Community Foster Care Network

[Leema]

I have a quick couple of queries regarding Community Foster Care Networks as specified in Victorian legislation,

Firstly, can CFCN take animals directly from the public? (Private surrenders.)

Then, what is the process to be a CFCN?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Leema]

Is there no one in Victoria that runs a private rescue that can confirm this?

[Steve]

I have a quick couple of queries regarding Community Foster Care Networks as specified in Victorian legislation,

Firstly, can CFCN take animals directly from the public? (Private surrenders.)

Then, what is the process to be a CFCN?

Thanks in advance for your help.

This only covers foster carers who are within a pound or shelter system -and only animals that come from a pound or shelter so if its a private rescue they may only ever take privately surrendered animals and just because you are a foster carer attached to a pound or shelter doesnt mean you cant take other animals. As long as you are still complying with numbers and planning etc regs. Take note however, of what the new definition is of a shelter.

Quote.

A new foster care section requires foster carers within the Pound and Shelter system to have and comply with a written foster care agreement. Animals can be fostered for a variety of reasons, such as for veterinary or behavioural rehabilitation, if they are juveniles, or if they require short term care to provide respite from the pound or shelter environment. Animals can be fostered for any time period, as long as it is done in accordance with the written foster care agreement.

[Leema]

Thanks heaps for this Steve

Can you please explain the right side of this diagram? It seems to indicate differently. It is taken from the DPI website.

http://m.dpi.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/139544/flowchart.jpg

[Leema]

Oh, Steve, I just read your answer again. You said that foster carers CAN take on animals directly surrendered to them. That's what I was getting at. Cool.

How about pounds that don't have foster carers? They are not able to surrender animals on to CFCN unless there is an agreement in place? Can a pound/shelter surrender an animal themselves to a CFCN?

[Aphra]

Pounds can't give animals to a CFCN without an agreement, because pounds in Victoria must desex animals before rehoming. The agreement basically allows pound to give undesexed animals over to rescue who must desex them before rehoming them under the 84Y clause.

There is no system for setting up as a foster care network, inside the pound system there are regulations of a sort. Private groups can just set themselves up, provided they comply with their council regulations.

[Steve]

Im not sure what you are asking for But be careful because its about pounds AND SHELTERS and I have some recollection of the definition of a shelter being a bit of a problem for private rescue.

[Aphra]

If you are a shelter you must be registered as a domestic animal business which means a whole lot of infrastructure. As a CFCN you don't have to be a DAB, but you need to comply with council regulations about numbers and registration.

As a CFCN you can take surrenders from the public if they are surrendering their own animals, you can't take stray or lost animals.

[Steve]

Do you have the definition of a shelter?

[Aphra]

A shelter comes under the code of practice for a domestic animal business shelter or pound. All the Codes are on the DPI website. A pound is a council impounding facility, pretty much everything else with a fixed facility which isn't a breeding establishment, boarding establishment or pet shop is a shelter.

[Leema]

So is there anything a person has to do, besides following council guidelines, to become a CFCN?

Thanks so much for responses!

[Steve]

So is there anything a person has to do, besides following council guidelines, to become a CFCN?

Thanks so much for responses!

This will be where each council plays their own game Id say. Nothing official but it would surprise me if they didnt have some kind of criteria on who they would cut agreements with etc.

[vicdrg]

[A community fostercare network by its name must have foster carers. That is you should not call yourself a community foster care network if you have two animals in your home that you intend to rehome. You are then a private rescue group. This does not necessarily mean you cannot take an animal from the pound. If you cannot get a Section 84Y with a pound you may be able to adopt vetworked animals from the pound just as any other member of the public can.

There is nothing to stop you taking on surrender dogs from whomever you choose, whether as a private rescue or as a community foster care network.

Community foster care networks have been recognised in the last amendment to the DAA as distinct from shelters which must be a domestic animal business. This was despite the attempts of the Bureau of Animal Welfare to force cfcns to become domestic animal businesses. As a community foster care network, with foster carers, it is your responsibility to ensure that the council regulations as to numbers and registration of your animals are followed. This is the trade off for not being called a domestic animal business, but a cfcn running from a private residence.

Of course everyone is aware that not all groups follow these rules. And the more cfcns that do not, the more at risk they place those that do, as when the government clamps down on cfcns and private rescues everyone will come under a Code so onerous that most will fold. Two Shelters have already stated that community fostercare networks must be regulated.

We have only been recognised in the last two years and this has given everyone the opportunity to jump up and call themselves a cfcn. Roughly two or three a week it seems.

Ten groups met some months ago to discuss a draft best practice code. This should be in print and with councils in the new year. Those that take dogs and cats with no back up plans will create the same problems as are occurring in Sydney. There is more to rescue than 'saving' the dog or cat from the pound.

We are also bemused by the 'shelters' that turn to cfcns and ask them to 'rescue' their dogs and cats. My understanding was that the role of a shelter was to save the dogs and often had lots of donations and bequests to enable them to do this. I would have thought that shelters would be setting up their own extensive foster care programs rather than taking space from cfcns that were dealing with pounds. Pounds have no obligation whatsoever to save any dog. In fact one Victorian pound had on its site quite recently that any animal not claimed was killed.

CFCNs are a new resource on the Victorian scene and their role shouldn't be taken for granted nor should CFCNs ignore their responsibility to act in the proper way.

[Leema]

So to become a CFCN (that receive animals directly from the public, i.e. surrendered), one must:

*have foster carers, and

*comply with council

?

Is that all?

[Aphra]

Yep. Pretty much. As long as you and your foster carers comply with council regulations for the council area in which the animals reside, and the requirements of an 84Y if you hold one, that's about it.

Happy to have a longer conversation if you want to PM me for a phone number.

[Aphra]

I missed this the first time through, but have some questions.

Will this draft best practice code only cover the ten groups who participated? Or will it extend to all rescue groups working in Victoria? If it all groups working in Victoria are expected to abide by the code, will there be some consultation with groups other than that ten at some stage?

I'd assume that if all councils get copies of the code, then they will assume that all rescue groups will abide by it, so it would be helpful if other groups could at least see it.

Ten groups met some months ago to discuss a draft best practice code. This should be in print and with councils in the new year. Those that take dogs and cats with no back up plans will create the same problems as are occurring in Sydney. There is more to rescue than 'saving' the dog or cat from the pound.

[vicdrg]

It is a best practice code only as Council's struggle to differentiate between groups as well and we are often asked for our opinion on particular groups applying for Section 84ys but don't believe that is our role to comment. VicDRG were hoping to bring in a 'lowest possible acceptable standard' to cater for those groups that are struggling to achieve even this, but it was decided by the majority that it should be a best practice code.

It is obviously not a mandatory code which any the Bureau brings in will certainly be. And if rescue doesn't police itself this will surely happen.

All the groups who responded to the invitation to attend the meeting, whether they attended or not, will be sent a draft copy.

Do we intend to contact the 75 groups or more working in Victoria. No.

The Code will be posted on the DRAV website.

[cami]

Thank you for posting this information I took a quick run to the DRAV site as Im sure my council will be interested when it comes out.

"A community fostercare network must have at least five carers and must not rehome any but their own dogs from their premises"

Their own homes? President/treasurer/founder? Just a quick definition please...

[vicdrg]

Thank you for posting this information I took a quick run to the DRAV site as Im sure my council will be interested when it comes out.

"A community fostercare network must have at least five carers and must not rehome any but their own dogs from their premises"

Their own homes? President/treasurer/founder? Just a quick definition please...

[/q

I'm not sure what you are asking? If you are talking about that specific sentence: If you have foster carers bring their dogs back to your home to be rehomed or kennel dogs on your premises that are not your registered foster dogs, that is dogs you are allowed under council bylaws, you are not a community fostercare network, you are acting as a domestic animal business. In other words the recognition of community fostercare networks in Victoria is contingent on their operating differently from a domestic animal business. The apparent withdrawal of the opposition to the existence of groups such as ours should not be taken for granted. If say mother and daughter choose to 'rescue' dogs and rehome them, that is fine and good luck to them. But they are not a community fostercare network.

[cami]

I'm not sure what you are asking? If you are talking about that specific sentence: If you have foster carers bring their dogs back to your home to be rehomed or kennel dogs on your premises that are not your registered foster dogs, that is dogs you are allowed under council bylaws, you are not a community fostercare network, you are acting as a domestic animal business. In other words the recognition of community fostercare networks in Victoria is contingent on their operating differently from a domestic animal business. The apparent withdrawal of the opposition to the existence of groups such as ours should not be taken for granted. If say mother and daughter choose to 'rescue' dogs and rehome them, that is fine and good luck to them. But they are not a community fostercare network.

Was just asking for a little more detail on the line quoted as you have given thanks. Really want to understand the detail so as not to get the definition incorrect in future if someone asks. So you are saying that any member of the community foster care network can have fosters at their own home as long as they meet council regulations. They can then rehome from their own homes only the foster dogs they have registered/chipped with the council at their residence? Or am I missing something..