Silicon Valley Pet Project Dog Foster Parent Guidelines

(rev. 9.2024)

Please read carefully and keep for future reference.

Thank you for opening your heart and home to a homeless dog! By fostering, you are committing to keeping him/her in your home until a suitable permanent home is found. Without a boarding facility or a large network of available foster homes, we ask for your cooperation should a problem arise where your foster dog needs to be moved. We will make resources available to you to assist in resolving any issues, and if need be we will find a new foster home. We also have vacation foster homes available. You are literally changing the world one dog at a time, and change doesn't happen overnight.

By helping an animal in need, you are helping to make the world a better place for dogs and humans!!

We hope that you enjoy your foster experience and that you will consider fostering again!

In the event you decide to terminate your fostering responsibility, we request 2 week’s notice to allow us time to recruit a new foster.

What We Will Provide to You:

Initial food supply, bed, loaner crate, ‘adopt me’ vest/bandana and "Adopt me" cards for each foster dog
Preventative flea/tick preventative
Heartworm preventative (to be used upon HW test results only)
A dog tag with our name and phone number which should be on your foster pet at all times
Silicon Valley Pet Project covers all medical/training expenses
Training resources and guidance to set your foster pet up for adoption success
Upon request, a letter confirming your affiliation with our organization for any fostering expenses

Note: Expenses related to fostering an animal may be tax-deductible. Please contact your tax professional.

Please contact your assigned foster coordinator if you run out of supplies. We will do our best to supply based on donations available.

What We Need from You:

Provide clean water daily, food twice per day, housing, and loving care of your foster pet.
Responsiveness within 24 hours when contacted by SVPP.
Provide weekly updates (including photos and videos) (See Marketing Your Foster Pet section below).
Advance notice (at least 2 weeks) of any vacation plans/business trips while fostering.
Transportation to/from veterinary appointments, adoption day events, spay/neuter appointments, photography sessions, FOREVER home, or allow SVPP to make alternate transportation for these appointments and events to ensure his/her well-being and find him/her a forever home.
Completion of a Dog Foster Survey to aid us in drafting an online bio.
Cooperation in having volunteer photographers take photos of your foster pet.
Responsiveness when potential adopter wants to meet your foster pet.
Permission to have prospective adopters who have been approved to meet the foster dog at their home or at SVPP adoption event.
Feedback about meetings with potential adopters.
Willingness to network your foster into their FOREVER home!
Agree to administer any medications to the foster pet as directed by SVPP and/or their veterinarians.
Agree to keep the foster pet as an indoor companion and to keep it in a fenced yard or on a leash at all times when outside.
Agree not to leave foster pet unattended outside either tied up or in a fenced yard when nobody is home.
Agree to train your foster dog basic commands (sit, place, come, etc.) - SVPP guidance will be provided.
Agree to attend SVPP-funded training classes and/or socials.
Agree to use only veterinary facilities partnered with SVPP. Any and all appointments and procedures must be approved by an SVPP representative. Agree to be courteous and respectful to all SVPP service providers.

Foster Pet Selection and General Guidance

SVPP has a process to determine what animals we can accept into our program based on (but not limited to) - animal's temperament/behavior, and medical status. Typically our “intake” team will have selected some dogs that need rescue which might be a good fit for your home. If at any time during your volunteer experience with SVPP you identify an animal at risk that you would like to foster, please let us know. We like to accommodate requests from our valued SVPP foster parents, however, we will need to conduct an assessment of the animal prior to accepting them into our program.

General Foster Guidance

Remember that every person interacting with your foster pet can ADD to (or subtract from) the foster dog’s training experiences. Please remember to help your foster dog to behave when people are visiting.
Put your foster pet away from visitors if the situation is overwhelming or the dog seems uneasy.
Keep your foster dog on a leash at all times when outside and ensure that they are always wearing their collar and identification tag. The only time a dog/puppy(s) can be let off-leash is if the dog is in a confined area (i.e. fenced yard, house, deck, etc).
Never leave small children unattended with a foster pet. Always supervise all interactions between children and animals.
Foster pet should not be left outside for long periods of time or when you are away (in case they are escape artists).
Your foster pet depends on you to look out for its safety and well-being. Don't be shy about politely asking someone to modify their behavior with your foster pet if you have concerns.
Contact us immediately if ANY aggression is observed so we can make any necessary changes.
Report any bites or nips IMMEDIATELY (if it breaks the skin or seems to be a behavior quirk).
Keep a close eye on any illness/injury and call or email right away.
Foster pets have not been screened or trained to be a companion or therapy animal. Foster Parents are not allowed to take their foster pet into places such as a medical facility without prior approval.
DON’T allow anyone to take your foster pet on outings away from the home unless they are an approved SVPP foster or volunteer.
DON’T tie your foster pet up outside, leave on a runner or chain. Tying dogs up outside out can cause aggression issues and injury to the dog.
DON’T put a foster pet in the back of an open truck even if tethered.
DON’T leave your foster pet in a garage where they could be exposed to antifreeze.
DON’T take your foster pet to a dog park.

Puppy Guidance

Puppy(s) must be kept separate from other animals in the house unless instructed otherwise by SVPP volunteer.
Any and all medical issues MUST be reported immediately. Puppies have a much weaker immune system than adult dogs.
Puppies need to be handled on a regular basis for socialization purposes, so make sure that you are playing, holding and handling the puppies regularly!!
You are not to walk or bring your puppies into public places unless told otherwise by someone one from SVPP (most puppies do not have all their shots until they have reached 4 months of age).

Training Guidance

In the first week or two your foster dog needs to decompress and become adjusted to a routine.
DON’T allow your foster pet to jump up on visitors. Explain to visitors that this dog/puppy(s) is in training and that it is important for the sake of the dog/puppy(s) to not allow this behavior. Teach the appropriate cue (“off”) to visitors.
DON’T allow your foster dog/puppy(s) to get away with any behavior that the average adopter would not consider desirable. This includes...
- begging
- jumping up (on people, counters, furniture, car doors, etc)
- barking
Notice and reward good behavior! Good behavior can be simple things like being calm around other dogs, playing nicely with others, polite leash greetings, and not jumping up. The more you notice and reward good behavior, the more it will be repeated.
Give praise immediately after your foster dog/puppy(s) responds to your request. Praise must be given before the dog/puppy(s) changes behaviors.
Give a cue only once. When a cue is new to a dog/puppy(s), he needs to process the word. If he has not responded in 5 seconds, repeat the cue. If he still does not respond, lure him into the proper position, then say “yes!” and give a small food treat. Remember- if a dog/puppy(s) does not know what a word means, no matter how many times you repeat it or how loud you get, he still won’t get it!!
Interrupt and redirect undesirable behavior. (Take shoe from foster pet, say thank you, give him/her a toy, say “good boy” or “yes”).
DON’T punish or scold behavior you did not see occur (.i.e. getting into trash, chewing a shoe, having a potty training accident). It is USELESS and damaging to scold a dog/puppy(s) after the fact.
DON’T physically punish your foster dog/puppy(s) in anyway EVER!

Signs of Stress

A dog who is showing signs of stress is trying to let you know that he/she is not comfortable in a situation. Part of being a loving foster parent is to recognize these signs and change the situation to ease the mind of your foster pet.
Signs of stress to watch for:
Doggie Language.jpg

Vet Services

Foster pets coming from the shelter are minimally vetted by the shelter; however, we always have foster pets examined by one of our vets once they settle in the foster home (unless there is an immediate need). If the resident dog(s) is up to date on immunizations, there is no need to quarantine the foster dog/puppy(s).

Should your foster dog/puppy(s) need medical services, please contact your designated foster coordinator immediately as all vet services must be approved in advance.

Kennel Cough: It isn’t unusual for your foster dog to be exposed to Kennel Cough (Bordetella). Should your foster dog come down with this illness, it is important to contact your assigned foster coordinator. Kennel Cough is a virus-like a human cold and is contagious to other canines so it is important to keep your dog and its toys, bed, etc. separate from your foster. Although it can sound terrible, most of the time it is not serious and most dogs will recover without treatment.

Emergency Medical: If you have an emergency or have been instructed to bring your foster dog into an emergency clinic off-hours, please refer to Medvet (https://www.medvetforpets.com/location/medvet-campbell) in Campbell or San Jose. Please contact SVPP immediately as we will need to authorize any treatments and expenses incurred.

IMPORTANT: These clinics have been instructed to provide basic emergency care for our foster dog/puppy(s). They are not authorized to take extraordinary steps to save the dog/puppy(s). Due to the expense of emergency vet care, we need to limit their services which enables our rescue to save more animals. We appreciate your understanding regarding this hard choice.

If you receive ANY paperwork for the medical services provided, please scan and email to medical@svpetproject.org.

Marketing Your Foster Pet

Without a doubt, Social Media has revolutionized animal rescue. The more exposure, the faster family connections are made, therefore, we will need weekly updates - including either a photo or video, or both! Email your updates and media directly to our social media team at updates@svpetproject.org. So easy, and so incredibly invaluable to your foster pet. Again, we are here to help, so all media might be edited depending on what marketing is most needed for your pet. This is where your updates on personality really come into play, so please inform us of any quirks, their favorite pastimes, as well as capturing it on photo/video. Some helpful hints for taking fabulous photos of your foster pets:

Adoptions

Since October 2018 when SVPP opened Pup Plaza, our popup dog community center, we use this location for meet-and-greet appointments with potential adopters. We also use online marketing (i.e. Petfinder) to market our rescue pets. Please help network your foster pet into their FOREVER homes by sharing with your friends, family, and coworkers, as well as posting on Nextdoor.

All adoption inquiries should be directed to our general mailbox - adoptions@svpetproject.org Potential adopters will be asked to complete an adoption application (available through our website). If the application looks good, we will invite them to a meet and greet at Pup Plaza.

If approved, adopters will be asked to complete an SVPP Adoption Agreement and pay the adoption fee electronically via the SVPP website. In some cases, we ask the foster parent to transport their foster dog/puppy(s) to their new home, but in most cases, the adopter picks up their new dog at Pup Plaza.

If you are interested in adopting your foster dog/puppy(s), please contact SVPP to discuss this! We certainly encourage foster "successes". We regret that we are not able to waive the adoption fee for foster parents due to the high cost associated with the care of our foster animals.

There are times when an adopter may decide that their home may not be the best fit for their new pet. As the foster who knows the dog/puppy(s) the best, we hope to place the dog/puppy(s) back under your foster care until a more suitable home is found. We typically will not assign another foster dog/puppy(s) for a 2-week period post-adoption.

Thank you for your compassion and support!

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