Cocker Spaniel
Adoption Center, Inc.
PO Box 1704
Westminster, Maryland 21158-5704
If you are considering taking on the rewarding and incredibly helpful
task of fostering a homeless animal for Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center,
Inc., you should carefully review the following guidelines, in addition
to the
Foster Agreement you will be asked to sign.
Foster parents and families form the backbone of the work we do. We
cannot exist as a rescue if people are not willing to bring needy
animals into their homes while we search for permanent homes for them.
Fosters have my undying gratitude and my deepest respect and admiration.
There are never enough foster homes to go around, so each is precious to
CSAC and the animals we are trying to save.
To make your fostering experience as positive as possible for you,
your family and your furry charge, please commit the following to memory
before bringing him/her home:
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Arrange to introduce the new animal to your own pet(s), if you have
them, outside on neutral territory. Once inside, it is best to situate
the foster animal in a crate at first, and introduce him/her gradually
to other household members. Do not try to make the foster an immediate
part of your family. Let him/her settle into the new place, and help
him/her learn the rules of the house as soon as possible. Never let the
foster take over and place your own animals at risk or under stress.
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Use a training collar to walk a foster so he/she cannot slip from the
collar and run off. A dog can easily slip out of a flat collar, which
should be worn for identification purposes only. The training collar
should be used only for walking and training and should be removed after
the session. Keep the training collar attached to the leash at all
times. If you need instructions on how the collar is to be worn, please
check with an experienced volunteer.
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If you find prospective adopters for your foster on your own, please
make them aware of the application process, as well as the CSAC
requirements and adoption donation. CSAC screens applicants very
carefully. First, the written application is evaluated. Then a
veterinary check is made for all animals the prospective adopter owns or
has owned. If the application and vet check are good, a home visit is
scheduled. If the adoption is finally approved, a contract is signed,
and an adoption fee is paid by the adopters. The fee is
$250, unless the adopted dog is eight years
old or older. In that case, the fee is $200.
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Please keep some clean applications on hand or have the capacity to
print them from the website to give to promising prospects, or just
in case you will be handling the adoption yourself.
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Before taking a foster animal, ask about the animal's breed. We dont
only have Cocker Spaniels at our Center. Sometimes we even have cats),
age, gender, temperament, behavior, and why he/she is in need of
adoption. Find out to the best of your ability if he/she is a stray,
from a shelter, a private give-up, a victim of abuse or neglect, etc.
Share any applications you might get on your own with the foster
coordinator or the contact person for the dog. Remember that not every
prospective adopter is approved, and sometimes other applications may be
pending. Some animals are more popular than others and can have multiple
applications. Others must wait for that special someone. But they all
find homes, sooner or later, if we work together.
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Never turn over a foster to someone who claims it is his/her lost
pet without irrefutable proof, and even then, the circumstances of the
pets loss must be carefully evaluated before any action is taken! This
person could be mistaken, or he/she could be deliberately trying to
mislead you. The animal could have been removed from his/her former home
for all kinds of reasons. The claimant could well have mistreated the
animal. Immediately report such claims to a board member, and we will
investigate.
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If necessary, CSAC can lend you a crate, a collar and/or leash.
Whenever you transport an animal, make certain you have him/her on a
leash, with a secure training and flat collar. No prong collars, please!
If you plan to foster on a regular basis, it would be a great help to
CSAC if you could get a crate of your own. Make sure the animal has
ample room to move around when choosing the proper size. Confine all
animals being transported in vehicles either with harnesses or in
crates. This may not seem like the best choice for the animals, but it
is essential for your safety and theirs. Accidents can and do happen
when animals are loose in the car. People and animals can and do die.
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Foster families typically provide food, treats and chew toys for foster
animals, without reimbursement from CSAC. Some pet stores will donate
food for foster dogs, so it is worth contacting local pet stores like
Petsmart and Petco about this. Fosters may also be asked to participate
in transporting animals or assisting in house checks. CSAC will provide
the necessities if the foster cannot do so.
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If your foster animal becomes ill or gets hurt, contact the Medical
Coordinator immediately. CSAC covers routine medical expenses, but the
Medical Coordinator must authorize treatments and medications for
anything beyond the norm before they are administered. The Medical
Coordinator must also approve the veterinarian caring for the animal. In
emergency cases, when every moment could mean the difference between
life and death, do not hesitate to take the animal to a vet immediately
or to an emergency clinic if something happens after regular vet hours.
Contact the Medical Coordinator as soon as possible, but do not wait to
take care of the animal. We will work out emergency expenses. Know where
your closest vet and emergency centers are located before you foster.
Keep the numbers handy and accessible. The time to search is not when
you are holding a sick or injured animal in your arms.
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Be careful what you tell potential adopters. Avoid giving advice and
criticizing. Also avoid answering questions with absolutes, and
never answer questions you are not sure about. Do not mislead
inquirers. Ask for assistance when you don't know something. Tell
inquirers you need to check and will get back to them as soon as
possible. Always recommend that potential adopters do as much reading
about animals and adoptions and about their breed, if applicable. Urge
them to sign up for obedience training with a reputable trainer.
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If you have any hesitations, peculiar feelings or "bad vibes"
about the adoption or any of the people involved in the adoption of your
foster dog or dogs like the family seems great, except for the angry
look on the father's face do not allow the adoption to go forward!
Say that the final decision is not yours to make, and a CSAC
representative will get back to them as soon as possible. You do not
have to take the heat for your instincts, but it is best to go with
them. Try to determine what is giving you pause or making you wary, and
take note of it.
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Be very familiar with the regulations and policies of CSAC. Most of all,
remember that no one can be approved until their application is deemed
acceptable, the vet check is satisfactory, and a home visit is completed
in that order. If the adopters are approved, the adoption contract
must be signed by all the adopter(s) and a CSAC representative
with all information carefully filled out and checked by you. If any
there are particular issues to be disclosed about the animal like
health or temperament concerns, or specific vetting arrangements agreed
to take place after the adoption an Addendum signed by all parties
involved must accompany the Adoption Contract. Adopters must pay the
non-refundable fee to CSAC either before taking possession or upon
taking possession of the animal. Do not turn any animal over without the
signed paperwork and appropriate fee in hand.
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Questions, concerns, comments, ideas should be directed to a member of
the board. |
