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Interested in Fostering?

So - Not quite ready to make the commitment of adopting but would love to help a rescue puppy or dog in need?

Well, do we have the job for you! Foster families are one of the most important pieces of dog rescue, as you are the bridge to adoption for a dog who deserves a second chance at life. Without our foster homes we could not save any of the dogs that we do! Your hard work & dedication to our dogs is incredibly valued. We are always looking for foster parents for our incoming dogs from various islands in the Caribbean, and our rescue dogs in need from local shelters! Here is a little bit more about our foster program: 

 

  • Puppies/dogs will be with you for typically 6-8 weeks, and always a minimum of 3 weeks. The length of foster periods, always depends on a few factors such as the dog’s age, medical needs, decompression progress, adoption process etc. Some dogs may need 8+ weeks in foster care before they are ready to be adopted. After arriving in Canada or in your home from the shelter, a rescue dog goes through a very crucial decompression period, which is about 14 days. It is expected that foster families see their dogs through to adoption, as every time a foster dog needs to be moved, it is very stressful and they must decompress again. Please note that specific cases may need long term fostering (2-6 months), but this is always discussed before placing the dog in a foster home. 
  • EOPR supplies everything you need to care for your foster dog; a crate, collar, leash, harness, bowls, toys, food, training treats, etc. Veterinary care is of course always covered by the rescue and at no expense to the foster family. These items are generously donated by our wonderful supporters. If a foster family can purchase items they may be running low on, that is incredibly helpful and much appreciated! 
  • As an EOPR foster parent, your responsibility is to give your foster pup lots of love, a place to decompress for 14 days after their flight to Canada, to socialize your pup with new things (people, dogs, cats, objects, etc.!), and to provide some basic training such as potty training, leash walking and basic commands (sit, down, stay, etc.). Potcakes are incredibly intelligent, making them very easy & fun to train! 
  • The EOPR team provides our foster families with 24/7 support; for all the socialization, behavioral and training information you need. A comprehensive foster manual is accessible to all foster families at any time.
  • EOPR does NOT do foster-to-adopt programs at this time, unless for specific cases with adult rescue dogs who have been in Canada in a foster home for a period of time leading up to adoption (typically dogs with specific behavioral or medical needs). Should a foster-to-adopt situation be most suitable for certain dogs, it will be suggested by an EOPR Adoptions team member when an applicant has been approved in the adoption process.
  • If this interests you, please take a moment to fill out and send us your foster application below! If you have any further questions before submitting a foster application, please send us an email to eoprfosters@gmail.com, and we would be happy to help!

 

FOSTER REQUIREMENTS:

 

  • Applicants MUST be over 21 years of age. 
  • Children in the home MUST be over 8 years of age. This is simply to ensure the safety & wellbeing of you, your children and the foster dog! It is also important that rescue dogs have a quiet place to have a proper decompression period after coming into rescue.  
  • All EOPR foster families MUST reside in the Ottawa area, or within 20 minutes of Ottawa. 
  • All EOPR foster families MUST have access to a vehicle to transport their foster dogs/cats to vet appointments in Kanata and/or other vet clinics throughout the city, adoption events, meet & greets, etc.
  • EOPR does accept foster families who live in apartments. Ideally, we prefer applicants who live in apartments to live in quieter neighborhoods, as city living in the downtown core can make decompression very difficult for a new rescue dog. ONLY specific dogs are placed in these settings. (i.e. confident dogs, never fearful dogs who need confidence building) 
  • Foster families are to notify an EOPR team member at the first sign of medical or behavioral issues so proper vet or training attention can be provided as soon as possible! These are very important to us and we prioritize the health and well-being of each of our rescue dogs!
  • We ask that our foster homes help our adoptions team to build adoption profiles/bios for each of our rescue pups! Dogs are assessed by our team upon arrival, but it is the foster’s job to get to know their temperament and personality as they begin to settle in! Regular updates are required to be shared with an EOPR team member or your foster coordinator! We check in as frequently as possible. We have a facebook group that all members of our foster fam are added to and encouraged to post updates & photos of their foster dogs! Don’t forget to tag your instagram photos with #EOPRfoster! 
  • It is understood by the foster family that ONLY EOPR’s adoptions team is responsible for screening and selecting forever homes for each pup. Our foster families are however included in meet & greet visit with the dog and potential adoptive family.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS:

 

  • Please submit your foster application which can be filled out below! Please note that incomplete applications will be immediately disregarded. 
  • Should your application be selected to proceed in the application process, you will be contacted by our one of our foster coordinators.
  • A home visit (done virtually for the time being, due to COVID-19 safety guidelines) is the next step of the process! All members of the family MUST be present for this visit. This is an opportunity for our EOPR team member to ask you any questions we may have, and for you to ask us any questions YOU may have! 
  • Pending the approval of your application and after the home visit has been completed, you will go over and sign our foster agreement contract, carefully read our foster manual, and then it is time to match you with a foster puppy or dog! 

*Please note that EOPR is a small team of volunteers, and we are unable to reply to EVERY application. Should your application meet our requirements and be a potentially good fit as an EOPR Foster home, you will be contacted by one of our foster coordinators within 1-2 weeks. Please be aware that we do our very best to process suitable application as quickly as possible, but the length of the process is subject to increase or decrease at any time* 


Foster Family Application Form
Please fill out all the fields below. An incomplete application form will be discarded. 
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Eastern Ontario Potcake Rescue (EOPR)  has very strict guidelines for foster homes, so you may be asked to answer additional questions and we will need to come for a home visit (virtually due to COVID guidelines) before foster application approval.  If accepted into the EOPR foster program, you will be required to sign a Foster Agreement and to carefully read and adhere to our Foster Manual guidelines. 

I understand that an incomplete application form will immediately be discarded, and that submitting an application form does not guarantee me approval to foster a rescue dog from EOPR.
I hereby declare all the above information is correct. I am at least 21 years of age and have read and agreed to the requirements to foster listed above on EOPR's website.

Thank you for contacting us!

We have received your message and will contact you as soon as we can! Thank you!

 

EOPR Foster team

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