WELCOME GREY FACE RESCUE DOG FOSTERS!
Collins, rescued + adopted in 2023
Grey Face Rescue is a foster-based animal rescue focusing on senior animals ages 7 years and older. Our rescue is based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, however, we have foster homes throughout the state. Grey Face Rescue & Retirement began its operation in August of 2015 and became an approved 501(c)3 in November of 2015.
Grey Face Rescue receives animals into our organization two different ways: owner surrenders or shelter transfer. We do not have a shelter so we are unable to accept animals without a proper and well-equipped foster home.
Prior to welcoming your first foster animal, we ask that you thoroughly read through our Rescue Resource, an online guide available to foster families to prepare you for fostering with Grey Face Rescue. The Rescue Resource includes information and videos regarding the care we provide for your foster, behavior situations that may arise, tips regarding the veterinary care of your foster animal and much more. It also includes a form to be used if you are needing to communicate with any members of our team.
Quick Reference Guide
EMERGENCIES
(Seizures, death, not breathing, trauma, lost dog)
–> Call or text (preferred): (320) 412-5402 – this is the emergency phone
Criteria for Emergencies: What constitutes a medical emergency in a dog? A good rule of thumb is any situation in which you would call 911 for a person. Here are some specific symptoms that could indicate an emergency:
Not breathing or labored breathing
Symptoms of parvovirus: bloody diarrhea, heavy vomiting, weakness, high fever (above 103.5 degrees)
Signs of extreme dehydration: dry mucous membranes, weakness, vomiting, tenting of the skin (when the skin is pulled up, it stays there)
Abnormal lethargy or unable to stand
Unconsciousness or unable to wake up
Cold to the touch
Broken bones
Any trauma: hit by a car, dropped, stepped on
A large wound or profuse bleeding that doesn’t stop when pressure is applied
If your foster dog displays any of these symptoms, contact the emergency phone or our Foster Manager (or backup managers) ASAP. If the animal is vomiting or has diarrhea, please see health & vet care.
VET APPT. REQUESTS, QUESTIONS OR MEDICATION REFILLS, QUESTIONS & CONCERNS RELATED TO FOSTERING (Includes supply needs, behavioral concerns, referrals, suggestions, adoption application status or anything else!) Fill out the Foster Request Form Here!
PHOTOS, VIDEOS, UPDATES, IDEAS, PLAY DATES can be posted in our Grey Face Rescue Facebook Group Here!
BACK TO THE TOP
GETTING STARTED
Please ensure all members of the household know about and are on board with fostering. Planning where you will keep your dog before you bring the dog home will make the process easier on everyone.
Here are some guidelines:
Confine the dog to a single room that is NOT an isolated room in your house. This room should be a place where you spend a large part of your day, such as the kitchen or the family room. By keeping the dog in one room, you’re helping to prevent accidents that may occur because of stress or adjusting to your routine.
Use a crate or baby gate in this room when you are away from the house.
Plan ahead for who will feed, water and let the dog outside.
Items provided to you with your foster dog:
Kennel/Crate
Dog bed and blankets/rug
Hard/soft dog food and food bowls (feed your resident dog and foster dog separately so they eat in a stress-free environment)
Toys
Treats and bones
Diapers/puppy pads: As needed
Collar and leash: We don’t supply tags currently, but our dogs are microchipped back to the rescue.
Medication: As needed
Preventatives (we only provide flea/tick and heartworm prevention April - November - unless otherwise stated).
Who To Contact
Grey Face is volunteer based, so please bear with us as we balance our efforts around full-time jobs, family, our own pets and other commitments. Because of the busy nature of rescue work, we rely on our team structure to get the job done! Here is a look at who may reach out to you regarding your foster dog.
We are all human so if you email a team member and they do not respond immediately, please gently send them a reminder email before reaching out to other team members. Also, email is our MAIN communication effort.
Intake Team – You will be contacted by a member of the intake team when details are know about when and where a dog will be coming into rescue. They will work out a time to make the transfer to our office in St. Cloud. In general, we will conduct intakes at our St. Cloud office. Email: intake@greyfacerescue.org
Foster Manager – The Foster Manager is your first point of contact and your main contact during your time fostering with Grey Face Rescue. Any questions or concerns can be emailed to our Foster Manager or through the Foster Request Form. Email: Foster@greyfacerescue.org
Vet Care Team – Sends you vet appointment information and further details on any medical needs your foster dog may have. You can also find lots of information regarding veterinary care in this Rescue Resource. Email: Vetting@greyfacerescue.org
Adoption team – Our adoption team works with multiple volunteers to assist in the interviews, reference checks and home visits in order to get your foster dog adopted. Email: Adoption@greyfacerescue.org
Supplies – If we don’t have a specific item you need for your foster or you live farther away, please fill out our Foster Request Form.
The First Day
The first day is either going to be very stressful or very easy - it’s the hard truth! There will be accidents in the house, there will be whining, possibly unwanted behaviors and that second thought like maybe I shouldn’t have committed to this. This is NORMAL and trust me, you are not the only one who has been through this or felt this way. Bringing home a new dog that just lost everything is hard and heartbreaking!
Please, follow our DECOMPRESSION TIMELINE HERE!
What To Expect
Accidents or Marking
Not Eating
Altercations to other animals (if introduced too soon or incorrectly)
Growling/Snapping
These dogs have been through so much in the last 24 hours and it’s common for them to react to this adjustment in unpleasing ways. We have to be mindful and put ourselves in their position.
To make the transition as smoothly as possible, we’ve listed a few items that are proven to make the first 24 hours less stressful on both you and your new foster dog.
What To Do
If you have other pets in the home, keep them separated for the first 24 hours. Remember, your new dog is stressed; meeting another dog just ads another layer of stress and can result in a dogfight. This goes for even if your dog is the most friendly dog ever or if the dogs have met before. Bringing another dog into your home is different than a casual meeting and dogs reactive differently when it is in their territory.
Show your foster around. Walk your foster on a leash around the house, around the yard, up and down the street (without any nose-to-nose interactions with other dogs).
Kennel your foster in a common place such as the kitchen or living room and allow them to take in their new environment. Don’t forget to give treats throughout this time to earn trust (If your foster is not comfortable in a kennel, baby gate off a small area to put your foster dog)!
Keep a leash on your foster AT ALL TIMES for the first week. By doing this, you are able to redirect your foster easier by grabbing the leash.
Continue to use the same door to go potty each time and take them out frequently those first few days so they learn right away where they need to go potty.
Sit back and observe your new best friend. Let your foster come to you, if you have kids, don’t allow them to hang on the dog, hug or put their faces to the dogs face, etc. In other words, explain to your kids they need to give the new dog some space for a little while.
Before bed, take your foster for a long walk and time to relieve themselves. They will most likely be exhausted from such a big day and that extra bit of exercise will allow them and YOU to sleep without interruption.
Additional Resources
Tailered Dog Training
Rebound Hounds
Foster Guidelines
First Time Foster Advice
The First Two Weeks
From there, start your schedule of feeding, potty breaks and play/exercise - we have created a mock schedule that you can follow and/or alter, if needed. From Day One, your dog will need family time and brief periods of solitary confinement. Don’t give in and comfort him if he whines when left alone. Instead, give him attention for good behavior, such as chewing on a toy or resting quietly (Source: Preparing Your Home For A New Dog).
For the first few days, remain calm and quiet around your dog, limiting too much excitement (such as a party or the neighborhood children). Not only will this allow your dog to settle in easier, it will give you more one-on-one time to get to know him and his likes/dislikes.
If he came from another home, objects like leashes, hands, rolled up newspapers and magazines, feet, chairs and sticks are just some of the pieces of “training equipment” that may have been used on this dog. Words like “come here” and “lie down” may bring forth a reaction other than the one you expect .Or maybe he led a sheltered life and was never socialized to children or sidewalk activity. This dog may be the product of a never-ending series of scrambled communications and unreal expectations that will require patience on your part.
Our team will reach out within 5-7 days upon your foster’s arrival to schedule their vetting appointment. We like to give your foster time to settle down prior to bringing them to the vet. We will contact you, please refrain from contacting us as we are in the background reviewing veterinary records, scheduling appointment and coming up with each animals Veterinary Care Plan. If you need assistance, we ask that you fill out the Foster Request Form here.
WHAT TO FEED YOUR FOSTER
Grey Face will provide you with food. We rely on donations from the community when it comes to this, so the type of food available may change. We will promote donations of senior dog food, and specific food for those with vet-recommended diets due to medical conditions. If a veterinarian prescribes a particular diet for a medical reason, the rescue will pay for this. We do not purchase food in order to stick to a specific brand - we only have available what is donated to us.
Please visit our office if running low on food or contact the foster team. We ask that you notify us when you are down to a 2-week supply.
Tips to entice eating:
Stick to a schedule that works in your household, usually twice a day. Keep food down for 15 min, then pull it back up so they get used to a time and routine.
Scale back or hold treats completely until they start eating.
Try a different bowl or plate, or put the bowl at a different height.
Mix in a different type of food (hard, soft, different brand).
Soften any hard food with a bit of warm water to make it smellier.
Try bland for a couple of days -- Mix in a little cut-up chicken and plain cooked white rice or macaroni pasta. You can also try potatoes, ground-up turkey or lean hamburger- all plain no spices added
Diet Change
Some dogs get diarrhea from a diet change. If this happens, feed cooked rice mixed and cooked ground turkey or hamburger (drained) then reintroduce dry kibble slowly. See diarrhea section of our Rescue Resource under Health & Vet Care.
Food Allergies
If your foster dog experiences hot spots (red patches of hairless skin), it may be due to food allergies. We recommend sticking to simple, easy-to-digest diets of dry kibble with chicken as the protein ingredient. If your dog appears to be allergic to chicken, look for dog food made with potatoes and duck, or fish. Some dogs react to food allergies by getting raw sores on the pads of their feet, between their toes. Reach out to our Vetting team if you see these reactions.
Foods to Avoid: Alcohol, Avocado, Caffeine, Chocolate, Coffee, Citrus, Coconut, Grapes, Raisins, Nuts, Ham & Ham Bones, Dairy/milk, Onions, Garlic, Chives, Xylitol (found in some Peanut Butter), Yeast, Cinnamon.
BACK TO THE TOP
Introducing Resident Animals
This is SO important as it sets the tone between your resident animals and foster for their remaining stay. We want the initial introductions to be GREAT so the continued relationship is just as awesome!
Resident Dog
During that 24 hours of separation, while one is out going potty, allow the other to sniff around and learn the new additions smell.
After 24 hours, take both dogs on a long walk together. This gives them time to mentally get to know each other. When I say long, I mean as long as they can go - you want to tire them out.
Next introduce in the home with leashes on and a baby gate between them. This gives them the opportunity to meet each other with a barrier in between so everyone is safe. I recommend keeping them separated with a baby gate for 24 hours. If you see either dog growling or bearing teeth, we recommend keeping them separated for longer.
Once you feel they are ready to meet without a barrier, keep both dogs leashed to easily remove both from any situation. Allow the dogs to meet for short periods then separate to rest. This helps diffuse any over rambunctiousness from one party. Our dogs are seniors so any overly excited puppy may be too much for them. Continue to let them play for short periods until the newness wears off.
We HIGHLY recommend NEVER leaving your resident dog and foster dog unattended for any period of time.
Resident Cat
During that 24 hours of separation, while one is out going potty, allow the other to sniff around and learn the new additions smell.
Next introduce with the leash still on your foster dog and a baby gate between them. This gives them the opportunity to meet each other with a barrier in between so everyone is safe. I recommend keeping them separated with a baby gate for 24 hours. If you see your foster dog growling or bearing teeth, we recommend keeping them separated for longer.
Once you feel they are ready to meet without a barrier, continue to keep your foster dog leashed to easily remove both from any situation. If your foster dog becomes TOO interested, add the barrier and continue to keep the meetings short.
VETERINARY TREATMENT
Any and ALL veterinary requests MUST go through the Foster Request Form. We cannot guarantee your email will be answered if it is NOT sent through the Foster Request Form.
After arrival, our Veterinary Team will reach out to set up your foster’s veterinary appointment, if needed. At times, our dogs will come fully vetted, in those cases, a veterinary appointment is not needed.
Below is the treatment we provide to your foster while in our care.
Dogs (treatments are altered to each individual dog - some dogs may not receive all the treatments listed below)
Exam
Rabies + Distemper Vaccinations
Heartworm Test
Heartworm and flea/tick preventative (April - October)
Spay/neuter (unless suggested otherwise or hospice)
Dental procedure for stage 4 with extractions
Microchip (ONLY if foster is able to transport dog to Grey Face during open hours to receive a microchip)
Cats
Exam
Rabies + Distemper Vaccinations
FIV test
Spay/neuter
Microchip (ONLY if foster is able to transport dog to Grey Face during open hours to receive a microchip)
While in foster care, your foster’s microchips are registered to Grey Face Rescue. Upon adoption, the adopters are responsible for registering their newly adopted animals microchip.
PREVENTATIVES (Flea/Tick & Heartworm)
Preventatives are provided April - November and will be available for pick up at our Grey Face Rescue facility during open hours. If you live more than 30 minutes away, our team will mail the preventatives directly to you.
Preventatives will be sent out the first Monday of the month our office is OPEN.
PARTNER VET CLINICS
You are not allowed to make appointments or go to the vet without authorization from a Grey Face Rescue team member.
When a veterinary appointment is requested, our team will reach out to the veterinary clinic to request an appointment. The clinic will give us the soonest date and time available. At times, it can be quickly or it can be weeks/months out - it all depends on how full the clinics schedule is. We do not have control of the timing of the visits.
We utilize the following clinics (you MUST be able to bring your foster to one of the following clinics for care):
Advanced Care Pet Hospital (911 Scout Dr, Sartell, MN 56377)
Appointments made at Advanced Care Pet Hospital are either in-person with the foster attending the appointment or drop-off. Information regarding the services your foster receives are sent prior to your appointment. If approval during your appointment is needed, the clinic will call our veterinary team.
If your animal is receiving surgery at this clinic, you are to drop the animal off before 8:00am on the scheduled surgery date. No food after midnight the night prior, water is ok.
Services + requests pre-approved at Advanced Care Pet Hospital:
Prescription Food
Follow-Up + Recheck Appointments (Fosters are asked to schedule at initial appointment)
Booster Appointments (Fosters are asked to schedule at initial appointment)
Services + requests NOT approved at Advanced Care Pet Hospital:
Nail Trims
Ear Cleanings
Preventatives (Flea + Tick Treatment or Heartworm Preventatives)
Heartworm Testing
Microchip
Pet Central Animal Hospital (2700 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418)
Appointments made at Pet Central Animal Hospital are drop-off appointments only. You will be given a specific time to drop off the animal on the day of the appointment. Pick-up will be likely at 5:30pm that evening (they close at 6:00pm). Prior to the appointment, the services your foster needs is communicated to the clinic. If approval during your appointment is needed, the clinic will call our veterinary team.
If your animal is receiving surgery at this clinic, you are to drop the animal off at the scheduled time on the scheduled surgery date. No food after midnight the night prior, water is ok.
Services + requests pre-approved at Pet Central Animal Hospital:
Nail Trims
Ear Cleanings
Heartworm Testing
Prescription Food
Follow-Up + Recheck Appointments (Fosters are asked to schedule at initial appointment)
Booster Appointments (Fosters are asked to schedule at initial appointment)
Services + requests NOT approved at Advanced Care Pet Hospital:
Preventatives (Flea + Tick Treatment or Heartworm Preventatives)
Microchip
The veterinary clinics will only perform services and testing that is communicated prior to the animals arrival unless authorized over the phone with our veterinary team. Fosters are not able to request additional services the day of the visit.
Wellness Day at the Grey Face Rescue office (30971 Pearl Drive, St. Joe)
Each month, Grey Face Rescue hosts Wellness Day. This is an opportunity for foster families to receive veterinary care by a licensed volunteer veterinarian. Your Foster Manager will send date + time of Wellness Day each month and fosters are asked to sign up for an appointment.
Services + requests provided at Wellness Day:
General Exams
Nail Trims
Ear Cleanings
Heartworm Testing
Preventatives
Microchip
Aspirations (checking if masses are benign or malignant)
Urinalysis
Wound care
Address any other concerns fosters may have.
Photos
Supplies
Services + requests NOT approved at Advanced Care Pet Hospital:
Surgeries
Vaccinations
Vacations/Temp Fosters
Are you going out of town and need a temp foster? No problem! We have lots of resources for you! Here’s what to do!
Post for a temp foster in the Army Facebook Group. Include a photo of your fosters, dates and additional information regarding your foster such as good with dogs, cats, kiddos, stairs, etc.
If you haven’t received a lead for a temp foster from the Facebook Group, fill out the Foster Request Form Here and our team will contact fosters individually OR set up boarding at a partnered boarding facility.
Please be MINDFUL of temp foster needs and seek temp foster 2-3 weeks prior to vacation! Short term notices may be more difficult to find coverage.
YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE YOUR FOSTER WITH AN UNAPPROVED FAMILY, FRIEND OR NEIGHBOR. Doing this will lead to immediate removal from our program.
SUPPLIES + OFFICE HOURS
Our office is open weekly for foster families to pick up supplies, community members to drop off donation or guests to use our dog park.
Monday + Wednesdays
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Please be mindful, some volunteers who cover our facility hours end work at 5:00pm and hurry to arrive in time, a delay in their arrival may happen.
We have a variety of supplies at our facility from crates, treats, dog food, toys, clothes and more. However, we cannot guarantee we have everything you are seeking. If we do not have the item, please contact your Foster Manager to request donations.
Promoting Your Foster Dog
Even though hundreds of people visit the rescue’s website and Facebook page every week, the more you network your foster dog, the quicker you’ll be able to find it a great forever home. Here are some simple ways to promote your dog:
Take plenty of photos and videos and post them on the Army Facebook Page so we can collect them.
Post your foster dog on your social networking sites. There are even social networking sites specifically for dogs!
Always walk your foster dog with an Adopt Me bandana.
Attend scheduled Grey Face events and especially those geared toward adoption. You are expected to attend one adoption event per month with your foster dog. Check out our Facebook page (under the events tab) to keep an eye on what’s coming up – we have events around the region. The Foster team will also help identify events where your foster will excel. Please bring only your foster dogs to adoption events. Personal dogs are not allowed.
When discussing your foster dog with potential adopters, tell them what you know. Be honest and avoid negative statements, and choose words carefully. A dog that is not potty trained might instead be “working on house manners.” If a dog has special needs, mention them but don’t dwell on them.
Send an email to family, friends and colleagues. Let them know about your foster and ask them to help you spread the word and to tell their friends, etc.
Post a flyer of your foster dog at your workplace or put one on your office door or outside your cube. Spread the word at your child’s school, your place of worship, or any other organization that you belong.
See if you can bring your foster dog to work! Many companies have newsletters, email lists, blogs or intranets where you might be able to post information about animals.
Blog about your foster dog, or find a local community blog and blog there.
Take your dog for a walk around a popular lake, downtown or any other place that has a lot of foot traffic. Do this with a friend so that someone can be the “spokesperson” while you handle the dog.
If you’re a runner, enter a local 5K race and bring your dog. Check the race rules first, but many will let you run with a dog. Don’t forget your dog’s Adopt Me bandana!
Tips for Taking Great Photos
We can’t stress this enough ... a picture is worth a thousand words.
The picture is the first thing people see when they visit our Facebook page or website. If the dog has a poor picture, visitors may move on to another dog without clicking or reading your dog’s description. If you want to give your dog the best chance possible, take large, clear, good-quality (high resolution) pictures of the dog alone, and them getting along with other dogs, cats and people. A good picture is often the difference between a dog who generates inquiries and one who doesn’t.
Take a lot of pictures. You may have to take 50 to get 1 or 2 really good ones.
Take them OUTSIDE in natural light. Pictures taken outside in natural light are usually much better than those taken inside or with a flash. Lighting is very important for accurately capturing a dog’s coloring and detail. Have the sun or light source behind you and check to make sure you’re not casting a shadow on your subject.
Use treats and/or a squeaky toy to capture the dog’s best expression. Sometimes having two people makes this easier.
Portrait mode. If you have the ability on your phone, try portrait mode.
Take pictures using a neutral backdrop. Select a background that contrasts with the dog’s coloring. Darker-colored dogs will show up better against a lighter backdrop. Most dogs look great against a lush green lawn.
Try different props. If the dog likes to fetch, you might get a picture of the dog with their favorite ball. Wrap the Adopt Me bandana around the dog’s neck to add a streak of color (especially good for solid and darker-colored dogs). A bright, cheerful collar, ball or stuffed animal is a nice touch.
The dog is the subject of your picture so they should take up the majority of space in the picture. Avoid excessive amounts of background. The dog’s eyes should be focused on you. Capture at least one “hero” shot, where the focus is on the dog’s face. A full-body picture is a great way to show size and scale.
Exercise the dog before your photo shoot. A calmer dog is easier to photograph, and a panting dog looks like their smiling! Before snapping the photos, take the time to get the pet as calm and relaxed as possible, so the photos don’t show an animal that looks anxious or scared.
Check out the competition. Visit Petfinder.com and look at the photos of similar dogs and see which ones pop out to you. Then try to mimic these shots with your own foster dog.
If your first attempts fail, don’t be discouraged. Just keep trying and have fun. When you are having fun, your foster dog will probably be having fun too and it will show! Talk to one of our team members if you need any other help.
PREPARING YOUR FOSTER FOR ADOPTION
Great news, your foster is about to be adopted! This is EXCELLENT! As a foster, it’s your responsibility to ensure your foster is prepared for adoption as once the meet and greet is complete,
Contact your Foster Manager to request medication refills, if needed.
Fill out your foster questionnaire inside your foster’s folder.
If your foster needs a microchip, please contact your Foster Manager.
Supplies that go with your foster animal:
Blankets (not large beds)
Medications, if any
Food (make sure they have enough food for 1 week)
Any veterinary records you have
Foster folder
Supplies that DOES NOT go with your foster animal (and should be returned to the rescue):
Kennel
Large Beds
Collar
Leash
Harness
Food Bowls
Enrichment Toys
Litter Boxes
THE ADOPTION PROCESS
As a foster, you have first rights to adopt your foster dog. Grey Face requires that you alert us if you will be completing an adoption application and adopting your foster dog prior to any meet and greets with other potential applicants.
Foster are responsible for submitting an adoption application and paying the adoption fee.
Effective June 23, 2022; If you are interested in adopting your foster, you have 24-hours from the time the contract & invoice is sent to complete the adoption or the animal will go back on our website and you forfeit your ability to adopt. We are only allowed 32 animals in rescue at any given time so it's crucial that we complete adoptions quickly so we can welcome another animal into rescue. Many of the requests we get to save a dog or cat are time sensitive (either being euthanized or brought to a local shelter) if we don't act quickly so it's another factor into saving a life. If you currently have an adoption contract and invoice in your possession, you have 24-hours to complete or the animal will go back up for adoption.
Potential adopters submit their application online and go through the same process that you did during the foster application. Grey Face works to match families with dogs most appropriate for their desires, experience and situation. We make no guarantee that they will be approved for a specific dog. Once a potential adopter is approved for your foster dog, a meet and greet will be scheduled. If you would like to be involved, that is wonderful! If not, we can arrange a volunteer to transport the dog to the meeting.
Your foster will be LIVE on our website here.
The Adoption Manager will review applications once they are received and send you, the foster, the application(s) they feel would be a match for your foster and ask you to review.
As the foster, you are asked to interview the applicants as you know the animal best. Below are guides to follow for the interview process.
Adoption Interview Questionnaire
Interview Guide
If you choose not to be in the interview process, please know that decisions may be made without you.Following the interview, send your notes to our Adoption Manager. Do you feel it’s a good fit? What does your gut say? Would you like to proceed or do you feel it is not a good match?
Schedule the meet and greet. This happens through the meet and greet – a time that allows the dogs and applicants to get to know each other and it also allows you (the person who knows the dog(s) best) to meet potential adopters and see if they would be a good fit to adopt your foster dog.
Please know that we really value your input on the potential adopter and we ask you to let us know about any concerns you have at ANY time. Your thoughts and, in particular, your gut feelings are important in the process! That said, even if the fit feels right and/or if the applicants have already made there mind up that they want to adopt, you will not be leaving the foster dog with the applicants on the day of the meet and greet. Every applicant has to have a completed home visit prior to approval, plus they have to fill out paperwork prior to adoption.
Your meet and greet should be a two-way dialogue with the applicant rather than just a one-sided Q&A session for the potential adopter. This is an opportunity to learn more about the family, the lifestyle they lead and to find out if they are a good match for your foster dog. For example, if they ask how much exercise the dog gets, ask them, “how do you plan on exercising them?” This is an open and honest discussion about what the potential adopter is looking for and how closely your foster dog matches that.
QUESTIONS TO COVER IN THE MEET AND GREET
Talk about what kind of personality your foster dog has and ensure they are a match to the potential adopter. Ask questions about their past experiences with dogs. Even if this is their first dog, how do their friends or family approach dog ownership. Will the animal have plenty of support from those important in the adopter’s life?
Find out how they would approach training and/or behavior issues or just generally how they would handle different situations. This is where the hypothetical questioning can be helpful. “What would you do if you came home to find they just chewed your new shoes?” What are the family’s expectations of a “rescue” dog? How are they going about finding a dog? Is it a thoughtful process?
6. Home Visit. Following the meet and greet, we will touch base with both you and the potential adopters to ensure it’s a good match and if they would like to proceed. From there we will schedule the home visit. If the foster feels comfortable completing the home visit either in-person or virtually (Facetime) they can do so (when the foster completes the home visit it usually makes the process go quickly. Otherwise, we will reach out to receive digital photos of their home and current animals residing in the home.
The home visit can be done at the same time as the meet and greet if the meet and greet is at the adopters home.
7. Following the home visit, our team will send the adopters the adoption contract and adoption fee invoice. The adoption fee must be paid and paperwork completed and back with Grey Face before the dog can officially move to their adoptive home.
8. Adoption team will notify the foster once the invoice and fee are signed and paid. The foster will be free to transfer the dog at a convenient time for each party.
Supplies that go with your foster animal:
Blankets (not large beds)
Medications, if any
Food (make sure they have enough food for 1 week)
Any veterinary records you have
Foster folder
Thank you for opening your heart and home to help these wonderful dogs!
RETURN OF FOSTER DOG
If Adopters would like to return your foster dog, please know, as stated in the Adoption Contract;
Adopter shall allow a 3-day period of time the pet enters the home to adjust and become familiar with its new surroundings.
Adopter is asked to deliver The Pet to the Grey Face Headquarters located in St. Joe no sooner than 72 hours from notifying our Adoption team to return. If a foster is not found within 72 hours, you may be asked to care for the animal longer until a foster home is found.
If they adopting family reaches out to you, please ask them to contact our Adoption team so we can follow our process for return.
LOST DOG PROTOCOL
If your foster animal is lost, here are the steps to complete IMMEDIATELY!
Notify the emergency line ASAP so we can begin the process of a safe return. Include how the animal got lost, where, what time they were lost and closest intersection.
Hit the ground running - begin searching everywhere. Bring a leash and treats to entice them to return. Continue to yell their name and look everywhere.
While you are searching, make sure you have someone at home in case the animal returns. You can put out food for a familiar smell.
In the meantime, our team will begin calling local veterinary clinics in case anyone returns the animal along with shelters. We will also contact Lost Dogs MN to post on their Facebook page. We will also recruit volunteers through our social sites to join in the efforts to find the animal.
Follow the LOST DOGS ACTION PLAN here.
Removal from our foster program
At times, unfortunately, we have to remove foster families from our program. It’s tough but these decisions are made with the best interest of the animals in mind. We understand wholeheartedly that fostering can be difficult and down right frustrating but that’s why it is so rewarding! We take in animals that would otherwise cross the rainbow bridge and give them a second chance at a forever family. In some cases, that comes with some struggles.
In order to help our families, we have created tools and resources for our fosters to utilize to make the experience of fostering easier. This portal is filled with resources and content, as well as, our Facebook Army Group which is to be used to connect with other foster families when needing advice or encouragement. We also partner with the best veterinary practices that continue to work hard to provide care for our animals.
Reasons for removal:
Not providing proper care to your foster animal.
Not responding to communication efforts made by the Grey Face Team.
Breaking of confidentiality
Failure to adhere to policies or follow procedures
Inactivity
Inappropriate drug or alcohol use
Inappropriate or unprofessional conduct during your time of fostering. We ask that all fosters show professionalism during events, interviews, meet and greets.
Excessive “no-show”or cancelations of veterinary appointments.
Misrepresentation of Grey Face Rescue & Retirement
Theft and/or not returning all supplies that is the property of Grey Face Rescue.
Violence or implication of violence.
Requesting removal of an animal for convenience.
Leaving your foster in the care of an unapproved foster family.
Depending on the situation, you will be either become inactive for 30 days or removed completely from our program.
We truly hope that the relationship with our foster families never has to result in removal but we have to make the best decisions for our animals and their care. We hope when that decision is made the family respects it and we continue to move forward.
By filling out the form below, you have read and understand the training materials provided by Grey Face Rescue and have access to these training materials during your duration as a Grey Face Rescue Approved Dog Foster.