Q. What does a foster home do?
A. Foster homes provide a safe, clean, nurturing family
environment to a Golden who has been abused, abandoned, neglected or
surrender by its owner. As a foster home, you are asked to provide a
Golden with indoor living conditions, some basic obedience skills, and
of course love.
Q. How long will the dog stay with me?
A. Depending on the age and condition of the dog, anywhere from
14 days to several months. Younger dogs usually spend less time in their
foster homes, while older dogs tend to have longer stays.
Q. How much will it cost?
A. GRRRR asks that the foster home provide food for the dog.
All routine veterinary care, such as inoculations, spay/neuter, Heartworm and
flea preventative, worming etc. will be paid for by GRRRR Midwest. Any
care beyond the “basics” must be approved by the directors.
Emergency care, should the need arise, will also be covered by GRRRR
Midwest. In most cases, we can arrange for the Veterinarian to bill us
directly.
Q. What if I have other pets?
A. Most Golden Retrievers enjoy the company of other dogs. We
will never, knowingly, place an animal aggressive dog in a home with existing
pets. It is sometimes best to introduce existing pets to your new
foster in a neutral environment. Should problems arise the dog will be
removed and placed with another foster family. Human aggressive dogs
are not taken into our program.
Q. What if we choose to keep our foster dog?
A. Many of our foster families do choose to adopt their foster
dog. As a foster home, you will have the first option of adopting your foster.
Q. How do I become an approved foster home?
A. Print,
fill out, and mail in our foster
home form. For Insurance purposes Foster Home applications
must be signed and submitted by mail. A
brief home visit will be conducted, and any other questions you may have can be answered
during this visit. We take great care in placing our dogs in homes
best suited to their temperament and/or special needs. If you'd
like to discuss fostering further, please contact Pat
Q. What if I have problems with my foster dog?
A. We have many volunteers with years of accumulated knowledge
who are always available to provide help. Should the problems be
irreconcilable, the dog will be moved to a new foster home as soon as
possible.
GRRRR
Volunteers Chat about Fostering:
Jeanne says:
I wanted to help rescue goldens and
knew that the greatest need in rescue was foster homes--so I volunteered.
I will never forget the day I picked up my first Golden foster. I was so
nervous! Would she get along with my dogs? Would she fit in and
adjust?? Lydia was a sweet girl that had spent most of her life in a
kennel being used to breed. She grabbed my heart in a matter of
minutes. Everything about family life was new to her. What fun
seeing her personality blossom and watching her romp with the other dogs,
swimming in the pond and sleeping peacefully in a soft bed. I could tell
she knew she had been rescued and that the best part of her life had now
begun.
Lydia was adopted by a retired couple
who claim she is "the most wonderful dog in the world." It was
hard to see her go, but I know she is thriving, happy, and very spoiled.
We have shared our home with several foster Goldens over the last year, and I
feel privileged to have played a part in helping these dogs find wonderful,
loving families who will give them the life they
deserve.
Cindi says:
Fostering . . .
I started fostering for GRRRR shortly
after becoming involved with the organization via the adoption of my senior girl
Goldy.
I have been asked by numerous people
why I do it . . . that answer is simple, I can and want to provide love and
nurturing for one (and sometimes more!) of these poor babies that haven't had it
so good in life. I want to show them that life can be better.
Another frequent question is:
how can you give them up once you know them and love them . . . that answer is
simple, too, because for every one that can find their very own "forever
home" that is one more that we can help, that won't have to be turned away
or suffer in the streets or be put down needlessly. I say "we"
because no one is in this alone. It is a whole network of people, people
that I consider my family. Always ready to help with suggestions or just
to listen.
Have I ever had a foster that I wish
I would have adopted for myself? YES!! I did adopt one that started
as a CUR run and the family chose another dog when it came down to it. . . I was
not upset about that turn of events as I have reaped many more benefits having
this boy in my life than I can ever repay.
Fostering has been a part of my
family's life for several years now. I cannot imagine our life without an
"extra" place set at meal times or an "extra" to love on and
play with.
Kathy D says,
To those of you who haven't had this
chance . . . fostering is a wonderful thing to do . . . to know that a dog you
had the chance to mold, to make into a new dog . . . like Suzie . . . and Jessie
(now Sadie) . . . dogs that had never really known love until they came to your
home . . .
Teaching Suzie and Jessie how to love
and be loved were wonderful things. To let them learn that love came
regardless of their behavior, and to give the chance to learn self-discipline .
. . And for Sam & Buddy, who did know love, but no discipline . . . To teach
these dogs to play, to retrieve, to swim . . . To jump on the sofa and watch tv
with you. And, of course, Jack . . . the puppy who if he had stayed one
more day, never would have left . . .
And for Cimba, my very, very first
Golden foster child . . . before I ever got involved with GRRRR . . . watching
him go from a hairless pound puppy to a wonderful family member . . . that's
what got me started.
All these dogs I have fostered are
now wonderful family members. With some, it meant months of love and
training. Others took only weeks. But the giving of myself to these
dogs has meant so much to me.
The biggest cause of death today in
dogs is not cancer or heart disease . . . it's behavior disorders. ALL
these dogs could have been put to sleep if it wasn't for groups like GRRRR.
NOW, all these dogs are happy family members, in forever homes . . .
Cheryl says,
Although Dave and I had fostered dogs
short-term on several occasions (a day or two while other arrangements were
being worked out), our first long-term foster, Shelly, came to us in July of
last year. She had been rescued from a southern Illinois shelter, and we
knew little of her history. She had spent most of her life outdoors, was
rail-thin with a dry and lackluster coat, and had obviously whelped a
litter sometime that spring. To top it all off, she was heartworm positive
and would require a long period of restricted activity and close monitoring
while undergoing treatment.
When she arrived, she blended into
our existing pack (three neutered male Goldens) without incident. All "the
boys" accepted her as though she'd always been part of the
family.
We soon began to discover some of the
"baggage" she had brought with her from her earlier life--so many
fears! Going through doors, a raised hand, any sudden noise, the sight of
a broom or rake would all send her cowering -- clearly she had known abuse and
had very little self-confidence.
As mentioned, her heartworm treatment
required that her activity level be severely restricted for eight weeks.
In some ways, this was the key to healing her emotional troubles as well.
While the other there dogs spent time romping outdoors, Shelly received lots of
one-on-one attention, learning basic obedience commands and learning that moving
hands often held treats! She learned the joys of quality food on a regular
basis and her coat soon became soft and glossy as she added fifteen pounds to
hit her "ideal weight" of 63 pounds. She learned to love and
trust enough to come when called (most of the time!), receiving lots of praise
and "ear-skritches" for her accomplishments.
I think we knew with the first 48
hours of her arrival that Shelly would eventually become a permanent part of our
family, and that's how things worked out. In the intervening months, her
self-confidence has blossomed. She's taken charge of the three Golden
boys, and is a wonderful companion both for them and for us. She's also
become the self-appointed "Guardian of the House" -- nothing escapes
her notice and she's always ready to announce anything out of the ordinary --
Intruders BEWARE!
Yes, fostering Shelly presented
challenges -- I was very concerned about caring for a dog undergoing heartworm
treatment, but she sailed through it without a hitch. I also didn't know
if we had the knowledge/experience to help Shelly work through her many
fears. But I DID know that there was a wealth of experience among the
other GRRRR volunteers if we weren't quite equal to the task and needed to ask
for help or advice.
Will we foster again?
Absolutely, when the time and the dog are the right "fit" for our
situation. After all, that "fit" is important, just in case the other
dogs tell us that the foster dog is here to stay!
We hope that we have answered all of the questions you may have
regarding fostering a Golden Retriever for GRRRR Midwest. Please feel
free to send an email to our foster coordinator, Pat,
Email pcampbell@goldenrecovery.org with any questions we may have missed.
We
strive to make your fostering experience, pleasant and rewarding.
Watching a neglected or abused Golden blossom in the hands of a loving
family is a most rewarding experience.
Open your heart and your home to a Golden in
need!
