Animal Welfare Professionals

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

How do you determine if you should remove a foster dog from its foster home?

I have a foster who has been hard from the beginning. I could get into the details, but basically, there's been a ton of misunderstanding, and the relationship feels iffy to me. I'm getting vibes that she thinks this dog is "hers" and we're just here to bank roll the dog.

Currently we had the dog visit the vet last week, and she needs a spay, dental cleaning, and mass removal. I told the foster to schedule that in June, and she ended up scheduling it for July 3rd (even though the vet has availability before then).

I've attached our correspondence instead of typing it all out here to get context. 

Based on all of this I just feel off about this relationship and am wondering if I should sever the foster relationship and take back the dog. Thoughts?

#FosterPrograms

It seems that the relationship between foster and shelter is not in a healthy place. Try to find another foster quickly and have the dog placed there so it gets the care it needs. If you anticipate problems, make sure to pick the dog up from the vet appointment  or instruct them not to let her pick up the dog. Just be sure to communicate that you are placing the dog with another foster because of the medical needs. Or ask if she plans on adopting the dog.
Ultimately, you cannot control the fosters every move. If July 3rd works best for her, either reclaim the dog for an earlier appointment or place elsewhere. And remember, the foster is getting to know the dog better than we do in a shelter setting.
Just be mindful of how you deal with fosters because you do not want any bad mouthing to ruin your chances of finding more help.

------------------------------
Kate Williams
Manager
Animal Welfare Friends
------------------------------

Hi, this is posted anonymously elsewhere, so I must have done something wrong when I replied.  Sorry!  Not anonymous!!

It sounds like this foster home has issues with flexibility, not mistreatment or abuse.  For me it would be a question of how bad the dog's condition is--whether it can't eat, can't take pain relievers, and such--vs how easy it is to come by foster homes if she decides to stop fostering with you.

You've pushed pretty hard, and her boundaries aren't budging.  Her logic may not seem clear to you or to me, but we are probably more casual about guests and flexible about schedules that are set in our mind.

If you believe it's a serious animal welfare question--Is it possible to have someone else foster for June, and send the dog to her in July?  Or if the dog is already there and comfortable, could someone just take the dog one day before surgery and return when recovered--but at a time when she doesn't have guests?  Or can pain relief be provided for the dog to stay in place?

Good luck with it!

------------------------------
April King
Volunteer and Board Member
Kotor Kitties
+1 206 407 5336
http://www.kotorkitties.org
------------------------------

It sounds like it's time to pull the dog and place with a new foster.  Our number 1 goal is to be able to place our animals in their forever home as quickly as possible.  If these procedures are to be done prior to an adoption, she could be delaying that by a whole month for no reason.  

------------------------------
Kelly Eckerle
Dubois County Humane Society
------------------------------