This Foster Agreement (hereinafter “The Contract”) is made on the date listed above by and between Delco  Dawgs and Foster residing at the address listed above. This agreement is valid for any current or future  animals (hereinafter “Pet”) in Foster’s care on behalf of Delco Dawgs. The parties hereby agree to the  following:  

1. CARE OF PET  

1. Foster shall accept and consider the Pet as a household companion, not as an outside pet, and will  provide the Pet with a safe environment, humane treatment, and provide proper food, fresh water,  shelter, and exercise. Foster agrees this Pet will not be abused in any manner. The Pet will not be  permitted off the property of the Foster unless accompanied by a mature individual. Pet shall not be  used in any aspect of animal fighting. Pet shall not be the subject of or subjected to any biological,  chemical, psychological, or other experiment.  

2. Pet shall be allowed to sleep indoors and protected from the elements or adverse conditions. Pet shall  not be housed or kept outside or in a yard. The Pet shall not be allowed to roam free or unsupervised  outside.  

3. Foster shall immediately notify Delco Dogs if Pet is lost or stolen, and shall make every reasonable  effort to recover the Pet.  

4. Foster shall not give up or sell the Pet to another person, relative, friend, or any other individual, or any  rescue group, humane association, shelter, or adoption center unless pre- approved by Delco Dogs.  5. Foster shall not under any circumstance give up or sell the Pet for any medical or experimental  laboratory or any organization.  

6. Foster shall not alter the Pet’s appearance in any way, shape or form (ex: cropping, docking.  7. Foster permits Delco Dawgs to visit at reasonable convenient times to check on the well being of the pet  

  

2. VET APPOINTMENTS  

 
1. Foster is assigned a Foster Coordinator and must schedule vet appointments through him or her.  Foster is responsible for transporting animal to and from appointments.  

2. If Pet is not spayed or neutered at the time this Contract is signed, Foster must arrange, through the  Foster Coordinator to have the Pet spayed or neutered at one of Delco Dawgs approved veterinary  partners. Foster shall not breed Pet.  

3. Foster shall immediately notify Foster Coordinator the event of the Pet’s injury, illness, or death during  the foster care period.  

 

3. FOOD AND SUPPLIES  

a. Foster should notify their foster coordinator about supplies or food needed and it will be provided to Foster at  no cost.  

b. If foster voluntarily chooses to purchase something with his or her own money, foster should save the  receipt as these expenses are tax deductible. Purchases made voluntarily by Foster are not reimbursed by  Delco Dawgs.  

 

4. TWO WEEK SHUT DOWN PERIOD [See Appendix A]  

1. Foster shall allow a reasonable amount of time for the Pet to adjust to new surroundings. 

2. For the safety of Foster's household and other resident pets, Foster is required to place Pet into a two week shut down period. Pet must be crated and separated from all other animals in the household for  two weeks. Slow introductions are required for each Pet and this in turn will create a more balanced  transition period for Pet. If this is not followed, Delco Dawgs reserves the right to relinquish Pet from  Foster’s home and relieve Foster of their duties. 

 

5. FOSTER PERIOD  

1. Foster understands the commitment he or she is making by agreeing to foster Pet and that there is no  definitive time period. Foster understands it may take weeks or possibly longer for Pet to be adopted.  2. If Foster can no longer care for Pet, Foster shall notify Delco Dawgs and make every effort to find a  suitable foster or adoptive home for the pet. Delco Dawgs will do everything possible to place the Pet  accordingly. However, the Foster understands that it may take time to find the Pet a sufficient home for  its needs.  

3. Foster understands that during the foster period, Delco Dawgs has ownership of Pet. Delco Dawgs may  recover Pet from Foster at any time during the foster period.  

6. ADOPTION  

1. If Foster decides to permanently adopt the Pet, Foster shall notify Foster Coordinator and upon  approval, shall follow established adoption procedures including signing an Adoption Contract and  paying the Pet’s adoption fee.  

2. If Foster finds a permanent/adoptive home for the Pet, Foster shall notify Delco Dawgs and upon  approval, shall follow established adoption procedures.  

 

7. RELEASE OF LIABILITY  

 
1. Delco Dawgs makes no guarantees and/or promises regarding the Pet’s disposition, temperament,  and/or future health and personality.  

2. Foster agrees to foster Pet at Foster’s own risk, and indemnify and release Delco Dawgs, its founder,  board of directors, and volunteers of any and all liability arising from damages to person(s) or property  caused by the Pet.  

3. In the event the Foster does not comply with the terms of this Contract, at the reasonable discretion of  Delco Dawgs, Delco Dawgs may recover the pet. Promptly upon demand by Delco Dawgs, the Foster  shall relinquish Pet to Delco Dawgs. 

 

Appendix A  

2 WEEK SHUT DOWN PERIOD  

“Give ‘em a break!” 

Tips For Introducing Your Foster or Adopted Dog Into Your Home  

 

The secret to being successful when fostering or adopting a rescue dog is giving the new dog time to adjust  to you, your family, the home, and other pets in the new environment -- before introducing him to new people,  taking him out on any big adventures, etc.  

While we realize every dog is unique and every dog adjusts differently, for the most part we  recommend what we call the "Two-Week Shut Down." Why The Two-Week Shut Down?  

The Two Week Shut Down is a time familiar to a dog’s mind -- it mimics the whelping box when first born,  when the puppy’s eyes are not open and it relies totally on the mother’s ability to take care of it. By smelling,  sensing, and listening, the puppy starts his journey into the new scary world.  

New adult dogs come into our home the same way -- "A journey into a new and scary world." By giving the dog  a “time out” the dog can learn its new world, its new people, and begin to relax and blossom under the care of  the new caregiver.  

While we all want to run out with our new dog and show everyone our new pet, we forget that even an adult  dog is now back to a puppy-like mind; all is new. The voices speak a new language, cars might be new,  leashes and handling might be new. Even petting and acceptance of a pet is stressful on a new dog. “Who are  you? Where did you come from? Where am I going? What is expected of me?" The dog thinks! Just like a  newborn baby, we wouldn’t rush out and pass the baby from person to person. We set up a stable and safe  

environment. Our new dogs are just like that. We also give the rescue dog a bit of time to heal, mentally, and  physically, in a safe and comfortable zone.  

 

When new dogs are stressed out and not given that calm environment and period of  adjustment, the only way they know how to get their point across is to act out or "misbehave."  The dog may growl or become nippy out of confusion or fear. What is expected of me? Where  am I allowed?  

How the Two Week Shutdown works: For the first two weeks, a dog takes in their new environment. By  pushing a dog too fast and throwing too much at the dog, we look like we are not the leaders and the dog can  feel it MUST defend itself. We coo, coddle, drag the dog from home to home, from person to person, and the  dog has NO idea who WE are. To the dog, you are a stranger. This is the time for the dog to be in a calm  atmosphere, getting to see YOU, meet YOU, hear and take in the new sounds and smells of your home.  

• Crate the dog in a separate room or limit it to one separate room.  

• Leashing is an option. This also teaches the new safe zone when the dog is around you and other  humans in the home. You can leash the dog to your belt or under a piece of furniture. This also stops  the dog from reacting if you have to get him off of something like the couch. You are not reaching in  and grabbing onto him, just tug gently on the leash, say "come" and there you go. No conflict!  

• No intense obedience training should be done for the first two weeks -- just fun exercise. Maybe throw  some toys for fun. Leash the dog if you don’t have a fence outside. Use lunge lines if you have too big a  yard. If you have a large enough yard, do not leave the yard with the dog. If you do not have a yard,  taking the dog on a walk while leashed is acceptable. No car rides, no other dogs, (unless crated  beside them), no pet stores. (The exception to this is of course if the dog needs to go to the  veterinarian.)  

• Exercise is a must. All dogs need to burn off energy. Do fun toss the ball games in your yard or on a  lunge line if no fence. Remember to just have fun. Let the dog run and explore in the yard.  • TEACH the dog by doing the shut down, that YOU are the one to look to, that you are now here for the  dog! He can trust in you and look to you as its new leader. Then on walks you will see the dog look to  you when he sees something, to see what your reaction is, lessening his mind about having to defend  or control the environment. He has YOU. The dog now can relax and enjoy the walk more.  • Once exercise/yard time is finished put the dog back in his/her crate. Let it absorb, think, and rest. If the  dog goes to his crate on his own, he is telling you “I need a time out." Allow him this time. By having the  dog out for long periods of time we are forcing the dog to keep accepting all new things. By putting the  dog away we are asking him to accept a few things, then go think and absorb. When we get him out  later, we introduce a few more things, so it not overload on the dog.  

• No new buddies! Do not introduce the dog to other pets for these two weeks. They can be side by side  in the crates if you cannot totally separate, (not nose to nose for they can feel defensive). The reason it  is important not to introduce the new dog to other dog(s) in the home is because some dogs will bond instantly with the other dog(s). This can lead to some other issues, as the dog will look to the other  dog(s) for guidance and not YOU!  

• Ignore Bad behavior. Ignore crying and/or barking. If you run to the dog each time they bark, whine, or  cry, you are teaching the dog that doing those things gets your attention. The dog must learn to be  secure when you are not there. Use the leash to correct jumping, exploring counters, etc.  

• Praise good behavior gently. For example, the dog is sitting nicely next to you. Touch or softly pet the  dog “good boy/girl." Let them know you appreciate GOOD behavior. This makes naughty behavior not  so fun if you ignore THAT, but praise the good!  

 

Literally in two weeks you will see a change in the dog and begin to see its honest and true personality. They  will be well behaved and literally shut down themselves these first few weeks. Once the shut down time is over,  they relax and the true personality begins to shine through!  

 

So, please, if nothing else for your new dog, give it the time to LEARN YOU as you are learning who they are!  This method works on shy dogs, confident dogs, abuse cases, dogs who were previously chained, rowdy dogs,  all temperaments! They will look to you for guidance. You will gain their trust and show them, calmly and fairly,  what this new world is like. They will relax and feel safe. There is no need to force the point that we are its  leader.  

Slow easy guidance, patience, showing them what we want them to do in a new home is the best way to help  the new dog adjust. We instill that we are worthy to the dog to be its leader!  

So please for the sake of your new dog, slow down – WAY down. Give them a chance to show you who they  can really be!  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The “Two Week Shutdown” was created by Stacie Sparks and revamped by Bella-Reed Pit Bull Rescue.