Regarding Fostering our Labs
A list of supplies that you will need for your new foster friend includes:
SOLR does not reimburse foster families for food, toys, supplies, or damage that might be caused by the dog.
Let the Foster Team know as soon as you know about a vacation or personal matter, even if you think your foster dog will get adopted by then. The sooner the Foster Team knows, the easier it is for them to find a short-term or alternate foster. If an emergency arises, we have boarding options available until we find a new foster.
Some of our foster dogs have experienced a great deal of stress by the time they reach your doorstep. They may have been in a situation where they were ignored, tied outside, played with too roughly, reprimanded loudly, or never trained at all. They may have been strays who had been without food or water for a period. In short, they may be unsettled when they first arrive.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact your Foster Mentor.
All applicants are screened and have a home inspection before being approved to begin meeting Labs available for adoption. Approved adopters receive the Paw Print, an email listing of available dogs and foster contact information, on Tuesday and Friday.
When the adopter calls, carefully review their application and the home visit notes. Share as much as you can about the dog with the potential adopter clarifying any inconsistent information as well as characteristics of the dog that don’t match their preferences. If it seems like a good match, arrange a time for the approved adopter to come to your home to meet your foster dog. Remember, just because an adopter is approved with SOLR does not mean they are a good match for your specific foster dog.
SOLR strongly recommends meets to occur at the prospective adopter’s home. During the visit, the entire adoptive family, human and canine, is expected to attend. If they come to your house, remember you are not hosting a social event. Instead, you are trying to ensure this is the right fit for your foster dog. Please leave your own dogs in a separate room so the focus will be on the foster dog. SOLR suggests a 24-hour waiting period for both the potential adopter and the foster to decide if this is the best match for the dog and family.
SOLR hosts multiple events throughout the year. You and/or your foster Lab are encouraged to attend when possible. Events offer a great opportunity for your foster dog to meet potential adopters, as many approved adopters attend these events. If you attend with your foster dog, you can show the dog yourself so that anyone interested in adopting him/her can ask questions of the person who knows the dog the best.
All foster dogs must stay a minimum of 5 days in foster before becoming available for adoption. However, most foster dogs are with their fosters for 2-3 weeks. In some instances, a foster dog may be with you for several months, depending on the dog’s needs. Sending and posting updates, good-quality pictures, and details about the fun things you are learning about your foster Lab will help him/her get adopted more quickly.
Yes, all vet care, including medication and prescription food, is paid for by SOLR. You are expected to transport your foster dog to the vet SOLR uses. While the Medical Team will work with your schedule to arrange vet appointments, our vets often have limited availability and cannot always accommodate preferences.
While SOLR tries to arrange for the dog’s spay/neuter prior to it arriving to your foster home, that is not always possible. All dogs are spayed/neutered prior to adoption, however. If your dog comes to you unaltered, the Medical Team will work with you to arrange a time for the procedure.
Yes, but only after you have successfully fostered and adopted out two dogs. In other words, you may adopt your third foster dog. SOLR does not offer foster-to-adopt, as it often causes great stress on the dogs and results in lower success rates. The Foster Team puts a lot of time and resources into training new fosters, so we would like each foster to help at least three dogs.
Yes, but it depends on your expectations. Some of our fosters have cats and successfully foster dogs. With foster dogs, we often do not know whether they are friendly with cats. Labs often have higher prey drives, which may affect their ability to successfully live with a cat. If you can separate your cats and foster a dog regardless of the dog’s friendliness toward cats, that is great. However, if your cats are given free reign of the entire home, you will need to foster only those dogs we know are good with cats.
No. Dog parks are too unpredictable and present an increased risk for contracting a disease.
Yes! Labs are active dogs that often enjoy physical exercise. However, you should first provide your foster dog with time to decompress before introducing it to new environments. This will also allow you time to determine whether your foster dog is well-suited for these types of activities and environments. SOLR strictly requires that foster dogs remain on leash whenever outside the confines of your enclosed yard and home.
Most dogs come to rescue needing some basic training. SOLR expects fosters to begin the process of basic training (e.g., sit, down, household manners, etc.), but the adopter bears the responsibility of training the dog to the standard the adopter expects. Some dogs come to us with behavioral issues that require training prior to adoption. In that case, SOLR will schedule and pay for training with one of its partnered trainers.
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