Even though Adopt A Dog is closed to the public and running on a very small amount of staff on site they continue to send dogs into fosters and doing adoptions.
All the while they are following guidelines by the CDC to make staff and public safety the top priority.
Adopt A Dog is grateful to the families who fostered, are fostering, or reached out to foster for Adopt A Dog during these tough times. They said many families are looking to help an animal in need while they are staying at home during COVID-19.
Here is an update on how the foster process is currently operating.
Are we still accepting foster applications and sending dogs to foster?
Yes, we are accepting applications and actively sending dogs out to foster. We are prioritizing which dogs are available to foster due to some dogs needing more hands-on training to transition successfully into a home. Due to social distancing guidelines this can be more difficult to do but we are changing our programs to help assist and provide behavior support to any of our fosters digitally.
How long can people expect to wait between submitting an application to foster and being contacted by our staff?
Within a few days you will receive an email from our Adoptions Coordinator introducing herself and acknowledging your application is in our foster bank.
How long can people expect to wait between submitting an application to foster and meeting their potential foster dog?
By being added to our foster bank we will keep you in mind for any dogs in our care that are looking to go into a foster home. We are prioritizing “Unicorn Fosters”. Unicorn fosters are people that are very flexible and have the ability to be flexible with the dog they get matched with due to their unique situation. Some of these things that make them unicorns could be adult-only homes, no other animals, open to special needs dogs, open to senior dogs, and other aspects that could make it easier to fit many types of dogs into their home. Someone doesn’t have to fit all of these things listed to be considered a unicorn either; just one of these perks can open up the possibilities of a foster home for a dog.
How long am I expected to foster a dog for?
Due to the current pandemic we are asking for at least a week commitment to your foster dog. Even during normal times our behavior team highly recommends a week-long foster to start if possible; giving your foster dog time to decompress and settle into their new environment. We love our overnight and weekend fosters but while we are short-staffed, facilitating these options is just not possible.
As a foster what will be provided to me?
Fosters will receive all needed supplies for their new foster dog. The supplies include a crate, bedding, water/food dishes, toys, treats, poop bags, and anything else needed for that specific dog. Fosters always have access to our dynamic duo on the Foster team, Kelly & Tara, for any questions, comments, or concerns that might arise during their fostering period.
What is expected of me when I foster a dog from Adopt-A-Dog?
We ask our foster families to help us show off and market their temporary house guest to their family, friends, co-workers, etc. Social media is a great way to do this especially as we are in quarantine and in-person adoption events are not possible. We ask that our foster families are realistic with their expectations when it comes to the dog they are fostering. Dogs need time to adjust to their new surroundings and the foster families schedule. Communication is key to successful foster experience. We check in to make sure all is going well, but foster families are expected to reach out if any questions or concerns arise. Helping with transportation to and from vet visits or adoption appointments at the shelter which are scheduled with our fosters family’s personal schedules in mind. We try our best to make this the best experience so most importantly enjoy your foster!
What if there are no dogs suitable for my family available to foster? Why no puppies?
This is a great “problem” rescues and shelters are running into all over the country. With so many families currently quarantined in their homes, animal welfare groups are seeing the highest number of people wanting to foster animals ever in their time. Adopt-A-Dog is a small rescue which cares for 35-45 dogs at any given time. So if we currently don’t have puppies for example, it is because the puppies we had have been adopted or already in foster waiting to be adopted. One part of our mission is to save unwanted and abandoned dogs. Dogs come into our care mostly from private owner surrenders and transport from larger high volume shelters. The need for a variety of fosters extends into our population of dogs, so while there may not be puppies or younger dogs available at the moment to foster we might still be in need of fosters that have other qualities such as not having other pets at home. We may not have a dog for you and your family to foster initially but being in our foster bank means that we will keep you updated and also send you other rescues and shelters in our coalition that could have a need for specific fosters more urgently.
Click here for the Foster Application.