IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO FOSTER
1. YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION: To become an approved foster home, you must complete a foster screening form. Once it is received by our team, an interview will be scheduled. The form is located at the link above.
2. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO HAVE YOUR PETS & PEOPLE MEET THE FOSTER DOG: Once your application has been approved, a meet and greet will be arranged. All animals residing in your home must be present as well as any other people who live there full time.
3. YOU SHOULD BE READY TO COMMIT. Once a dog is placed in a foster home, it is expected that the dog will remain there until it is adopted. This could be weeks or months. Our dedicated volunteer team will do everything they can to support your situation and to ensure that you are matched with the appropriate dog. If a dog isn't working with your family, we ask for NO LESS THAN ONE WEEK to find a new foster home for the dog unless it is an absolute emergency.
4. UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WILL BE TRANSPORTING THE DOG. At some point you may have to take the dog to the vet. We use two vets - Woodbourne Animal Clinic in Langhorne, PA & Nassau Animal Hospital in Princeton, NJ. For emergencies we use CARES in Langhorne, PA. TAR will cover the cost of all medical treatments at these vets ONLY. You must notify us BEFORE any appointments are made.
5. UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITIES. While fostering, you are expected to provide food, shelter, exercise, training, and socialization until the dog is adopted. We will provide you with food or cover the cost of food up to $30 per month for up to six months.
6. BE PREPARED TO BRING THE DOG TO ADOPTION EVENTS. The dog will be expected to attend adoption events throughout NJ and Bucks County, PA. To help get the dog adopted, we ask that you be able to transport the dog at least once per month.
7. KNOW WHAT THE FOSTER FAIL PROCESS ENTAILS. All dogs in foster are available for adoption and will be listed on PetFinder. However if, at any time, you wish to adopt the dog, we ask that you notify us immediately so your application can be considered.
8. BE KIND TO OUR TEAM. We are all volunteers and, like you, have families and careers too. We ask that you be kind when reaching out for assistance and that you realize that we may need up to 48 hours to respond to non-emergencies. True emergencies should be directed to your local animal control office.
9. THIS IS (MOST TIMES) A STRAY DOG. While we do our best to perform behavioral assessments in the shelter, we cannot guarantee anything about an animal's behavior. Most of the animals placed in foster care came in as strays and have dealt with some type of abuse, neglect or trauma. You should exercise extreme caution when introducing your dog to new people and animals and should be especially careful around children. We recommend having an area in the home that can be used to restrict the dog's access to the rest of the house, if needed. We also recommend using a crate when leaving the house.
10. EXPECT AN ADJUSTMENT PERIOD: Like bringing any living being into your home, a dog will take time to adjust to your environment and routine. Please be prepared to be patient. We always ask that you give the dog AT LEAST 3 DAYS before you even consider anything, other than aggressive behaviors, an issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
