Guide for Foster Carers
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Thank you for choosing to be a Furry Friends ARQ foster carer. To make the experience easier for you, we have developed a Foster Carer's Guide that can be downloaded via the image to the right or below.
Topics cover: medical care of your foster animal, food supplies, links to the Foster Carer Facebook forum and the adoption process. If you need supplies, please fill out the Request Supplies form, or Book a vet if medical care is required. |
Version August 2022
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TEAM LEADERS
Each foster carer is assigned a volunteer Foster Carer Coordinator. Your friendly Foster Carer Coordinator will be able to help you with any concerts or issues that you may have, and can be contacted via email, phone, or Facebook Messenger when needed.
FACEBOOK FOSTER FORUM
When your fostering registration is complete, you will be invited to join the Furry Friends Foster Forum Facebook Group. This is where you can have fun sharing pics of your foster kitties or asking questions from other foster carers or volunteers. Administrators will post updates and requests in this group and it is a fantastic forum to search for answers to any questions that you may have and to connect with other Furry Friends foster carers. Foster carers are asked to post around 5 new pics and videos of their foster pets along with any updates or stories about their progress into that group every week.
SUPPLY REQUEST
Foster carers who foster multiple pets can request the following supplies by completing and submitting the Supply Request form on the FFARQ website:
- Premium Dry food (Usually Advance, Black Hawk or a Veterinary Diet)
- Litter
- Flea treatment
- Worm treatment
FOOD STANDARDS
Furry Friends volunteers work closely with vets to provide a nutritionally balanced diet suited to the age and needs of the pet. Most of our animals thrive on premium dry foods such as Royal Canin, Science Diet, Black Hawk, Advance and the like. Optimum is the best option out of the supermarket brands. Dry food is to be available 24/7 and one wet meal per day for adults and kittens.
FLEA AND WORM MEDICATION
Pets are treated for fleas monthly and for worms in accordance to their age, however monthly is fine in multi-cat households. Please email your Coordinator with the date and brand of medication that you give to your foster cat to ensure that accurate records are maintained.
VACCINATIONS
Your Coordinator will arrange the vaccinations by one of our volunteers shortly after your foster cat arrives. Please confirm with your Coordinator when the pet has been vaccinated. Vaccinations are mandatory and Furry Friends provides at least one vaccination included in the adoption fee. Carers must ensure the cat is vaccinated prior to adoption..
VETWORK
Your Coordinator will arrange desexing and microchipping (routine procedures) shortly after your foster pet arrives in your care. If you think your foster pet is ill, and observe lethargy, lack of appetite, signs of pain or withdrawal, vomiting, diarrhea or bleeding, please contact your Coordinator immediately to discuss a vet visit.
THE ADOPTION PROCESS
To ensure we find the right forever home for your foster animal, Furry Friends follows a structured process for adoptions. Your Coordinator will help guide you through the process and will support you in making the overall decision when you think the new parents/family are a good fit with your foster pet.
What does the foster carer do during the Adoption Process? Find out here.
Expression of Interest (EOI)
To begin, the interested person must complete an Expression of Interest Form (EOI) located on our website. When Furry Friends receives and approves an application your Coordinator will email you a copy for you to read and get to know a little about the applicant prior to them meeting your foster animal.
After reading the application, you will need to call the applicant and arrange a suitable time/day for them to come and meet your foster animal. If they have another animal, a meeting between the new and existing animal needs to be completed to ensure that they get along.
Meet and Greet - subject to Covid-19 Social Distancing rules - check with Coordinator for the current process.
Please arrange for one meet and greet at a time. Await the decision of the first meet and greet before proceeding to the next one. During the meet and greet be sure to watch the interaction between the potential new family and the foster animal. We suggest that you:
- make general conversation and find out about their family
- tell the family about your foster animal. Be honest and forthcoming with information. After all, we want this to be your foster animal’s “Forever Home'
Payments via direct deposit or internet banking can be made with the following details.
Bank: CBA
BSB: 064 448
Account No: 1028 6554
Account Name: Furry Friends Animal Rescue
Once payment is received, your foster animal is ready to be picked up and taken to their new home. If they wish to take the foster animal home at the meet and greet, a screen shot of the successful bank transfer must be emailed ASAP to your Coordinator. Furry Friends do not accept cash payments or part payments.
Adoption Trial Period
Every adopter is given a two week trial period. In this time, if they feel that the animal is not fitting into their family, they must return them to Furry Friends and their money will be refunded. If after two weeks they decide to return the pet, then no refund is applicable.
If your foster animal settles into their forever home and passes their two week trial, Furry Friends Vetbookings Volunteers will electronically send out all vet certificates and a change of ownership form to the adopters. The adopter is asked to send the Change of Ownership (COO) form to the registry for their microchip to be transferred into their name.
Post Successful Adoption
Following adoption, we encourage the new parents/families to send updates so that we can celebrate their successful rehoming story.
Pre-Adoption Process
All adopted animals must be desexed and all their vaccinations and flea/worm treatments up-to-date. If an adoptee wants to adopt a kitten that has not had it’s vetwork completed, they can choose to pre-adopt. The adoptee will pay for the kitten and once the vetwork is complete, collection of the kitten is arranged.
Pet Store Partnerships
If your foster animal is selected to go to one of our partner pet stores, you will be contacted to administer required flea or worm treatments, and to arrange delivery of your animal to the store. Furry Friends will display your foster animal for a maximum of two weeks in the store. If the animal is not settling in well in the store enclosure, the animal will be returned to foster care.
If your foster animal is adopted through the store, you will be asked to contact the adopter with additional information that you have acquired during caring for the animal as their foster parent. We hope that this step will provide comfort to you that your foster animal, in which you have cared for, has gone to a loving home. This will also assist the adoption to be a successful one.
Foster Carer Guide - Download File
