- Children in the home must be at least 8 years of age;
- The person applying must be the person who will legally own and care for the pet.
The minimum donation for adoption is:
- Dog under the age of 1 year is $400
- Dogs from 1-8 years of age is $350
- Dogs over 8 years of age $250
- What exactly is “fostering” a pet? Foster homes are the backbone of any rescue organization. The number of animals a rescue can help is only as good as the number of good foster homes an organization has available to it. Foster parents are essentially temporary dog adopters. Fosters agree to take a dog into their homes and care for them as if they were their own, until they can be adopted by “forever” homes. A pet foster parent provides a safe and loving environment until they are adopted. In addition to affection, the foster parent provides basic care for the animals such as food, water, and shelter. When fostering a dog, the pet foster parent may teach him basic house manners. As foster parents, your observations and feedback about the dog’s needs and temperament will help us place the dog in a suitable home.
- What would I be expected to do as a foster parent?The main responsibility is to provide a clean, nurturing home, playtime and socialization until a permanent home is found. Food is provided for your foster.
- Would I be responsible for my foster’s vet expenses? No, LSWR will pay for all medical bills and food during the foster care period.
INTAKE
Intake is the first step of the process. All incoming animals must be coordinated into the rescue program by one of the Directors. All rescues are seen by one of our vets to ensure they get the medical attention they need. They will be cleared by our vets allowing them to go into their foster home.
GETTING YOUR FOSTER DOG
Most of the time dogs will come in to your home directly from the vets’ office.
EVALUATING YOUR FOSTER DOG
The next step is to evaluate your foster dog for all kinds of things. Firstly, you need to ascertain any medical issues that need to be addressed while the dog is in foster care. For example, if the rescue dog had an ear infection when he/she came into the program and you notice that it’s not improving even after the medication, then inform LSWR so we can have a follow up appt with the vet that is treating him/her.
VETERINARY CARE
LSWR will pay for the medical care of the dog during the time it is being fostered, to include routine check-ups, vaccinations and treatment of emergencies should they arise. In order to control our expenses; however, the foster parent will utilize a veterinarian provided by LSWR and will notify appropriate LSWR Board Member prior to any medical treatment for the dog to ensure finances and treatment options are appropriately aligned.
Aside from regular day-to-day care (feeding, grooming, exercise), the responsibilities of a foster home may include basic training (housetraining, walking on leash, sit, down); behavior modification (to correct problems such as jumping, mouthing, barking, socialization and temperament evaluation (to determine whether the dog is good with different types of people and other animals); medical care (dispensing medication), and of course plenty of playtime and snuggling.
Keep us updated on your dog—Foster parents are expected to provide updates on the status and progress or news with your dog that we should know about.
After the dog has been nursed back to health and evaluated, LSWR begins the search for a permanent home. Sometimes, LSWR has prospective adopters in mind so it may be a very quick turn around. Never hand over the dog without consent—Foster parents should NEVER turn over their foster dog to a potential applicant
Fostering a dog may seem like a formidable task, but it is a very tangible way to make a difference. Everyone benefits: The foster volunteer gets to spend time with a special dog, The foster dog gets a second chance at becoming a cherished pet. The new owners get a dog that is better adapted to home life, and therefore has a better chance of remaining in the new home permanently.
WHAT IF I GET ATTACHED?
Getting attached to your foster pet is normal. After all, all of us at LSWR do this because we love pets! The most common question we as foster parents are asked is how we can give them up. The answer is simple. It saves lives. It is hard to say goodbye to a pet we’ve fallen in love with, but the alternative is even sadder. We get the satisfaction of helping a previously lost and unwanted animal find a loving forever home. That makes it all worth it. The trick is to get attached with velcro and not glue.
So please, won’t you open up your home to help save a life?
Become a LSWR Volunteer:
Volunteering strengthens our community by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. Lone Star Westie Rescue loves its dogs, but also would like to be blessed with having you as a volunteer. We are a organization that believes in the power of volunteering to enrich our lives and the animals around us. We believe that in order to be strong, a community must be constantly evolving and increasingly active in worthwhile causes such as LSWR.
We are hoping that you will be inspired by the powerful culture of volunteerism. Are you:
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retired?
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an empty nester?
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do you want to use your skills for a worthwhile cause?
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do you want to make a difference?
If you do, we invite you into our LSWR family. Below are the areas we need your help:
FOSTER PARENT: A foster parent provides a temporary home in which our Westies can live like they are supposed to live – as our companions – until they are adopted. Foster homes provide a safe and loving environment for animals in our care that are either waiting for their new families to find them or while they are recovering from illness or injury. While a Westie is in your temporary care, they are receiving the love and attention they deserve until a fully screened family is approved for adopting.
HOSPICE CARE: Though we provide Hospice Care to very special Westies that are abandoned, the level that is greatly needed will be with our older intakes. Our immediate goal is to establish an In-home Hospice Care program for senior dogs that are not up for adoption by providing the medical care, food, supplies and support to our foster families that care for them until they make their final journey across the bridge. To make this a reality, we need you!
FOSTER HOME COORDINATOR: We are looking for individuals to help recruit potential foster homes by becoming familiar with our organization’s mission, purpose, operating procedures, policies and guidelines and promoting our cause and the desperate need for more homes.
TRANSPORTERS: We are always in need of people that can help transport our Westies safely from the local shelters, to the vets, and then on to their new foster homes. Transporters are needed throughout DFW and surrounding cities.
FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR: LSWR is seeking a Volunteer Fundraiser Coordinator to assist with our fundraising projects. Candidates will reach out to individuals and business to promote our cause and seek their time, donations, services, products and supplies. Use your sales skills to help a worthy cause.
NEWSLETTER EDITOR: We need a skilled writer and editor to assist in publishing our quarterly newsletter.
SILENT AUCTION COORDINATOR: We need someone to manage and oversee our annual silent auction. Candidate will be in charge of 30+ items, volunteers, setting up and closing the auction, and collecting money the day of the event.
If you agree to the criteria above, please complete the Online Application. Upon receipt of your Online Application a Lone Start Westie Rescue (“LSWR”) volunteer will contact you and schedule a home visit. During the home visit, we will conduct an interview, observe your home and yard for any potential hazards that may need to be corrected before we proceed to the next step in the adoption process.
Lone Star Westie Rescue 