The Number Of Dogs We Can Take In Solely Depends On How Many Foster Homes We Have,
We Are Always In Need Of Foster Homes.
We are in great need of foster homes! Without foster homes, we cannot take in any dogs, and it breaks our hearts to have to turn any away. There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to fostering, and we are here to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding being a foster parent and what is required of you. We promise it's an enjoyable experience, with boundless rewards of love and affection, plus knowing that YOU were involved with saving a life. Please give us a call, we are a friendly bunch of dog crazy people with big hearts, and we would love to have you as part of our team!
Are you interested in fostering?
It is very rewarding and all it takes is commitment on your part. You'll complete an application form and be screened the same as you would for adopting a dog. When SOS gets a new dog into it's care, we do our best to match that dog with the most suitable foster home. We will contact you and talk about the dog and it's needs to see if it will be a good situation for all involved. Foster homes are usually given the first right to adopt the foster dog, except in cases where an approved outside adoption is already in progress.
You Provide:
- Love and care for the dog! Exercise is the best medicine for most older dogs.
- Maintain the health and vaccinations of your own pets. If you choose not to vaccinate your pets, SOS must be made aware of this. In some cases this is quite acceptable.
- Take to vet appointments. Routine vet appts have to be made by an SOS rep, but we accommodate your schedule. You can contact City Vet clinic directly if it’s an emergency or you have questions regarding their care or health. We use City Vet exclusively. 403-529-2525 or after hours 403-527-4054.
- Administer any medications on the schedule advised by the vet. Do not stop medication or change dosage without prior approval please.
- Feed twice daily, and only the food provided. Fresh fruit and veggies make a great treat. No human food please.
- Submit pictures and bios to SOS as requested
- Please, no treats or toys from dollar stores-we don’t want to risk them getting sick.
- Bring dog to SOS events.
- Have dog available for prospective adopters to meet. This can be at your home or a park. We like the fenced dog run at the teepee. We will give your number out or you can request that that we give their # and you can make contact. You maybe required to collect the adoption fee and turn it over to an SOS rep.
- The foster home has input to the Adoption coordinator about the suitability of the potential adopter.
- Have no contact with the person who relinquished the dog. Trust us!! We’ve learned from experience. Do not give out your phone # to the relinquisher or agree to keep them posted.
- Give as much notice as possible (2 weeks is good) when going on holidays, needing alternate care etc.
- Contact SOS rep ASAP regarding concerns, emergencies etc. Our switchboard # is 403-529-0697 if you are having difficulty reaching the Foster Home coordinator. If the dog should bite someone, please note as many details as possible and advise us as soon as possible.
- You are expected to keep the dog until he is adopted. If this isn’t possible, to keep the dog until a new foster home is found. We will do this as quickly as possible but sometimes our resources are limited.
- You may adopt the dog. If an adoption application is in the works, you cannot adopt until it has been processed.
- Keep in mind that we are all volunteers who love dogs and only want the best for them. It usually takes a few days to make calls and have them returned and then contact you. We do the best we can to juggle life and SOS obligations.
We Provide:
- Provide all vet care at no cost to the foster home. Each dog gets whatever is needed to make him happy and healthy. However, once in a while we accept a dog and then find out that he is very ill and requires euthanasia. The decision is made only after all facts are evaluated, consultation with a vet and never done needlessly. We believe in quality of life, not quantity.
- SOS is not in a financial situation where we can offer hospice care to pets that are not adoptable. Sad but true. Each volunteer hour spent fundraising returns about $10 to SOS and vet care is very expensive and sick old dogs can cost thousands.
- Provide all food, toys, crates, gates etc needed for the foster home to care for the dog. Should you have to purchase supplies such as food, you will be reimbursed-please keep receipts.
- Arrange alternative care for vacations, emergencies etc. Please provide 2 weeks notice for alternate care notice.
- Provide advice and suggestions about care, feeding, training or whatever is needed. SOS will pay for obedience classes if required.
- Attempt to keep you current with the status of pending adoptions. Again, this is time consuming because of the phone messages, emails and waiting for replies.
- SOS has three volunteers dedicated to assist you:
- The Intake coordinator screens all incoming dogs, and introduces you to the dog.
- The Foster home coordinator provides the support you need to care for the dog in your home.
- The Adoption coordinator liaises with the prospective adopter and the foster home to find the best possible home for the dog.
- All potential adopters are screened thoroughly and a home check completed prior to any adoption. Just because someone wants to adopt does not guarantee the adoption.
Responsibilities & Guidelines:
- SOS tags and a current license must remain on the dog at all times.
- Dogs are never to be left alone inside a vehicle or ride in the cargo area of a truck.
- Dogs are kept indoors when you leave your home for more than an hour or two. If you work, it is preferred if someone can come home once during the day to attend to the dog if needed.
- A safe and loving home is to be provided for the dog at all times. We expect our foster homes to treat the dog no differently than they would any other family pet.
- When you go away, we'll provide care for the foster dog. So going on a business trip or holidays isn't a hassle!
| foster_home_responsibilities-sos_responsibities.pdf |
Foster Home Application Form
Click on the image to download our Foster Home Application Form. Soon we will have access to fill-able PDF application forms, but while we work on that, we will accept your applications by email, fax or snail mail. Find all our contact information on our "Contact Us" page.
How Can I Volunteer with SOS?
SOS needs volunteers with a wide variety of talents! We need foster homes, workers for fundraisers, someone to assist with food pickups and deliveries, a reporter to come to all SOS events and take photos and write stories to use in our annual newsletter, a volunteer coordinator, and more. Plus, we're always looking for suggestions to make our organization better - so if you have a talent you think we may need - please call us at 403-529-0697 or fill out the form below! If you would like to meet us in person, you are always welcome to come to a meeting on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00pm at the Northlands Co-op in Medicine Hat. Please call to confirm meeting dates as sometimes meetings are changed due to unforeseen circumstances.