Fostering
Fostering or volunteering is truly a wonderful and rewarding experience.
CRF provides a foster training program that addresses the major responsibilities of fosters as well as CRF rules, procedures, and policies.
Cavalier Rescue of Florida is an all-volunteer organization and volunteers and foster families are the key to our success! Read more below about the many ways you can help.
Fostering a Cavalier
Fostering our precious rescue pups is an elite and special part of Cavalier Rescue of Florida. We are always looking for Cavalier lovers who are willing to open their hearts and dedicate their time to help Cavaliers through a transitional place in their lives.
The overall responsibility of a foster is to care for, rehabilitate, and work with a rescued Cavalier to ready the dog for placement with an adoptive family. We ask that fosters provide a safe home environment, food, trips to the vet, basic training, exercise, grooming, socialization, and lots of love. There are no out of pocket vetting expenses as CRF covers that.
CRF provides a foster training program that addresses the major responsibilities as well as CRF rules, procedures, and policies.
Fostering is truly a wonderful and rewarding experience. The joy you feel when your foster dog finds a forever home is incredible. You will be helping an abandoned, unwanted Cavalier get ready to live a life of happiness and joy in a loving forever home. If you think you have the time and passion to foster, you are encouraged to fill out a foster application.
For information on Fostering,
fill out the application below
FOSTER APPLICATION
Foster homes are a vital and integral part of any successful rescue program. They are essential to the welfare and proper placement of Cavaliers entering the rescue system. Foster homes allow the rescue Cavalier to live in a caring home environment as part of a family and to receive the medical care and training needed to make a successful transition into a permanent home.
The definition of Foster is (1) To bring up; rear; nurture; (2) To promote the development or growth of; encourage; cultivate; (3) To nurture; cherish. A foster caregiver must be able to provide all elements of that definition. Cavaliers entering rescue may have been abused, neglected, untrained and may have medical problems which must be handled by the foster family. At the very least, they will have been taken out of their familiar environment and may be confused, unsure and afraid. The majority will be mature dogs, if not elderly. It is very rare that a puppy comes into rescue.
As a potential foster, it is essential that you read all of the conditions below carefully. Upon submitting your application, you are accepting these duties and responsibilities and agreeing to abide by all policies for foster families.
DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES of a FOSTER FAMILY
The overall responsibility of a foster family is to care for, rehabilitate, and work with the foster Cavalier in order to ready him/her for placement with an adoptive family. In doing so, the foster dog entrusted to a foster family must be provided adequate food, water, affection, socialization, training, exercise, and medical care. In order to do this, the foster family will be expected to follow through with the following duties and responsibilities:
Fostering a Cavalier may require your time commitment ranging from a few weeks to several months. The foster family must understand that Cavalier Rescue of Florida, Inc. and its’ representatives may have limited information about the temperament, background, and habits of the foster Cavalier.
The foster family will assess the temperament of the foster Cavalier and provide obedience and behavior training if needed. It may be necessary to transport the dog to an approved Veterinarian on numerous occasions and administer veterinary medications if needed. Each month, it will be necessary for the foster family to give the foster Cavalier approved flea and heartworm preventatives. It may be necessary to take the foster Cavalier outside to eliminate every 2-4 hours. Further, it is very important that you understand you must follow the advice of the Vetting Coordinator in all aspects of Veterinary care of the foster Cavalier. No decisions will be made regarding veterinary care of the foster Cavalier without prior approval from the Director or the Vetting Coordinator.
The foster family must put on a collar with a rescue provided ID tag IMMEDIATELY upon transporting, picking up, and/or taking in new foster. If you have not received the tag, utilize a tag that include's the foster's contact number or a CRF number.
The foster family must provide a securely fenced-in yard or other safe means for exercising the foster dog and under no circumstances should they be left unsupervised or kept outside of the home. The foster family must ensure the foster is never placed in an unsafe situation and that they are protected from injury at all times.
The foster family will be responsible for providing some basics for the foster dog. This includes providing food from the approved food list (to be provided by the Foster Coordinator). The foster family is also responsible for ensuring the foster dog is bathed, nails and paw pads are trimmed and maintained. Ears must be flushed regularly to prevent ear infections (if infections are suspected, please inform the Vetting Coordinator prior to any cleanings or treatments).
The foster family will be responsible for developing a biography and taking photographs of the foster dog for website posting and Social Media. (Guidelines will be provided) The biography and clear photos will be sent to the Foster Coordinator in a timely manner once requested.
The foster family will be responsible to assist in the placement of the foster Cavalier by communicating with prospective adoptive families about the characteristics, behavior and medical issues of the foster Cavalier. The foster family will graciously allow potential adopters to come into their homes to meet with the foster Cavalier.
Periodically, the foster family will communicate with the Foster Coordinator either by email or by phone to give a status report of the foster Cavalier.
CAVALIER RESCUE OF FLORIDA, INC. POLICIES FOR FOSTER FAMILIES
The foster family will follow the duties, responsibilities, and policies set forth by Cavalier Rescue of Florida, Inc.
The foster Cavalier is the property of Cavalier Rescue of Florida, Inc. and can be removed from the foster family at any time and without prior notice.
Under no circumstance, will a foster Cavalier be used for breeding.
Under no circumstance, shall the foster Cavalier be sold, abandoned, relinquished to a pound, shelter, or other rescue group, transferred or given to any other individual, or to any establishment for the purpose of resale or research.
The foster family will advise the Foster Coordinator immediately if the foster family can no longer care for the foster Cavalier in order to make alternate arrangements.
The foster family will advise the Foster Coordinator a minimum of one week in advance of any vacation plans so the Foster Coordinator can find another foster family to place the dog during that time.
The foster family will follow the advice and direction of the Vetting Coordinator or the Director of CRF in all matters pertaining to Veterinary care. Further, all veterinary care must be approved by the Vetting Coordinator or the Director of Cavalier Rescue of Florida, Inc. PRIOR to taking the foster dog to the Veterinarian.
In the event the foster family wishes to permanently adopt the foster Cavalier, an Application to Adopt must be submitted. If approved, an Adoption Placement Agreement must be signed and a standard donation is expected with no discounts.
The Agreement & Waiver of Liability, this Foster Home Application and the Reference form must be completed by those offering their services as a foster family. This information is confidential and will be used to determine the suitability of a particular foster home for a particular rescued Cavalier. The foster family should understand that the completion of these forms does not guarantee the placement of a foster Cavalier in their home.