Foster Contract

Foster Name:

Foster Address:

Foster Phone:

Foster Email:

This Foster Contract is an agreement between Our English Setter Rescue (OESR) and , residing at , who may be reached at and/or . The foster dog,, shall hereinafter be referred to as “the dog.” The aforementioned person shall hereinafter be referred to as “I” or the “foster parent.”

Our English Setter Rescue shall hereinafter be referred to as OESR.

Any dog offered for foster care is the sole property of OESR and has been surrendered as such by prior owners or animal care facilities. To the best of OESR’s knowledge, a foster dog is not the owned property of another person.

The dog’s health and behavior has been accurately represented to the foster parent, to the best possible knowledge of OESR. OESR cannot make any guarantees as to the health, temperament, mental disposition, or training of the dog. OESR shall not be held liable for any damage that the dog may cause. The foster parent fosters the dog at his/her own risk.

I agree to foster a dog for OESR for a limited period of time. I understand that I am acting as a temporary custodian of , and that OESR retains sole ownership rights of any dog offered for foster care. I consent to the following terms and conditions of this foster agreement.

General Care

● I will NOT change the name of the dog, either publicly or privately without permission from OESR. Considering all of the transition in moving from one home to another, it is best to leave the dog’s name the same. Adopters have the full authority to rename the dogs.

● I will care for the dog humanely. The dog will be a household companion and will live in the house. The dog will not be kept outside except for reasonable periods of time, such as for play, exercise, and to go to the bathroom. The dog will never be left outside when I am not home, even if in a fenced yard or on a tie line. Exceptions to this are the use of clean appropriate kennels for hunt training or urgent need by OESR.

● I will provide the dog with affection, mental stimulation through play and training, socialization, and regular exercise, appropriate to his/her health and physical condition.

● I will provide the dog with a good quality dog food and fresh water, and maintain him/her at a proper weight.

● I will provide the dog with comfortable and clean bedding, and appropriate toys.

● The use of a professional groomer will be at my own expense, unless the dog is coming in horribly matted and filthy. OESR will use discretion on specific cases.

● I will always keep the dog on a leash when outside and will only allow him/her to run loose in a securely fenced yard. I will obey all leash laws. Exceptions to this will be for Hunt training at which time the dog will wear a tracking collar and an Electronic collar. The handler will be experienced and well versed in training bird dogs and using said equipment.

● I will clean up after the dog in public places, and obey all “pooper-scooper” laws

● I will never leave the dog without proper care for more than 24 hours.

● I will never leave the dog unsupervised/unattended in any vehicle.

● I will never crate the dog for more than the average work day, and for never more than 16 hours during a 24 hour period. The dog will not remain solely in a crate while indoors. If I use a crate, it will be large enough to allow the dog to sit, stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably.

Health Care

● I will contact OESR immediately if the dog becomes ill or injured, and will seek timely veterinary care. I will provide a detailed description of the situation and a number where I can be reached. If my call is not returned within one hour, I will be deemed authorized to proceed with necessary treatment as recommended by a licensed veterinarian. I understand that I will be reimbursed for any illness/condition not resulting from my care, if I provide OESR with receipts for all services rendered.

● I will comply with all of the terms and conditions of the spay/neuter agreement.

Behavior and Training

● I will use my best judgment and take all necessary precautions to protect myself when providing daily care and training for the foster dog until I have had sufficient time to become familiar with his/her personality and behavior. I will use my best judgment and take all necessary precautions when first introducing the dog to other members of my household and other family pets, as well as with new people and new situations until the dog has become fully adjusted to my home. I will closely supervise all interaction with children.

● I will provide appropriate and humane behavior modification for behavioral problems including, but not limited to housebreaking accidents and urine marking, chewing, barking, digging, aggression, and biting. I will contact OESR if the dog exhibits behavioral problems that are beyond my ability to reasonably manage.

● I will never use harsh physical discipline, and will never physically abuse the dog.

● I will never train or encourage the dog to behave in an aggressive manner for the purpose of protection.

Safety

● I will make sure the dog is always wearing proper identification.

● I will leash the dog securely and not allow the dog off-leash except in securely fenced areas, unless I am an experienced with recall and off leash training used for Hunt and field.

● I will advise OESR immediately if I plan to change my address and/or phone number. I will request OESR's permission to transfer the dog to my new address.

● I will advise OESR immediately if the dog is lost or stolen, and make every reasonable effort to recover the dog, including, but not limited to posting flyers, and contacting local shelters and veterinarians.

Follow-up

● I will advise OESR weekly as to the condition and adjustment of the dog. If requested, I will allow an OESR representative to visit my home to check on the health and welfare of the dog, and for the purpose of determining compliance with the terms and conditions of this agreement if deemed necessary.

● I will provide OESR with a biographical description of the dog and his/her adaptation to the home, other animals, children etc. I will provide an assessment of the dog’s personality and behavioral needs. I will also provide (or make the dog available) for photographs. I understand this information will be used to promote the dog for adoption.

Transfer of Ownership

● I understand that I am acting as a temporary custodian of any and all dogs fostered for OESR, and that OESR remains the lawful owner of the dog. I will surrender the dog to an OESR representative within 48 hours if requested to do so for any reason.

● I will never abandon the dog. I will never give, sell, or transfer ownership of the dog to another person, relative, rescue group, humane association, shelter or pound, pet store, or any medical or experimental laboratory or similar organization.

● If I transfer the dog without the knowledge and approval of OESR, I understand that OESR will reclaim the dog from the transferee and will pursue legal means to do so if necessary, and will pursue legal means to redress any harm done to the dog.

● If I decide that I would like to adopt the foster dog, I will advise OESR as soon as possible or anytime prior to an adopter being chosen. Foster homes wanting to keep their foster will follow all adoption procedures.

● I will be required to discuss the dog with interested approved adopters unless this is not in the best interest of the dog. OESR will make every effort to present me with ONLY the applicants that are appropriate for my foster dog. There may be situations in which the adoption selection will be handled by the OESR Board. Once all applicants have been contacted by me, the I will present my choice of adopter of the dog to the OESR Board for final approval. This choice will be based on who is the best fit for the dog.

Return

● If a foster does not comply with guidance and/or the environment is not conducive to the dog's growth and development, the dog may be removed at anytime at the request of OESR.

● If I am no longer able to foster the dog, I will contact OESR immediately. Arrangements will be made for an OESR representative to reclaim the dog. Please note that OESR does not have volunteers waiting in the folds to take over care of the dog so if there are no safety concerns OESR will do everything in its power to move the said dog in a reasonable amount of time. Reasonable time would be, but not limited to TWO (2) weeks. If there are safety concerns for the dog(s) or residents of the foster home, local boarding will be set up ASAP, or on the next business day, if issues occur on a weekend or Holiday.

Confidentiality

● I recognize that any and all information shared with me as part of my duties as a volunteer is confidential and shall not be divulged to unauthorized individuals, agencies, or organizations.

● I will not copy, transcribe, record, or memorize confidential information in any manner, nor disclose or use such information for any purpose other than for the limited purpose of providing the assigned services with Our English Setter Rescue (OESR).

● I hereby absolutely and unconditionally release and discharge OESR, including its successors, assigns, directors, officers and agents, from and against any and all claims, obligations and liabilities, of every nature and kind whatsoever, relating to or arising from my participation with the volunteer program including, but not limited to personal injury.

● I will only serve as an agency representative in the community or media spokesperson when authorized to do so by the Board.

● I will maintain and safeguard the confidentiality of all business, donor, volunteer and animal records, credit and financial information and/or any information relating to the operation of the organization that is not known or readily accessible to the public.

● I understand that any unauthorized release of photographs taken during home visits or reviews as a foster can result in dismissal from the volunteer program and legal action may occur (IF applicable).

● I understand that any unauthorized release or carelessness in the handling of this confidential information is considered a breach of the duty to maintain confidentiality.

● I further understand that any breach of the duty to maintain confidentiality could be grounds for immediate dismissal and/or possible liability in any legal action arising from such breach.

Liability

● I understand that OESR cannot make any guarantees as to the health, temperament, mental disposition, and training of the dog. I hereby foster the dog at my own risk.

● I fully and completely release OESR, its founder and volunteers, from any and all claims and liability, including, but not limited to, any for any injury or damage to persons, property, or other household pets, which may be caused by the dog.

● I certify that all the animals in my home are current in their vaccinations and heartworm prevention. I fully and completely release OESR from any and all claims and liability for any illness that my animals might develop, even if said illness might have been procured from the dog fostered for OESR.

● Spay/Neuter Agreement: I will take every precaution necessary to prevent a foster dog who is in my care who has not been spayed or neutered from breeding.

● I certify that I have never been convicted of animal cruelty, neglect, or abandonment by a court of law or other governmental authority.

● I certify that I have read all pages of this foster agreement in full, and that I understand all of the terms and conditions.

● I understand that if I made any misrepresentation about myself or home environment, or if I don’t abide by all of the terms and conditions of this agreement and my failure to do so in any way jeopardizes or adversely affects the health and welfare of the dog, that OESR can terminate this contract for foster care and reclaim the dog without notice, and may pursue legal means to do so if necessary.

● I understand that OESR may pursue legal means to redress any harm done to the dog. I understand that this contract for foster care is legal and binding, and will be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.

Name:

Date:

Signature