Fostering a dog is a great way to give back to your community. If you love animals, there is nothing
more rewarding than helping a homeless dog! Plus fostering does give you warm and fuzzy feeling in and of itself.
8. It is a way to help without spending a lot of money. If you don't have the money to donate to animal rescues and Shelters, you can always donate your time by fostering.
The main items a foster is required is shelter, love and food (and sometimes we can help with the food!)
How does fostering work?
1. Each foster will work with our foster coordinator. Our foster coordinator will be there if you need help. We also have a closed group as a lifeline for all of our foster's to get together and chat about any issues and discoveries they have made.
2. We do not always know what to expect when the dog is coming straight from a shelter and we rely on the information from the shelter. We do provide our fosters with as much information about the dog as we can.
3. We pay for all approved vet care at approved vet offices for our dogs. We do try to vet our dogs before moving them to foster homes.
4. We depend and value what our foster families say about our dogs. We want to know the personality and temperament of the dog. It helps to determine what kind of home the dog would benefit from. We also like to know what the foster family believes would be a good home.
5. For almost all of our foster dogs you may need to meet a transport or a driver to get your foster dog, or we may send you to meet one of our volunteers.
6. Our adoption coordinator will work to find your foster dog the right home. We will need you to give us information/personality/bio to help us place the dog properly. In some situations we may ask you to speak with the potential adopters.
7. Only at certain locations do we offer adoption events. If you are in one of those locations and can attend the adoption event with your foster dog it is recommended.
So what do you get for fostering? Aside from the warm and fuzzy feelings from knowing you are making a huge difference in the lives of rescue dogs, BARCC also provides our fosters with all necessary veterinary care and medicine and for their foster animals and making ourselves available to answer any and all questions you have.
What to expect as a foster?
● You are expected to provide your foster pet with all the loving care it needs, which includes (but not limited to) food, water, shelter and medication when required.
● Provide daily mental and physical exercise suitable to the needs of your foster.
● Adhere to all veterinarian care including keeping all appointments with the veterinarian of BARCC choosing, to follow all at home protocol as directed by the veterinarian and/or BARCC including but not limited to dispensing medications and post surgery instructions
● We expect you to use our veterinarians. If you take a foster dog to the vet without our permission it is your financial responsibility. If you have questions about symptoms you see please reach out to your foster coordinator and we will let you know what to do and/or get you veterinarian care.
● Keep a record of all veterinarian care and any medications or other care provided by the veterinarian or foster including, but not limited to vaccinations, tests (blood, fecal, skin, etc) care of minor wounds or management or minor illnesses whether veterinarian care was sought or not. All records need to be sent to BARCC @adoptblackjackrescue@gmail.com
● Provide comfortable indoor sleeping arrangements in a crate if the dog is less than one year old, or older but not yet house trained; or free in the house at the foster’s discretion.
● Provide a safe way for the dog to be outside either within a physical fence that is adequate in size and secure enough to protect the dog from escape or from harassment from roaming animals; or with an electronic fencing system, on a leash or on a tethering system with the understanding that the dog will be accompanied by a responsible person at all times while outside. This is vital to assure the dog’s safety not only from escaping and becoming lost or injured, but protect the dog from roaming animals. The dog is not to be outside unattended.
● Refrain from taking the dog out of the house and/or fenced area off leash for any reason.
● Keep a collar and/or harness/easy walk/head halter on the dog at all times that he or she is outside.
● Keep and care for the dog as an inside house pet, allowed to be close to the people and the other animals of the house, with proper supervision and with the proper steps taken to assure the safety of the foster pet, the fostering family members and fostering family pets.
●Reasons to not include your foster pet around your own pet include quarantine, aggressive dog, or expecting/new momma dog and newborn puppies etc.
● Quarantine is a requirement if your foster dog is coming out of the shelter and into your home. This means the dog is not exposed to other dogs in the house; personal or other foster. Keeping the foster in a separate area of the home from where they would normally interact. We also need to be informed during the 14 day quarantine period or decompression time of any changes in the dog's appearance, behavior, or medical changes.
● Secure the dog when traveling by either using a crate or tethering the dog safely in the vehicle.
● Don't transport the dogs in an open pickup truck bed, open or closed trailer, or boat/trailer.
● Refrain from taking the dog on any type of watercraft, motorized or non-motorized, unless the dog is wearing an approved pet life preserver.
● Never leave the dog unattended around a pond, creek, or other body of water.
● Provide the rescue and potential adopters with accurate and timely information about your foster.
● Answer any questions in a reasonable amount of time that we may have about your foster pet so we can make sure it stays healthy and gets adopted to the best possible home.
● Provide clear pictures, videos and stories about your foster with the goal of increasing adoption potential. You are expected to be available via phone call, text, and/or emails so that we can check-in when necessary and coordinate appointments and meet and greets with potential adopters.
● Seek out opportunities to take the dog in public places, such as pet friendly stores, parks, pet festivals, etc with the approval of BARCC after appropriate vetting and to do so with the dog on a leash with either a collar, harness, easy walk, head halter as agreed upon by all parties, and to keep the dog under control and to take personal responsibility for the dog’s actions.
● Assume responsibility for all actions of the dog while in the care of the foster family and not hold liable BARCC with which the foster family has a fostering agreement.
● Agree to take in a dog as is with all defects either observable or unobserved and assume responsibility for the duration of the fostering.
● Agree to not foster other animals from any other organizations without first consulting BARCC representative.
● Agree not to transfer care or ownership to any person or organization for any reason.
● Agree to contact BARCC in the event the dog is lost or stolen.
