Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  How often should shelters & rescues touch base with active fosters, ideally?

    Posted 01-11-2023 07:00 AM
    I was just asked this question by someone in the industry. It would be super helpful to hear what you all think!  I imagine automating emails, having easily accessible foster resources, mentors, social media groups, etc. would impact this. Like, how much contact is enough, but not too much?
    #FosterPrograms

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    Kelly Duer
    Senior Community Solutions Initiative Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 2.  RE: How often should shelters & rescues touch base with active fosters, ideally?

    Posted 01-11-2023 12:11 PM

    We are a small foster based rescue who adopts out our dogs through our Foster to Adopt program only.  We have a private FB group where we post "Doggie Round-Up Time" on Sunday's and our foster's & foster to adopt people post photos of the dog in their care and comment on "the good, the bad and the ugly" of what happened in the dogs life that week.

    We post a silly question for them to respond to, such as, "If your dog could talk who would they sound like?", or "If you dog played baseball, what position would they play and why?" to get the conversation going. 

    We have an open chat group for Foster's to chime in on for quick responses, post photos and updates for dog bio's or step up to foster a incoming dog 24/7.   For those foster's who need "hand holding" this group chat and the FB private group are great for them to ask questions and learn from other foster's who more seasoned.

    The number of times we check in one on one depends on the foster and the dog they are fostering.  

    I don't believe you can support your fosters too much.  



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    Cynthia Lynn Guzman /K9 Enrichment Initiative
    Founder/Executive Director
    K9 Enrichment Initiative, Inc.
    Plainfield IL
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  • 3.  RE: How often should shelters & rescues touch base with active fosters, ideally?

    Posted 01-31-2023 11:41 AM
    Hi Cynthia,

    I love the idea of the silly questions! 

    I have started checking in with fosters once a month on the first and I am going to start asking a question in my email. Thinking I might utilize Buzzfeed quizzes to get some ideas on questions to ask.

    Thanks!


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    Tina Hope
    Shelter Behaviorist
    Seattle Animal Shelter
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: How often should shelters & rescues touch base with active fosters, ideally?

    Posted 01-11-2023 01:11 PM
    Hi there,

    We have a very well-detailed foster manual that goes home with all fosters with all the info they would need. We do stay in contact with our fosters. We usually utilize email and texts for updates and correspondence. We also do induvial check-ins, especially if it's a regular foster, just to check in.  We have a volunteer FB page as well, but it's for all volunteers and we do send out different updates and happenings on there too.  One of my team's goals this year, is to create a Google Drive specific to our fosters.

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    Erin Ellis
    Community Engagement Director
    Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe

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    Foster Program & Volunteer Management Specialist
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  • 5.  RE: How often should shelters & rescues touch base with active fosters, ideally?

    Posted 01-12-2023 11:26 AM
    Our rescue has mentors for all fosters and they each have a mentor chat so every foster/mentor/mentee is different however, we do have a process when the foster has a dog for checking in throughout that time if things are going well, but the foster is free to ask any questions they have.  Newer fosters have more questions but someone is always there for them.  We have a handbook/foster manual but who remembers it all.

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    geri golonka
    Foster/Volunteer
    Tiny N Tall Rescue
    St. Charles, IL
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  • 6.  RE: How often should shelters & rescues touch base with active fosters, ideally?

    Posted 01-17-2023 07:57 AM
    Like most have said our group utilizes a "manual" or guideline book that has so much information! We usually direct fosters to the handbook first, and then if they have any questions we are open to chatting with them (this way we aren't getting the same questions x20, and we are encouraging them being self sufficient since we are 100% volunteer based). Our group has a coordinator role, in which each coordinator is responsible for a few (2-10) active fosters at a time. We ask the fosters to check in weekly with the coordinator. Whether its a quick, everything good over here, or raising concerns about behaviors they've been seeing. This allows us to see the bigger picture, and to be available, without being overbearing! We also have a facebook group that allows everyone to connect!

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    Shelby Rader
    Zoe's House Rescue
    Reading, PA
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  • 7.  RE: How often should shelters & rescues touch base with active fosters, ideally?

    Posted 01-31-2023 06:36 PM
    Kelly,
    . 
     This is an awesome question. I think  the level of contact is a lot of times determined by the  actual foster. You have will have some fosters that have been doing it for such a long time they do not need a great deal of support. There are also fosters who are new to the foster world and need more support.  I think that having a resource that is readily available for all fosters to access such as a  private but yet informative social media page, you can have regular email communications, monthly calls just to check in on the fosters and sometimes even a group text thread between fosters may be helpful. I think that with the state of our shelters we need ALL the foster support that we can get and staying connected with the fosters and building that community is vitally important. I do not think that you can communicate too much fosters.

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    Marissa Reid
    Assistant Practice Manager
    Blue Pearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital

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    Access To Care Specialist
    Clinic Management Specialist
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