Atlanta Boxer Rescue Foster Manual

Transcription

1 Atlanta Boxer Rescue Foster Manual Welcome to the Atlanta Boxer Rescue Foster Program! Fostering dogs is a challenging, but very fun and rewarding experience. We try to provide as much support as possible while you care for your foster dog. In general, we are a tightlyknit group and like boxers, we tend to be very social, so you will make friends along the way and save many boxers. Please read this entire manual at least once and keep it handy! Starting the Foster Process Once you are on our foster team, you will receive s or see Facebook posts from ABR of boxers needing a foster home. If any boxer interests you, respond to the or comment on the post. You likely will have to make arrangements to get the dog, but there are transport volunteers that might meet you half way. Most of the time, the dog is not delivered directly to your home. If you are picking up the dog from the shelter or a vet, you should ask for the dog s intake papers stating which vaccinations and procedures they have administered. Please ask prior to going to a shelter as only authorized people may pull dogs under our license. Send any intake paperwork you receive to vetting@atlantaboxerrescue.org and records@atlantaboxerrescue.org. One of the board members will get you set up in the ABR Foster Homes Facebook group. This is a great resource if you have general questions/comments regarding your dog/fostering/procedure questions. It is monitored by all ABR board members and many knowledgeable fosters. We may send you a friend request to make it easier to add you to the group. If you would like to leave the FB group at some point, ask us to remove you or you will not be able to be added back in the future. We have a foster section on our website that includes many important documents and adoption kit materials at (Username: foster Password: boxer) Please read Bringing Home Your Rescue Dog for some valuable information on getting your foster settled in your home. Foster Paperwork & Requirements Department of Agriculture requires our foster to have the following documents available at all times: 1. Current Home Visit Inspection (home visits updated every 6 months) 2. Current Foster Home Agreement 3. Current Pet Inventory Log (at the end of manual) 4. ABR License Our Foster Home Coordinator will issue you a Foster Paperwork Folder with these documents included. Please keep this someplace that is easy to access. Department of

2 Agriculture can do a surprise home visit at any of our foster homes at anytime to verify that you have this paperwork and that it is up to date. As your fosters are adopted and your new fosters come in, please add them to your Pet Inventory Log and keep this document handy. It is also a requirement that Foster Home Visits be updated every 6 months. We will be in touch with you when it is time to recheck. Bringing Home your Foster Dog It is likely that your foster dog will be coming to you directly from a shelter, vet or other stressful environment. As much as you will want to introduce him directly to your dogs and show him/her off to your friends and family, the most important thing is to give your foster dog a quiet environment where they can feel safe and secure. If this is your first foster, please be sure to read the Bringing Home your Rescue Dog article on the ABR website. Some key points to remember are: Give your foster dog a break! Provide quiet time in a room away from other dogs and people for at least the first week. Use your crate to establish a safe haven for the dog. If you need a crate, contact our inventory manager at inventory@atlantaboxerrescue.org Avoid public outings during at least the first two weeks. Most foster dogs have some health issues going on, and overexerting them can cause their conditions to worsen or they can be contagious to other dogs. Plus, we want you to be established as their leader. Too many people and activities can confuse your dog and look like you have no control over situations. Once your foster dog is ready, initiate SLOW introductions on leash with other dogs in your home. Most of our foster dogs have been temperament tested, but proceed with caution during those first few days. Some dogs may exhibit food, dog, resource or leash aggression that wasn t previously identified. Set your foster dog up for a successful interaction! If the foster dog has not yet been vetted, avoid sharing food & water bowls, and have them potty in a separate area from your dogs. Many foster dogs come to us with parasites and/or kennel cough, so keep your dogs safe. We always recommend having your dogs up to date on the Bordatella vaccine BEFORE bringing a foster dog into your home. Foster dogs are not allowed in public dog parks at any time. Many foster dogs are strays that have escaped from fenced in yards, so foster dogs should be supervised or crated at all times. Do not leave your foster dog outside unattended, or off-leash in unfenced areas. Please inform the board immediately if your dog exhibits any aggressive behavior. Bites especially should be reported immediately! We can set up professional behavioral evaluations if necessary.

3 Vetting Generally, the health of the dog is unknown, and rarely do they have a clean bill of health. Make sure animals in your house are up to date on all preventative medicines (including canine influenza). You should get your foster into an approved vet ASAP to determine their approximate age, general health, spayed/neutered, and heartworm status. Specific vets around the Atlanta area that have relationships with ABR: Paces Ferry Veterinary Clinic in Vinings (general vetting and ALL Heartworm Treatment) Peachtree Corners Animal Clinic in Peachtree Corners (general vetting) The Village Vets in Decatur and Stone Mountain (general vetting) Hamby Animal Hospital in Alpharetta (general vetting) Acworth Animal Hospital in Kennesaw (intake) Sigman Veterinary Hospital in Covington (general vetting) Big Creek Animal Hospital in Cumming (general vetting) Little River Animal Hospital in Milton (general vetting) Best Friends Animal Clinic in Braselton (intake) My Budget Vet in Conyers (spay/neuter, dental) PlannedPethood in Duluth for spays/neuters (will do shots at altering appointment only) WellPet Humane in Norcross (general vetting) Unless there is a special circumstance, Paces Ferry is the ONLY vet we currently use for HW treatment. Please get approval prior to taking dogs to any vet. Contact our vetting coordinator (vetting@atlantaboxerrescue.org) to get your foster dog into a vet. We can try to coordinate a transport if you cannot get the foster into the vet, but this is not always possible. Save all medical records and send copies to vetting@atlantaboxerrescue.org. Heartworm preventative will be mailed to you. Please do not purchase this on your own from your vet or an ABR approved vet without prior approval. Dogs require the following before they can be adopted: Heartworm test: Treated if Positive DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza) Rabies shot Fecal Test: Dewormed if positive Altered (spayed/neutered) Microchipped* * Microchipping can be done at Paces Ferry Veterinary Hospital, Peachtree Corners Animal Clinic, Big Creek Animal Hospital, or The Village Vets. (These vets have ABR chips on hand). Prescription Medicines Several written prescriptions from the vet can be filled for free at Publix. The list changes periodically, so check the website to see which antibiotics are free. GoodRx.com also provides digital

4 coupons for huge discounts on many meds. They also have an app that you can download and check prices on your phone. If your dog is treated for heartworms, he/she must be kept on Heartgard (ivermectin) for 1 year. It is important that you tell this to your adopter. After a year, they can switch to another brand. Heartgard will be mailed to you according to the dates indicated on the Dog Information Sheet. Dog Information Sheet We have a Dog Information Spreadsheet where information on all foster dogs is kept. Access the sheet here: bit.ly/293sjbw. It is important to keep the dog info sheet updated and put microchip numbers in ASAP. We use this information to make sure your dog is kept up to date on heartworm pills and other important tasks. Posting on ABR Website When your foster dog has seen the vet to determine health status, send a bio about your foster and picture to bios@atlantaboxerrescue.org for posting on ABR s website and all of our social media channels. The bio should include a short paragraph describing dog (including age, weight, gender, ears/tail, HW status, date available), behaviors, and what type of adopting situation would be ideal, e.g. dog with separation anxiety needs someone who is home most of the time, dog with tons of energy needs to be a running partner or have another dog to play with). Our adoption coordinator may send your photos to potential adopters before they are posted on the website or Facebook. We always have a long line of approved applicants and your dog may fit the bill exactly! Meeting Potential Adopters When someone is interested in your foster, you will receive an from our adoption coordinator saying Smiths have been approved, and want to meet foster they are an approved applicant. This means the applicants have been interviewed thoroughly and asked questions about their application answers, especially about anything that looks unusual. Their vet has been called to confirm they are up to date with current pets immunizations, HW meds and confirmation that they are altered. Their reference has been called, questioned and a home visitor has visited. If all is well, they are approved to adopt one of our boxers. Only APPROVED applicants are sent and they are the only ones that should be meeting the dogs, under the expectation they may adopt. You need to contact the potential adopter as soon as possible to schedule a meet and greet with the foster dog and potential family. All members of the family including pets, kids, and adults need to be there. Please stay in contact with the adoption coordinator and keep her updated on all of the adoption progresses. This will ensure that your dog is adopted out in a timely manner. Have an out phrase (I have to get the paperwork together, I need to talk to our adoption coordinator...) ready just in case you see something you do not like in the prospective adopter. (This rarely happens. The more common disappointing outcome is that the dogs do not get along and that probably only happens 30-40% of the time. And that is obvious to everyone.)

5 Meet and greets typically last about one hour. They can be done at the foster s home, the adopters home, or any other agreeable place. A dog park is NOT ALLOWED as we do not know how our dogs will react there and it is too risky. Adoption Process We will mail you an adoption kit for your dog. You should rarely, if ever, have to print adoption documents yourself, but if for some reason you do, please be sure to print and/or the following reference documents from the foster web page to the adopters. Ask them to read these, as there is important information about bringing home their rescue. You as a foster should familiarize yourself with the information as well. Below are the adoption kit documents: ABR: Bringing Home Your Rescue ABR: Feeding Document ABR: Training (You Are Your Puppy s Teacher) ABR: Training (NILIF) Breaking Up Dog Fights Toxic Dog Food List Meetup Flyers Volunteer Opportunities Promotional items or coupons from our top level Boxerstock sponsors. Always make TWO copies of everything! One for you to send to ABR and one for the adoptive family. The following paperwork should be completed at time of adoption: Adoption Application either complete and sign two copies or complete one copy and photocopy. Request the dog s ID number from any ABR Board Member. One copy for adopter and one copy for ABR s dog s file. Health Record filled out with everything that s been done to the dog by our vet(s) vaccines with dates, spay/neuter date, medications (if any). One copy for adopter and one copy for ABR s permanent dog s file. 24PetWatch Microchip Registration Form if you have hardcopy version with three carbon copy pages, affix microchip barcode stickers to each paper, complete top form and read the bottom to see which copy goes to whom (one is for the adopter and one is sent to ABR s record keeper (dog s file), who also sends the registration to the microchip company.) If you have printed the form online, affix microchip barcode sticker and completely fill out 3 copies, or fill out one form and make two photocopies. Chip forms must be filled out with all pertinent information and microchip forms are NOT valid unless they have a barcode affixed or chip number hand written on the top right section. Dogs are prohibited from being adopted out without a microchip.

6 Adoption Checklist Adopter ABR Record Keeper Adoption Contract One copy One copy Health Record One copy One copy Rabies Certificate One copy One copy 24 hour Petwatch (Triplicate form or three copies) Owner Surrender or Agency Transfer Form One copy One copy One copy Copies of records must be sent within 7 days to the ABR Records Coordinator. Copies can be ed to records@atlantaboxerrescue.org (We suggest clear smart phone images or the use of a scanner App, such as Genius Scan.) Payment Payment is required prior to an adopter receiving the dog. Payment needs to be made via PayPal at Fees are $300 for 6 months or younger, $275 for 6-11 months and $250 for 1 year and older. Alternatively, payments can be made to you in cash and you process a paypal payment. No checks from adopters. Do not let the adopter pay via the donation button. Use only the adoption buttons at the above link. Do not give foster boxer to family until all required signatures are collected, AND you have payment (either cash or visually verifying completed payment through PayPal on computer screen), unless you hear otherwise from an ABR representative. Any board member can verify PayPal payment if needed. Happy Tails When you meet to do the adoption, take a picture of the adopted boxer and its new family. Write a brief story for the happy tail and the photo and story to bios@atlantaboxerrescue.org for posting on the website, Facebook and other social media channels. Pet names are okay to use in the Happy Tail, but not adopter s names and especially not children s names.

7 Atlanta Boxer Rescue Representatives and what they do: Board of Directors Dianne DaLee ABR Board President ABR Business, Web, Graphics, Marketing C: Vetting Coordinator C: Angel Babb ABR Board Treasurer Intake Coordinator, Accounting C: W: H: Supporting Volunteers Beth Leete Adoption Coordinator org C: Maggie Trammer Foster Home Coordinator C: Laura Hoffman Owner Surrenders Rebecca Neal ABR Board Vice President Shelter Liason - Intake rebecca@atlantaboxerrescue.org C: Kelly Wilczek Owner Surrenders kelly@atlantaboxerrescue.org Jennifer Sands Returns Coordinator Tiffany Woods Merchandise, ABR Facebook tiffany@atlantaboxerrescue.org C: H:

8 Extra Resources: Atlanta Boxer Rescue Mailing Address: 5322 Vinings Lake View Mableton, GA ABR Phone: (This number currently rings Dianne & Beth simultaneously) Tax ID number (501c3): ABR Department of Agriculture Licence Number Crate training web pages: After your fourth foster dog, you will earn your foster t-shirt! Thank you for everything you do to make Atlanta Boxer Rescue a success!!

9 ABR Foster Checklist INTAKE: Dog Name: Vetting Wellness Check: Vaccinations: Rabies DHLP Bordetella Spay/Neuter Date: ABR Dog Number: Microchip: Other Notes: DURING FOSTER STAY: Check for lumps and bumps: Playing well with others? Eating Well? Reacting well to children, men, hats? Any resource guarding? (toys or food) Crate Trained? House Trained? Week: ADOPTION: Scheduled Meet & Greets: BEFORE YOUR MEETING: Please make sure that you have ALL of the following before heading to your foster s meet & greet: Adoption Packet (blue folder) includes: Adoption Contract (2 copies) Completed ABR Health Record (2 copies) 24Pet Watch Microchip Registration Form (3 copies) Rabies Certificate from Vet (2 copies) Rabies Tag & Microchip Tag Vet Records, if any Small bag of food and/or anything else you are sending with the dog. FOR THE ADOPTION: Complete and sign all copies of paperwork in Adoption Packet (Contract, Health Record & Microchip form) Request Payment. Adopter can pay via credit card or cash. website: Give the blue Adoption Packet with one copy of completed paperwork to the Adopter. Mail one copy of Microchip Registration to 24 Pet Watch address listed on form Return one copy of paperwork to ABR: Adoption Contract Completed ABR Health Record 24Pet Watch Microchip Registration Form Rabies Certificate from Vet Send in all paperwork: records@atlantaboxerrescue.org

10 Foster Housekeeping Reminders Foster Housekeeping Reminders NEW DOG INTROS When you get a new foster dog in your home, remember that we don t know much about their past, behaviorally or medically. Please always do a very slow introduction and keep them separated from your dog by crate on in another room until they settle in, we recommend 3 5 days at a minimum. Dogs need time to decompress just like people. Also, remember that URIs and kennel cough can show up in a shelter dog several days after the dog is in your home. Please avoid taking your new foster in public places during the first two weeks. Please read the article Bringing Home Your Rescue Dog in your foster manual. ABR DOG INFO SPREADSHEET Please begin entering your foster dogs information into the ABR Dog Info Sheet as soon as you have your foster dog in your possession. This spreadsheet will be fully completed over time, but starting an entry for your dog kick-starts other processes (vetting, facebook posts, , etc). So having them logged here asap is very important. If you pick up your foster from its intake exam, please make sure you ask for its rabies tag/certificate and 24 Petwatch tag. Please send in all your vet records to vetting@ atlantaboxerrescue.org HEARTWORM PREVENTION EVERY foster dog must remain on a monthly heartworm preventative. We supply these through the rescue. Be sure to complete the ABR Dog Info Spreadsheet with your foster dogs information so the person in charge will know to mail you their monthly pill. The pill should be given at the same time each month double check to see if ivermectin was given at the shelter. We do not routinely send out monthly flea/ tick prevention. You are welcome to supply this on your own, or you can request them if we have a donated supply on hand. SURGERY Do not feed your foster dog after 10 pm the night before a surgery. After surgery, please restrict your dogs activity level while they heal. They are depending on you to help them get better. Typically, 5 10 days is sufficient for spay/neuter, but always follow the vets recommendation. If you are unsure, ask the Vetting Coordinator. It is costly to the rescue when this isn t followed and we have to pay for re-stitching or follow up visits, etc. If your foster hast strict orders, i.e. crate rest, please follow these instructions. HEARTWORM TREATMENT Heartworm treatment is only done at Paces Ferry Vet, and will require an overnight stay. It is VERY important to keep your dog on restricted activity/crate rest for 45 days following heartworm treatment. Please read the ABR heartworm protocol prior to starting treatment. CONTACTING APPLICANTS When the adoption coordinator sends you an application for your dog, review it and contact the applicant as soon as possible if you think it is a good fit. This will help the adoption process move faster. If you feel they are not a good fit, please contact the adoption coordinator quickly and let them know. Applicants must be able to meet in a timely manner, we do not hold dogs for a meet and greet. Most of our dogs have a wait list with several families. SCHEDULING MEET & GREETS Meetings should be scheduled at either your home or the adopters home, or in a neutral location. The ENTIRE adoptive family needs to be present, including any existing pets. Dog parks are not allowed. Please keep in mind if meeting in a neutral area it will be hard to get a good read on dog intros since there could be distractions an no place to allow off leash to see how they interact.

11 ADOPTIONS We do not allow trial runs. Adopters must pay and sign paperwork before taking possession of your dog. Do not leave the dog with the adopter unless they complete the adoption paperwork and pay their adoption fee. The adopters have the option to return a dog within 2 weeks for a credit, if the dog does not work out. The credit is valid for six months. Paperwork and payment are the last steps of the adoption process. Please submit your adoption paperwork to records as soon as possible so we can get an adoption finalized quickly. records@atlantaboxerrescue.org ADOPTION FEES Adoption fees must be paid by either cash or online via credit card or PayPal. We DO NOT accept checks. If payment is made in cash, please keep the cash and submit payment online. The link for the adoption fee payment is Use this link. Do not submit adoption fees using the Donate button. ABR FORMS Copies of all ABR forms can be found at (id/pw foster/boxer) If you print forms, please download new ones periodically as they are sometimes updated. VACATION & TEMP - You must notify the foster home coordinator any time you need boarding or temp foster arrangements. Foster dogs can only stay with ABR approved foster homes or approved boarding facilities. Please make sure you give plenty of notice so we can plan accordingly. If you plan on taking your foster dog on vacation with you, you must notify the foster home coordinator, she should know where the dog is at all times.

12 ANIMAL SHELTER AGENT - PET INVENTORY FORM GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (HEREINAFTER GDA ) PET IS USED AS DEFINED IN THE RULES OF GDA ANIMAL SHELTER IS USED AS DEFINED IN THE RULES OF GDA ANIMAL SHELTER AGENT IS USED AS STATED IN THE RULES OF GDA (6) (1) THIS FORM MUST BE ON FILE WITH THE GDA LICENSED ANIMAL SHELTER; (2) A COPY MUST BE ON FILE WITH THE ANIMAL SHELTER AGENT. Shelter Name: Atlanta Boxer Rescue License #: Shelter Agent: Pet ID/Name Date In Date Out

13 ABR Paperwork Checklist BEFORE YOUR MEETING: Please make sure that you have ALL of the following before heading to your foster s meet & greet: Adoption Packet (blue folder) includes: Adoption Contract (2 copies) Completed ABR Health Record (2 copies) 24Pet Watch Microchip Registration Form (3 copies) Rabies Certificate from Vet (2 copies) Rabies Tag & Microchip Tag Vet Records, if any Small bag of food and/or anything else you are sending with the dog. A successful meeting means he/she won t be coming home with you! J FOR THE ADOPTION: If your meet & greet is a success, CONGRATULATIONS! Please follow these steps for a smooth adoption process: Complete and sign all copies of paperwork in Adoption Packet (Contract, Health Record & Microchip form) Request Payment. Adopter can pay via credit card or cash. For credit card payments, use the following website: Give the blue Adoption packet with one copy of completed paperwork to the Adopter. Mail one copy of Microchip Registration to address listed on form Return one copy of paperwork to ABR: Adoption Contract Completed ABR Health Record 24Pet Watch Microchip Registration Form Rabies Certificate from Vet You can send via one of the following: records@atlantaboxerrescue.org