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Foster Failures And Continued Fostering


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I dont understand this?! If rescue groups deem people fit enough and capable enough to foster their dogs for them, care for them, socialise them etc then why are the foster carers not allowed to foster the dogs they have cared for, if they fall in love with them? I understand if the home is not appropriate for the dog (We have a beautiful Cavalier mum here who we would have loved to have kept but she hates my cats and she isnt fond of my children either, so it wouldnt be fair on her to keep her here).

I have 4 failed foster cats (from hundreds of hand reared kittens) and most likely a failed foster puppy shortly. But i would be horrified if rescue groups then told me i wasnt allowed to foster anymore. We are moving to 5 acres shortly and i plan on fostering long term after setting up the right fascilities for them. As far as im concerned, my priority is the dog, helping socialise it, training it, assessing its temperament to report back to the behaviourists and generally helping it to become a great adoption prospect. I see this as doing the foster group a favour! If they dont want my free, hard working, time consuming services anymore then too bad for them and their loss!! Just seems crazy to me! :confused:

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Yes i agree! Surely there are not that many great foster carers around that they just become disposable?! :eek:

Rescues need to treasure their foster carers. Sometimes foster carers are paying a big price (not only financial) to house another animal. It is also quite offensive to tell someone they are unsuitable to foster. There would need to be a good reason which should be explained sensitively. I wonder if such decisions could be challenged in a court of law.

A failed foster carer

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I don't agree with it, it is very limiting if enforced. What I'd worry about more is fostering for more than one group.

We have Italian Greyhounds generally at Iggy Rescue and one of our lovely carers occasionally takes on Greyhounds - we ask that they are constatnly monitored when together and not left alone unsupervised. We make that work but I'd be very concerned if we were left in the dark and our Iggies were being exposed to different types of dogs from rescue groups that don't undertake proper temperament testing or quarantine etc first.

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Yes this is fair enough, there is no way Iggys should be running with Greys and large dogs.

I don't agree with it, it is very limiting if enforced. What I'd worry about more is fostering for more than one group.

We have Italian Greyhounds generally at Iggy Rescue and one of our lovely carers occasionally takes on Greyhounds - we ask that they are constatnly monitored when together and not left alone unsupervised. We make that work but I'd be very concerned if we were left in the dark and our Iggies were being exposed to different types of dogs from rescue groups that don't undertake proper temperament testing or quarantine etc first.

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I am convinced some foster careers and some rescues are a front for hoarders.

What is your damage? Is it the whole of Rescue you dislike or do you just constantly allude to some groups? Every time an opportunity presents itself, you accuse Rescue of hoarding. Just wondering why you feel the need to put us all down here?

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I can assume that good foster carers are not easy to come by and since their labour of love is entirely voluntary,often costing both time and money to them,then surely a rescue group would do everything possible to hold on to carers rather than dismiss them for foster failure.We are only human and surely one may come along and steal your heart to such an extent that they wish to adopt them and isnt someone with a heart the type of person that you want as a carer? I understand your concerns if it happened over and over again bringing their total number of pets to unsustainable levels but each situation is different. :)

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In my experience a lot of people use foster as a way of shopping for a dog that fits and that's fine by me so long as the dog gets the right home.

See i cant see a problem with this either! I was given this excuse when i questioned why the foster group i currently have a a litter of pups for, were charging $800 for an 8 week old puppy! $700 for me, i get a discount of $100 for being a foster carer to them! :eek:

No i didnt intend to keep any of the pups, i did it because they were desperate for a foster carer with experience in whelping bitches. But why is it a problem that people use foster caring as a way of finding a nice dog for themselves, if in the mean time they are helping out by fostering. I know there are not an abundance of homes around compared to dogs, i know there are thousands of dogs still needing homes, so whats the problem? If the dog fits the home then why not?

Edited by Whipitgood
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I am convinced some foster careers and some rescues are a front for hoarders.

What is your damage? Is it the whole of Rescue you dislike or do you just constantly allude to some groups? Every time an opportunity presents itself, you accuse Rescue of hoarding. Just wondering why you feel the need to put us all down here?

Note the use of the word some. If the shoes fits etc

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I think if you are proud of the number of dogs or cats you have helped save/rehome, that it isnt necesssarily boasting. People get personal satisfaction from being successful, which then encourages them to continue to work even harder, with better or bigger results.

Better success than failure. :)

I adopted a dog I fostered,as he had settled in so well with my family, and there had been little interest from anyone else, nor support from the group that placed him.It semed cruel to rip him out of a home where he had settled so well, overcome his issues and was happy.I didnt take him on to adopt him,and wasnt looking for a new pet, but am so happy it turned out that way.I dont like the word failure, and before this thread thought the term"foster failure" was more of a friendly joke.

I was amazed then at the suggestion that no more dogs should be placed with a foster carer that keeps the foster dog.

I am naive it seems,perhaps because I am new to the game. :)

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dog_fan is entitled to express his/her opinion without being verballed. Maybe he/she has good reasons.

I think anyone who posts on a public forum should expect to be responded to. And gosh, maybe even questioned. I asked what the damage was, as this is something continuously said by the poster over various threads, even when not really in relation to the thread or adding to it in any other way than purely to state this opinion, again.

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I have seen on this forum a decided lack of insight in some quarters about who rescues, why they rescue and what measures should be used to determine success.

I have seen a lot of heads being buried in the sand and a huge amount of pats on the back for what I believe to be poor practice.

In most sectors these days people and organisations must really have their eyes open and be prepared to be critical of their own practices. However this is sadly lacking in some rescue organisations who when anyone criticises them they come back with personal attacks.

Only when we are truthful can the dogs truly benefit.

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Guest donatella

I think without the love and charity of foster carers being foster failures a lot of the disabled, older, not as aesthetically pleasing looking dogs would be stuffed!

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Quote What is your damage? Quote.

This suggests to me someone with his/her hands on their hips eyeballing someone. IMHO it is not just asking a question.

Text on forums is always subjective. You can read it however you like. I did put some question marks in there though, just to clarify I was asking questions.

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Rescues need to treasure their foster carers. Sometimes foster carers are paying a big price (not only financial) to house another animal. It is also quite offensive to tell someone they are unsuitable to foster. There would need to be a good reason which should be explained sensitively. I wonder if such decisions could be challenged in a court of law.

A failed foster carer

I'm not sure about it being offensive, it might be received that way, but that is different. Ideally someone would realise whether they are suited to it themselves, like Kajtek.

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I am convinced some foster careers and some rescues are a front for hoarders.

Have you ever actually met a diagnosed hoarder? Or seen how the animals are kept? That term makes me prickle and often pops up in anti-private-rescue propaganda. Hoarding is an illness. And you have to be qualified to diagnose it, not just an armchair critic. A true collector isn't just keeping a couple of fosters and I think many carers would be mortified to think foster failure could even be considered a red flag for mental illness.

Yes, I absolutely agree that rescues do need to keep an eyes on all policies and procedures.

And yep I'm all too aware of how people react when you suggest they are letting the side down.

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