Foster Care Procedure

Words of deep appreciation go to you wonderful people who have offered to share your home with a Rescue Old English Sheepdog. Dixie OESR, Inc. can and will be providing any necessary medical care for the Rescue OES in your care. The one thing that we can not give and you can is the daily love and caring that our beloved breed needs so much, especially those who may have had a "rough" time in life. Your input about the Rescue dog that you care for is essential in helping us find the right placement for the dog, and we appreciate and value your opinion with regard to this.

We will try to screen dogs well before placing them in Foster Care, but some behaviors may not show up in the kennel situation they may come from. At times the lack of knowledge about a particular Rescue Dog requires that he/she be placed in Foster Care to enable us to know the dog better and to determine the best placement for that dog.

We realize that having a Rescue OES in your home is a major responsibility for you, and we will try to help make it a pleasant experience. Please contact us if you have any questions. We hope that the placement in your home will be a short one, but if at any time you find it to be too much, just contact the Hotline (781-259-8173).

Again, we want to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for this unselfish act of sharing your love and home with a Rescue Old English Sheepdog.

The following guidelines have been established to help you to understand what role is expected of a Foster Home.

GUIDELINES

  1. Please do not let the dog off lead unless a) you are in a fenced area, or b) you know the dog well enough to know it will come when called and is fine with other dogs, cats, etc. that it may come in contact with. 2. If you want more freedom for the dog than regular lead provides, please use a 20' - 30' lead or line. Never tie the Rescue dog outside unattended,
  2. Introduce all new situations to the Rescue Dog slowly until you are sure of the response, i.e. people, cats, dogs, etc. The rule of thumb is to use caution and take precautions. That way no one - man nor beast - gets hurt.
  3. Dog must always be kept on lead or crated while being transported.
  4. Take special care with Rescue dogs near cats or other dogs. Behaviors may be unexpected. While OES are known for their ability to get along with other animals, yours can still be protective when a new dog comes on the scene. Never leave a Rescue dog "kenneled" with your own dogs without supervision.
  5. You may be asked to transport OES to foster care, veterinarian facilities, or from a person's home or shelter facility.
  6. If you are picking up a dog from a private individual or shelter, you must have a Release Form signed by the responsible party giving Dixie OESR, Inc. full legal title to the OES.
  7. You will not be asked to transport to foster care any OES felt to be of questionable temperament.
  8. Please write your phone number, street & town address on very small piece of paper and lash it with scotch tape to the back of the rabies tag of the dog you are fostering. Before the dog goes to the new home, please remove and replace with the new owner's street, town, and phone number. Lash it on with scotch tape.

No dog can be released until you have a signed and witnessed Indemnity Agreement and the minimum donation of $200.

Expenses

Veterinary Care. When medical care is required for a Rescue dog, the Placement Coordinator should be notified, or a message may be left on the answering machine (781-259-8173); someone will return your call. All bills should be approved by the Placement Coordinator before the procedure is undertaken. Prompt care for the dog with a minimum of stress for the Foster Family is our goal. If a Rescue dog should develop a contagious illness, he/she will be removed to a veterinary facility to protect him/her as well as your own pets.

All necessary medicines including heartworm pills will be provided and paid for by Dixie OESR, Inc.

Dixie OESR, Inc. will pay any food bills when submitted to the Secretary.

We reserve the right to refuse an applicant. PLEASE READ Considering the Older Dog AND Confinement Policy

For more information please contact us