Thank you for your interest in possibly being a foster home for a rescued Schipperke!

About Fostering

Being a foster home involves caring for a rescued Schipperke and preparing him or her to be adopted into a new home.* Please read "Responsibilities" and "Basic Rules" and if you wish to apply for pre-approval as a Foster Home for a rescued Schipperke, please CLICK HERE.

Responsibilities of a foster home include:

Providing personal attention and affection

Ensuring a healthy and safe environment

Providing basic veterinary care

Introducing the dog to various social situations to evaluate and/or improve socialization skills.

Providing basic manners and/or obedience training

Teaching the dog his/her place in a human pack (often needed for dogs who have grown up in kennels)

Giving love and showing affection to a dog that may never had had the care they deserve

Basic Rules of Foster Care:

All Foster Homes must be pre-approved before a dog will be placed in its care.
Unless a dog comes with verifiable, written veterinary records showing recent exam, within 72 hours each dog must have a basic evaluation by a veterinarian which may include any necessary vaccinations, heartworm testing, general dental exam, fecal exam, pest exam, and treatment as necessary.
Upon approval by a Rescue Coordinator (if reimbursement is expected or unless Foster Home is acting as their own rescuer) Foster Home arranges for spay/neuter procedures or other necessary medical treatments.
If reimbursement is expected, any treatment of extraordinary medical concerns must also be approved by the Rescue Coordinator.
The Foster Home is responsible for the daily needs of the dog, including but not limited to adequate water, food (including prescription diets), flea control, heartworm prevention, grooming, treats, toys, etc..
The Foster Home is responsible for ensuring all local and state licensing requirements are met.
Any foster dog must be on leash or in fenced area at all times when outside the house. No foster dog will be chained outside or shut outside overnight, or allowed to roam at large.
Foster dogs should be exposed to and trained not to fear crates as they may be necessary for their own safety.
One of the main purposes of a Foster Home is the evaluation of the personality and characteristics or each dog to assist in finding the best match in an adoptive home. This evaluation includes written records of behavior, training, and other observations about the personality of the dog and its requirements in a forever home. For example, some dogs are excellent traveling companions, others less so; some dogs are emotionally needy and require constant companionship, while others enjoy a little solitude. This information is essential in matching the dog to the right home.
Before placement into an adoptive home all dogs must be spayed or neutered unless there is a compelling medical reason not to do so.
Foster Homes are responsible for the well-being of the dogs in their care. Each dog must be protected at all times from injury and illness to the best of their ability.
The purpose of Fostering is to prepare a rescued Schipperke for placement in a forever home. To that end, no dog should remain in foster care longer than 6 months, unless there are special circumstances which must be approved by the Rescue Coordinator. At the end of 6 months, unless otherwise approved, the dog may either be adopted to the Foster Home or removed to an alternative Foster Home for further evaluation.

Violation of any of these rules may result in the dog being removed from the foster home.

* Of course, if at any time, the Foster Home decides that the foster dog would make a good permanent addition to their household, Foster Homes are welcome to adopt the dog they are fostering.

Foster Care Expenses:

Unless the foster home is acting as its own rescuer, in most cases appropriate expenses are reimbursed by the rescue group, which recovers these costs via the adoption fee. Each group may have its own criteria or set of rules for reimbursement, but below you will find a chart that may provide a basic guideline for estimates:

These expenses may usually be incurred without approval:

Item Frequency Duration

Standard Health Exam Initial visit N/A

Emergency Vet visit¹ As needed Open

Health sustaining treatment that is of immediate need As needed One year

Vaccinations As needed One year

Heartworm check² Initial visit N/A

Parasite check Initial visit N/A

Flea dip (if needed) Initial visit N/A

Parasite treatment (if needed) As needed Six months

Basic medications needed for treatment of simple health problems such as antibiotics, inflammation treatment, eye drops, etc. As needed Six months

Nail Trim (if it must be done by vet) Two times One year

¹If an emergency vet visit involves a life-threatening decision, the foster should attempt to contact the Rescue Coordinator for consultation about subsequent action.
²If heartworm is positive and requires treatment, the Foster must contact the Rescue Coordinator for consultation about subsequent action.

These expenses usually require approval before being incurred if the Rescuer is expected to reimburse:

Item

Non-emergency follow-up vet visits for specific concerns

Advanced medications beyond those outlined above³

Heartworm treatment (to make decision about viability)

Dental issues (teeth, gum disease, etc.)

Spay/neuter⁴

³If an emergency issue, the Foster should attempt to contact the Rescue Coordinator before purchasing medication.

⁴All spay/neuter appointments must be approved. There may be a compelling reason to put the operation or procedure on hold for a short time to evaluate all other concerns about the dog.

How to get pre-approved as a Schipperke Rescue Foster Home

Step 1: CLICK HERE to download a Foster Home Application form

Step 2: Answer all the questions and complete the form as completely as possible.

Step 3: Click on the "Submit Foster Application" button at the end of the application.

Step 4: This will open an email form with the completed form already attached. Add any additional information you would like. Especially helpful is your general location.

Step 5: You will be contacted by a Rescuer or Volunteer, who will then interview you and schedule a Home Check.

Step 6: When the approval process is complete, your information will be made available to rescuers only who will contact you when a Foster Home is needed in your area.