Foster Responsibilities
Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue relies entirely on its volunteer foster base to be able to take in danes in need. Our current foster coverage areas are located in Mobile, AL; Pensacola, FL; Fort Walton, FL; Crestview, FL; Panama City, FL; and Tallahassee, FL. If you are located nearby any of these cities and wish to foster for our organization, please read over our FAQs/Requirements and fill out the application below.
Please remember, fostering a dog is always an adventure, but IT IS NOT for everyone. Fostering takes hard work, patience, dedication, and there is an undefined time commitment involved. It can be exhilarating, rewarding, exhausting and heart rendering, all at the same time. There is no perfect profile of a foster family, but there are some things that you should know before volunteering to foster.
FOSTERS ARE ASKED TO:
•Provide quality dog food for the Great Dane at their own expense.
•Provide basic grooming responsibilities.
•Use a crate to prevent mishaps.
•Provide treats, toys, bowls, and other goodies.
•Evaluate and observe each dog to identify any potential behavioral issues.
•Care for the dog in a manner that is consistent with how you care for your own animals. Fosters need to provide basic training for the foster Great Dane, as many that come into rescue have had NO training previously.
•Attend adoption events to get their foster dane exposure, and occasionally drive to pick up dogs, take dogs to the vet, etc.
•Adhere to the principles of positive reinforcement training. NWFLGDR believes in treating dogs with kindness and respect.
•Work willingly and effectively with NWFLGDR.
•Allow prospective adopters to visit the foster dog at approved times. We work very hard to make sure that appropriate families visit the foster dog, however, the input of the foster family is very important in making the final determination if the match is “right.”
WHO SHOULD NOT FOSTER?
•Those who are torn between fostering and adopting. While many foster homes do end up adopting a dog, it is very important to remember that fostering is not a “try one on for size” activity. In the event that a foster home does adopt a dog, the family makes the same adoption donation as anyone else. Fostering is strictly for those who wish to assist “the cause” and feel that they have the time, space, and dedication to do so and do it well.
•Those who cannot abide the emotional turmoil of caring for a Great Dane and then having the dog leave when adopted. Leaving the foster home should not be another trauma for the dog to endure.
•Those who cannot tolerate disruption in their lives. Foster dogs can make housebreaking mistakes, get on the furniture, “counter surf”, get ill and need a trip to the vet clinic at 2 a.m., and leave slobber in the most amazing places. The most successful foster homes are those that have a high tolerance level and a good sense of humor.
•Those who truly do not have the time or energy to work with their foster dog. All foster dogs need exercise, training and direction, be it house manners, housebreaking or learning to walk politely on a leash. Providing a warm bed and regular meals are important, but fosters need to invest more than that. If you cannot honestly provide the daily exercise and training, then fostering is not for you.
•Those who have difficulty taking directions from others. We have rules and procedures for a reason and we expect all of our fosters to follow them. Let’s be honest—some folks do not thrive in such a system and find it annoying at best and stifling at worst. If that is the case with you, then fostering for NWFLGDR will not be a rewarding experience.
NWFLGDR's RESPONSIBILITY?
NWFLGDR covers the foster dog’s approved veterinary needs, medical needs, preventatives and meds. We provide mentoring to our fosters via our NWFLGDR officers and knowledgeable volunteers. We are very proud of our volunteer team and work together to provide encouragement, advice, and support. We solicit for donations of goods and services that are of use to our foster homes. Some companies donate items to us and we, in turn, route them to our fosters and the Great Danes in their care. Leashes, collars, food, supplements, grooming tools and toys are some of the donations we receive.
If you are interested in fostering, please fill out the foster application below.