FOSTER HOMES ARE URGENTLY NEEDED!

ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A FOSTER HOME?

Are you afraid you don't have the stuff it takes to be a foster family? Well, take a quiz with us. T or F

___ 1. You love your dogs (past and/or present) 

___ 2. You worry about unwanted dogs. 

___ 3. You provide a better than average life for your dogs (past and/or present) 

___ 4. Eating an occasional dog hair during meals is not a big thing. 

___ 5. You love talking about your dogs. 

___ 6. You enjoy training your dogs. 

___ 7. Watching a homeless dog go to a new adopted family makes you cry. 

___ 8. Muddy paws and faces makes you smile. 

___ 9. You have at least two framed pictures of your dogs. 

___ 10. You take your dogs on vacation with you.

If you score 7 or more "True" answers, you are hopelessly ready to open your heart and home to a GRREAT homeless foster dog.

Because of high test scores like yours, GRREAT keeps growing and growing. Because of this, so do our numbers. In 1998 we rescued 219 fosters, in 1999 it went up to 247 and last year we crept up towards that 300 and only missed it by a hair at 295.  In gaining new foster homes we started with around 40 NEW foster homes in 1998, gaining 60 in 1999 and a little more than that for 2000. YIKES - that doesn't add up!!! --

Why do we always have a continual need for NEW foster homes? -- WELL - because some of us adopt those foster dogs!!!! --

COME JOIN US IN GIVING BACK SOME UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT WE GET EVERYDAY FROM OUR GOLDENS.

HONOR AND REMEMBER YOUR GOLDENS BY SAVING A LIFE THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE THROWN AWAY.

Want further information on the rewards of being a foster home? Then contact the GRREAT Foster Home Coordinator.

FAQ:  What is Involved in Becoming a GRREAT Foster Home

WHY DO PEOPLE GIVE UP THEIR GOLDENS?

The number one reason people give us is that they have no time for the dog. The number two reason is that the owners feel that the Golden is now out of control.  Goldens are always pictured as such sweet, loving creatures and much of The general public, when they see a cute Golden puppy, don't think about the amount of energy, the amount of shedding, the overall size factor, the absolute need to be with people, the chewing stage, etc. that almost all
Goldens go through. Many also don't attend obedience classes and then have a difficult time learning to communicate with the dog in it's own language on their own.

WHAT KIND OF DOGS DO WE GET?

Nearly 1/2 the dogs are under two years of age. About 2/3 of the dogs are Males. Most have had no obedience training. About 70% of our dogs come directly from owners, while the remaining 30% are rescued from shelters.

HOW DO GOLDENS GET INTO GRREAT?

The process generally starts with a phone to GRREAT. We do an initial intake screening, using questions based on university studies and senior dog trainers to get basic information about the temperament, behavior, health, ability to get along with other dogs, cats, children, etc. We will share every piece of information that we have when we first ask you to consider being the Foster home for that Golden.

We do not take dogs who have had a bite report filed on them. If there is the slightest question in our mind at all about a possible aggression issue, the dog is evaluated prior to our agreeing to accept the dog into the program. Again, all this information is shared with you.

IS IT EXPENSIVE TO BE A FOSTER HOME?

GRREAT will pay for all appropriate medical costs at one of our approved Vets, who bill us directly. We supply leash, collar, ID tag, and heartworm pills and other approved medications. Foster homes generally supply food toys, although you can be reimbursed for food as well. We can also lend you a crate, since we believe that this is one of the best tools, when used appropriately, to set up a Golden for success!

WHAT KIND OF FOSTER HOMES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

We need families that will take our fosters literally into their homes and treat them as they would their own dogs. First and foremost, is generally a trip to the vets to get any needed shots, spay/neuter, etc. Most dogs are in foster care 3-4 weeks.

During that relatively short time, you obviously are not responsible for formal training of the dog. Most foster homes start teaching the dog (for those that need it and not all do) acceptable house manners, e.g., go potty outside, no paws on the counter, don't jump on people, no inappropriate chewing, etc.

Most importantly, however, is your ability to be able to assess the dog and what are the critical factors that must be present in its adoptive home. We will give you a list of things that you need to look for over the period of time that the dog is in your house.

WHAT IF I CAN'T TAKE A DOG OR HAVE QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS ONCE I HAVE A DOG?

You may say NO to fostering at any time. You may take as long a break as you need between fosters. You may foster as few as one or two dogs a year.

Once you are approved as a foster home, you will be assigned a "BUDDY", from among many of our senior foster homes. You will also have the name and phone numbers of Board members who want to hear from you as soon as you have any questions/problems. There's always someone who will give you tips about housebreaking, bark control, crate training, etc. However, if a particular dog is not working out in your home, we will pull him immediately. YOU ARE NEVER STUCK WITH A DOG THAT IS NOT WORKING OUT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD.

HOW DOES THE DOG GET FROM THE OWNER TO ME?

As a general rule, foster homes pick up the dogs directly from the owner. They also ensure that the owner properly completes the owner give up form. Some foster homes believe it helps to see the environment that the dog was in previously. For your first foster, an experienced GRREAT member, usually your buddy goes with you. However, if transportation or timing is an issue, we will work with you on that. Sometimes, you will be picking up the foster from a vet or other boarding facility.

HOW DO ADOPTIONS WITH GRREAT WORK?

People applying for adoption must complete a fairly extensive application and have a home visit done. Not all applicants are approved and some applicants are only approved for certain types of dogs. Once an applicants approved the are notified via mail of our local Adoption Days held every 4-5 weeks, and also receive a list of dogs that are available in between the Adoption Days. In other words, every two weeks an applicant is getting information.

You will need to bring your foster to the Adoption Days, generally held in the Maryland or northern Virginia area. You will need to interview approved applicants about their situation to ascertain if they have what your foster needs. For your first adoption, we will have an experienced person work one on one with you and guide you through the process.

ARE THERE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES ONCE THE FOSTER DOG IS ADOPTED?

Generally, you must ensure that all necessary paperwork is completed and forwarded to the Adoption Coordinator. In addition, you are responsible for making follow-up phone calls, generally in 24-48 hours, 1 week and 1 month.

ARE THERE ANY CLASSES I CAN ATTEND TO BECOME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT BEING A FOSTER HOME?

So far we have held three free one-day foster home seminars and hope to hold more in the future,

OK, I'M READY - WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP?

Please send us an e-mail and include your full street address and e-mail address.  We'll send you an application and arrange to have a home visit done as part of the approval process. The home visit is always conducted by an experienced foster home and is another GRREAT opportunity to ask questions.