FOSTER CARER SUPPORT
This page provides our carers with all the information that you need to successfully be a Dusty Paws Dog Rescue Carer.
YOUR ROLE AS A DUSTY PAWS FOSTER CARER
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To provide a safe and secure temporary home until your foster dog finds their forever home.
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To provide basic training to your foster dog. This includes but is not limited to -Sit, stay, come etc. Not jumping up on people, and place or crate training.
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Socialising your foster dog is important too, if you have problems with this please contact one of us for help.
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To provide a profile and pictures when your foster dog is ready to find a home.
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To reach out for advice when needed
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To provide meet and greets for your foster dog with potential owners. Please see meet and greet guide.
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To provide enough mental and physical stimulation to your foster dog.
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Names are to stay the same unless other wise instructed by the committee.
As we offer a 2 week trial to new owners it is important for us to have a new dog at least that long too. This gives us time to work on behavioural issues and get them fully vetted. Some dogs take longer than others to be ready or adopted.
Please also let us know if you need a break for a while. We all need breaks at times and there is no shame in asking for one.
HOUSE RULES
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We are here to Rescue, Rehabilitate and Rehome.
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There needs to be rules for all dogs who enter your home.
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Rules are you not being bossy or fussy.
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Rules are an essential part of dog ownership.
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A dog with no rules can become destructive, naughty and anxious.
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Setting dogs up for success is our number one priority. Most of them end up in rescue because people have failed them.
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Rules and boundaries must be set from the very beginning.
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All dogs must have their safe place!
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A place where they can go to be by themselves.
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Their safe place can be a crate, a mat or bed.
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This place must be their own.
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No kids, adults other animals or dogs here.
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Dogs can be fed in their safe place. Special toys, puzzles, treats.
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Lots of praise.
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Some dogs need to be shown how amazing their safe place is.
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See files on 'Crate Training' and 'Place training'.
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Also keep an eye out for some videos that will be shared on this subject.
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We have Support Chats for all carers who have foster dogs.
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Please reach out of you need help or advice.
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We are very lucky to have some very experienced carers and trainers in this group.
VET WORK
All dogs will be adopted from us with up to date vet work.
Only approved carers can book vet appointments (excluding follow up appointments for desexing and other surgeries. As mentioned in the initial foster carer agreement.
All un approved appts will be at the cost of the person making the booking)
APPROVED VETS
Paws Galore
145/147 Beach Road Christies Beach
Blake’s Crossing
41 Village Terrace, Blakeview
Black Forrest vets
687 South Road Black Forest
Elizabeth Park Vet
99 Yorktown Road, Elizabeth Park
Seaside Vet
24 John Terrace, Wallaroo
Balhannah Vet
24 Bridge Street, Balhannah
INCASE OF EMERGENCY
Please let us know BEFORE attending.
It does just Take a second to message. We can pay any bills over the phone.
Blake’s Crossing
7am -7pm After hours by appointment
41 Village Terrace, Blakeview
Adelaide Animal Emergency & Referral Centre
24 hours
119 Anzac Hwy, Kurralta Park SA 5037
The Small Animal Specialist Hospital
24-hour Emergency service
99 Rundle St, Kent Town SA 5067
CREATING A PROFILE
What we need to know.
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Name
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age
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breed
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location
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Cute nicknames.
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What they're good with/not good with
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Men, women, kids, strangers, dogs, cats, other animals.
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What he/she likes to do.
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Fave toys.
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What he/she is good at.
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What he/she is learning at the moment.
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What they need to work on.
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Medical notes.
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Lots of photos loaded to the Album
WAITING FOR APPLICATIONS
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Once advertised applications will be open for a minimum of 2 days.
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After 2 days we will send all applications for you to read through.
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Once you have chosen the best applicant for your foster dog please let us know through the Support Chat and we will email them. (Only one application will be contacted at a time, this is to avoid applicants getting their hopes up.)
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We will then let you know that the email has been sent.
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Only then may you can call and chat to the applicant to organise a meet.
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Please let the Support Chat know the date, time and location for safety purposes.
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If you require assistance please don't hesitate to ask.
MEET AND GREET
You’ve made it to your first meet and greet.
Now what???
Firstly, please make sure your foster dog is freshly bathed, a day or 2 before hand is ok.
If you feel a little nervous running your first meet and greet alone, speak up.
We do have experienced carers who can come with you if needed and support is always available through your support chat.
Don't forget you can call through the support chat.
If you are ever at a meet and feel uneasy either kindly let them know that your dog has other meets to attend and\or call us!! Let us know, your gut is normally right, and we don’t want to leave our dogs anywhere unsafe.
Make sure you have completed the "Getting to know me" form and the section of the adoption agreement that has the dogs details.
Make sure you have your dogs "Paw Pack" or "Puppy pack" (all pups under 12 weeks will have these) with you. Please take a bit of your dogs food with them in case they get adopted on the day.
All puppy packs will include the paw pack, a new toy, food and something familiar (like a blanket or toy).
Paw Packs should include it:
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Adoption agreement
(this will need to be read through by yourself and the adoptee at the time of adoption. Once filled out you need to take a clear photo of each page and send it through to your support chat.)
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A completed "Getting to know me" form
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A copy of "Settling our new dog in" form
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Desexing records
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Vaccination records
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Microchip records
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Business card
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Spare Dusty Paws tag
Congratulations!
Be confident in what you are telling the interested adoptee about the dog.
Make them aware that these are the things you have learnt about your foster dog in the time you have had them.
Dogs are always evolving and changing in new environments (for example, a completely toilet trained pup may regress a little when moving to a new place).
Please make the adoptee aware of any medical issues.
For example
The dog being freshly desexed as it will need rest and time to recover.
Any eye issues or ear issues.
If you are unsure how to introduce your dog to the adoptees, please let us know and we will make sure a mentor can be present.
Please ensure you have a good look at fences, any easy escape routes or gates which the dog/pup might fit through. If they are keen to adopt the dog but may need to repair or secure their yards, we are happy to offer them 48hr (as is the maximum hold time) to do this before leaving the dog with them.
If all goes well at the meet and greet then comes the decision…
Do they want to adopt?
If they need time to think about it, please offer them up to 24hr.
Adopting a dog or puppy is a big decision for some people.
If they decide that this dog isn’t the right dog for them that’s fine.
Not all meets will be perfect.
What if they want to adopt the dog??
If they are keen to adopt please refer them to the payment details on the business card in the pack as well as the adoption agreement. They MUST bank transfer the adoption fee.
You will need to review the payment receipt and have them email it to us before the dog / pup can be left with them.
Sometimes people may make payment but need time to grab the essentials for their new family member, if this is the case we allow up to 24 hours. Once the dog/puppy goes to their new family the 2-week trial begins.
Well done, your foster dog has now been adopted. Now what?
Keep an eye on the foster page for incoming dogs, if you can take one please let us know. Also, if you need a break that’s fine too your only human.
If you have any questions please ask using the support chat.
**PLEASE try and get a photo of the dog with their new family for the Facebook Happy Homes Group. Then once the family are added you can do a welcome post **
COLLECT A SURRENDER
At some point you may find yourself in a position where you need to collect a surrender.
Let us tell you that sometimes surrenders can be easy, quick and painless.....
But sometimes they can be the complete opposite.
Here's a quick guide to help you be prepared...
ALL surrenders must be approved by the committee before collection.
We will send you all information that we receive regarding the surrender needing to be collecting.
We have a surrender agreement that must be signed upon collection.
If at any point at a surrender collection you feel uneasy, give us a call. We will discuss the issue and either not bring the dog into care, or reschedule with another more experienced handler.
Some people do not lay out all information in surrender requests.
Some dogs are nervous around strangers. (which is why we will call out for someone more experienced if we know the issues).
Please aim to take a clipboard, pen and surrender agreement with you.
As well as a slip lead, collar and regular lead just in case they don't come with one.
If there is anything you would like to be added to this page then please let us know in the support chats or at the bellow.