HOW YOU CAN HELP THE DOGS GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE OF MICHIGAN VOLUNTEER INFORMATION Welcome to Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan. We are a 501(c)(3) organization that relies on volunteers at all levels and in all regions of Michigan. There are many different ways to help the organization, we completely rely on volunteers and fundraising to operate and every little bit helps, from the occasional phone calls and letters to opening your home to a dog for a short amount of time or whatever you can do. Please read for options and feel free to call or email and ask for more information. Please complete this form and return it to GRRoM, PO Box 214576, Auburn Hills, MI 48321-4576 Have questions? Email amyhernandez100@hotmail.com for more information. Name(s) Date Address City Zip Home Phone Cell Phone Email Address Why are you passionate about helping Golden Retrievers? What are you interested in helping with? (See explanations on next page) Transport Babysit/Temporary Foster Foster Interviewer/Home Visitor Check for free to good home advertisements, check shelters in your area for dogs in need Telephone calls to check in with adopters October/November Photography events, foster photos (requires digital camera/email) Annual Letter Mailings July Parades, walk-a-thons (walk with your Golden, or one of ours) manning our booth at special events, offering information to potential adopters at an informational table or booth Captain an event Public Relations Grooming Serving on the fundraising committee (plans events and activities to raise funds for GRRoM) Other skills? Please tell us more 1
Volunteer opportunity descriptions: Transport : involves picking up a dog from various locations( home, shelter, vet) and moving to a foster, vet, etc. This would need your vehicle and possibly a crate (We have crates) for some instances. Babysit/Temporary Foster: Inviting a dog in urgent need for a short time to stay with you or to relieve a foster while they may have need of temporary care. These can be from a weekend or few days to just a couple of weeks, as you indicate you are able. Foster: This involves opening your home to a dog in need while it needs a home and we seek out a permanent place. Some dogs need a safe place to live, some need some medical care or training, others may need retirement care. We would ensure the foster dog fits into your home, and the foster plays a vital role in placing the dog into the forever home. This entails allowing people to meet the dog, and often taking the dog to vet (Grrom pays medical) for regular care, feeding walking, etc. Interviewer/Home Visitor: Each applicant to adopt a GRRoM dog is interviewed by phone and is visited at home to check out that the home environment is appropriate for a dog. An interviewer serves as a kind of case worker to his/her assigned applicants, seeing them through the process from application to adoption. (Training provided) Check for free to good home advertisements, check shelters in your area for dogs in need: This can mean searching online posts, walking into or calling shelters, watching the corkboard free signs in vet offices or pet stores. It can also be contacting the owner/possessor of the dog to offer information on our group and safe ways to rehome your pet. Telephone calls October/November. A list of calls to make provided by the group with information to be requested or followed up on via the phone, then reported back to group results of calls. Photography events, foster photos, digital camera/email transmission. We always need publicity and good pictures of the dogs to help spread the word and get the dogs new homes or funding to provide care. This can be simply taking photos and sending them to us electronically or even helping work on the calendar or newsletter, wherever your talent or interest is. Annual Letter Mailings month of July, We keep track of dogs over the years, and mail out a letter verifying correct contact information and their location in case we are ever needed by the owners. Parades, walk-a-thons (walk with your Golden, or one of ours) Special Events, offering information to potential adopters at an informational table or booth. This can be a very fun, social way to help. Come to an event and give the public information on our group to spread the word and help more dogs. Also, help plan and execute the event if you are so interested in that aspect. Captain an event. GRRoM frequently gets invitations to have our booth/display at an event, which is great for PR and educating the public about rescue, but we need volunteers to man our table/booth at these events and we need a captain for each event to organize the volunteer schedule. This an easy, one-time obligation. Public Relations. If you know how to write press releases and/or have media contacts, we could use your help getting great PR for GRRoM! Grooming experience/facility Often, dogs need a good grooming, nail trim, etc to appear their best or to improve their health (matted, too long nails, etc), so anyone with these talents can help. Fundraising Committee -While we do have an adoption fee, it is generally not even close to the costs involved with the medical care we provide for the dogs, so we heavily rely on funds raised and can always use help with that in any capacity. 2
FOSTER/BABYSITTER QUESTIONNAIRE If you are interested a GRRoM role that involves caring for a dog (fostering, babysitting, temporary fostering), please complete this questionnaire through the end of the form. Thank you! A full service foster provides care for a Golden in your home, either short-term or long-term basis. Bathe, groom, teach house manners, and observe for behavioral problems. Visitations at your home by potential adoptive families, complete paperwork and phone communications with program interviewers. After you complete and submit this section, a GRRoM representative will contact you to explain our procedures and answer questions. HOME: Own Rent House Condo/Townhome Mobile Home Apartment/Duplex/Triplex Farm/Ranch Other LOCATION: corner cul de sac/dead end mid-block near busy street/freeway INSURANCE: Homeowners umbrella policy Renters policy CITY/COUNTY: How many dogs does your city/county allow? YARD: A physical fence is required for some of our dogs Full fence. Is fenced area attached to house? If not, how will dog get to fenced area? Partial fence padlocks tie out/trolley (how long? ) underground fence kennel small fenced run No fence but I am able to confine a dog to my property by Can strangers gain access from the street? How will you contain your Golden in the front yard when gardening or chatting with neighbors? If you were to go away for a short time on a nice day, where would the foster Golden be? HOUSE loose contained BASEMENT yes no GARAGE insulated heated attached not attached DOG SUPPLIES YOU OWN: (Please circle and write any additional in the blank) Cable tie-out (how long ) Crate I need to borrow a GRRoM crate X-pen leash baby gate halter-type collar choke chain prong collar bark collar water/food bowls clicker scat mat whistle, Other: What type of toys and chew toys would you give your foster Golden? What would you not give your foster golden? 3
GENERAL: What foods are toxic to dogs? What are some common health problems in Goldens? Name and location of nearest 24-hour vet emergency clinic Name/Address/Phone of your Veterinarian (Your veterinarian is a reference we contact) How many hours will the foster Golden be alone during the day/night? Have you fostered a dog before? What obedience schools would you recommend in your area? What would you do if your housetrained adult foster dog suddenly started having accidents in the house? Does your spouse/life partner like dogs, support your involvement? How many children are living at home? Names, ages Ages of grandchildren or small children visiting Besides your immediate family, are there others residing in your home? Is anyone allergic to animals? Have asthma? Do friends or relatives visit you with their dogs? What are your limitations in fostering Goldens? WORK full time part time I can be reached at work Work hours: traditional afternoons midnights How many hours away from home? YOUR PETS---PRESENT and PAST: Pet name and age Spayed or Neutered? Type Breed Acquired from (name of breeder or other source) When acquired? At what age? Heartworm tested annually? Type of preventative Up to date on shots? Due when? Cause of death, if applicable Did you have to euthanize the animal? Gets along with other dogs? Licensed annually? Any health or behavioral problems (specify) 4
Are any of these dogs aggressive toward humans? Where do your dogs sleep at night? Where would a rescue Golden sleep at night? Do you own a cat rabbit other Are you associated with a breed club, or other rescue service or obedience school? Do you prefer to foster a certain type of Golden Retriever, i.e., puppies, adolescents, adults, males or females? Please check here if you would be willing to provide hospice care, or care for a senior Golden (10 or older) for the rest of their life (medical paid by GRRoM) We don t always get to foster the perfect Golden Retriever. Fostering requires some level of experience with dogs and training, a sense of adventure, perseverance, patience, communication, and a healthy sense of humor. Please describe your dog training style, obedience training, books read, seminars you ve attended, personal philosophies on dogs and training. ISOLATION: One of the greatest needs a rescue organization has throughout the year is a separate area for dogs that have acquired kennel cough (Bordatella) from shelters. Kennel cough is a highly contagious airborne virus similar to the human cold/flu that is transmitted from dog to dog. It has no impact on humans or cats. Dogs need to be isolated for approximately two weeks. Immunizing your dog is strongly recommended. However with any immunization, it does not provide 100% protection. Please discuss this with your veterinarian if you have further questions. How did you hear about GRRoM and volunteering? COMMENTS FOR GRRoM: Thank you for your interest in Golden Retriever Rescue! 5