Foster Application

Welcome and thank you for your interest in joining our team of animal loving volunteers. Fosters are truly the life line for a dog or cat in need and the back bone of our organization. By fostering a dog or cat you are literally saving that animal's life. You are that animal's safe haven until they find their forever home. We can’t save dogs and cats without foster homes. By fostering you have the ability to transform that shelter animal into a dog or cat that anyone would be honored to have as a pet.

Although fostering can be quite demanding and sometimes frustrating, once you have found a dog or cat its new forever home, you will see that many of those demands and frustrations have been well worth your efforts. By fostering the foster animal gets experience in a home environment and socializing with humans, better preparing it for its forever home and you get the fulfillment that you saved a life and completed a family.

(Please keep in mind that we do evaluate each home individually, and even though you may not meet all requirements, you may still be able to foster. Contact us at lddrfosters@gmail.com to find out more.)

For an in-depth look at what fostering entails you can review our Foster Manual.

Main Responsibilities

  • Provide a warm, safe and nurturing home and environment for the dog or cat until its new forever home is found. Being in a foster home greatly increases that animal's chance of being adopted.
  • The dog or cat will be kept as an inside dog or cat. They may be allowed outside but will NOT live outside. They will sleep INSIDE your home, in an appropriate area.
  • Work with your foster dog or cat on good home manners.
  • If required, will take the dog or cat to all necessary vet appointments.
  • Bring your foster dog or cat to adoption events.
  • Review adoption applications for the dog or cat you are fostering to find a good match.
  • Facilitate meetings with your foster dog or cat and potential adopters.
  • Since you’ll get to know the dog or cat, you can provide invaluable insight to potential adopters, helping ensure he or she gets a home that’s a better match.

Expectations

  1. All new fosters should realize that in most cases, we do not know much in the way of history of the dog or cat in question. Temperament, how the dog or cat interacts with various people and pets cannot typically be confirmed until the animal is in its foster home.
     
  2. The first few days that a foster dog or cat is in its new temporary home can be stressful for both the animal and the foster. Keep in mind the dog or cat is now living in a new situation. It may have an accident, and probably WILL have an accident. The dog or cat may have lived its whole life outside or it does not know where exactly it should go. Bottom line is that every foster dog or cat needs at least 3-5 days, and maybe more, to become acclimated to its new surroundings and daily routine.
     
  3. We ask that new fosters keep a dog or cat for a minimum of 3-5 days before deciding to return a foster animal back to the group because you feel it will not work out. As stated above, some dogs or cats need time to adjust to new surroundings. If, however, the foster animal is not working out, Last Day Dog Rescue will take the animal back but it may take our volunteers several days or more to make to make alternate arrangements for the foster dog or cat. We ask for your patience during these times. Most of our volunteers work full time jobs during the day and do rescue work on their lunch hours, after work and on weekends. We cannot always respond right away.
     
  4. The goal of Last Day Dog Rescue is to place our dogs and cats into the BEST possible home. This means that we do not place animals into the first available home just to move them. You may have a foster dog or cat for a week or you might have the foster dog or cat for several months, depending on the animal. This also means that at times, we may disappoint potential adopters who very much wanted the dog or cat because we decided the adopter was not suitable for the animal or vice versa. Unfortunately, that is a common issue but we are dedicated to our dogs and cats first and adopters second.
     
  5. In most cities and townships there is a limit by city ordinance on the number of animals you can have in your home at one time. Please know this information, which is easily found by calling your city hall clerk’s office. We do not want any issues arising from a situation of too many animals in your home.
     
  6. We do request that you not foster other dogs or cats from other organizations without first consulting a Last Day Dog Rescue representative. Please do not take in stray or owner surrender dogs or cats if you are currently fostering an animal. Taking in a stray or owner-surrendered animal whose medical history is not known also allows for possible transmission of disease to other household pets and even family members. The unknown factor of another dogs or cats temperament and behavior needs to be taken into consideration. Should you come across a stray or someone wishing to relinquish his or her pet, please let us know, we may be able to help or find someone who can.
     
  7. You will get to know your foster dog better than anyone. In order for us to know new things about our dogs and cats, we ask that you occasionally send in updates on your foster animal regarding any changes, such as weight, personality, likes and dislikes, and behaviors. Getting updated pictures of your foster dog or cat goes very far in the animal getting noticed on our websites, so please do this as often as you wish!
     

I am aware that by submitting this application, I agree to provide what is needed for the health and safety of a dog or cat in my care for Last Day Dog Rescue, Inc. I further agree to assume all responsibility for the foster dog(s) and/or cat(s) in my care while on or off my premises. I also agree to assume all liability for the dog while I foster it for Last Day Dog Rescue, Inc.

I fully understand and agree to assume all risks involved in any and all duties that I perform for Last Day Dog Rescue, Inc. in my volunteer capacity and I agree to hold Last Day Dog Rescue, Inc. harmless for any injury(s) that I might sustain during the course of my volunteer duties. This waiver does include myself, all of my family members and descendants forever from seeking any legal action whatsoever against Last Day Dog Rescue, Inc. or its Representatives. By submitting this application, I also fully understand that the foster dog or cat is owned solely by Last Day Dog Rescue Inc. until the adoption fee has been paid in full and the adoption contract has been reviewed and signed by an LDDR representative. Until the adoption is approved, LDDR has the right to collect the foster dog or cat from my premises at any time. I also understand that when I resign as a foster, I am to return any equipment and any unused supplies provided to me by Last Day Dog Rescue. By submitting this application, I submit I am at least 18 years of age.