Foster FAQs
GRRAND Geographic Placement Areas by County
Without exception, GRRAND adoptions are limited to the geographic counties shown in the table below.Note: It is our policy to meet face-to-face during the adoption application process for home visits, follow-up visits, and other one-on-one meetings. We do not process applications outside the boundaries listed below because we do not have experienced volunteers living in those areas. The geographic limitation is in place for the safety of our volunteers who would have to travel to conduct face-to-face meetings and assist during emergency situations involving a dog we have placed in those areas.
| Kentucky Counties | Ohio Counties | Indiana Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson (some areas) | Butler (some areas) | Clark (some areas) |
| Boone (some areas) | Clermont (some areas) | Floyd (some areas) |
| Bullitt (some areas) | Greene (some areas) | |
| Campbell (some areas) | Hamilton | |
| Fayette | Montgomery (some areas) | |
| Jefferson | Warren | |
| Jessamine | ||
| Kenton (some areas) | ||
| Madison (some areas) | ||
| Oldham | ||
| Scott (some areas) | ||
| Shelby (some areas) | ||
| Spencer (some areas) | ||
| Woodford |
What are your fencing policies? If you have no fence and live in a household with adults (all of whom are 16 years or over), have previous experience with pets, and commit to leash walking we will consider your application. If you have children who have not yet turned 16 years of age, you must have a fence and there is no exception to that policy. Your fence must meet the following standards to adopt a dog.
a) A fully enclosed, secure, fence must:
- Be attached to the house without an opening, including a driveway; if the fence crosses a driveway, a gate must be used to close the driveway opening
- Be accessible from a door in the house so that the dog goes directly from house to the fenced yard
- Be at least 4’ high
- Be secure at ground level
- Be equipped with a lockable gate
- Provide ample space for dog to exercise and eliminate
- Have no openings including loose or broken boards
b) The invisible fencing for underground wiring must meet the following qualifications in order to be approved:
- Must be professionally installed by a local company,
- The local fencing company must conduct hands-on training with your GRRAND dog to ensure the dog fully understands how the fence works,
- Your home must not be located close to busy streets or intersections
What is your policy for children under 6 years of age? The great majority of our rescued goldens come from animal shelters and their histories are generally unknown. Due to our emphasis on safety, GRRAND will not place into families with children under the age of six any of the following:
- Goldens who have had no exposure to children or were given up because of characteristics that are incompatible with young children
- Goldens who have no documented history
- Puppies under the age of 6 months who still have sharp puppy teeth
The only potential exception to this policy is for experienced pet owners whose children have been raised with a dog or dogs in the home. This exception is only for the fostering of adult dogs. An approved exception will require the foster to sign a waiver of liability prior to the adoption.
Do I have to apply if I have fostered before? Applications are required for each first-time foster dog placement and for any application on record that is more than a year old.
What is the foster application process? Upon submittal of your application, please notify your references and veterinarian that GRRAND will be contacting them by phone. To process your foster application GRRAND will:
- Review your application information
- Contact references by phone
- Contact your veterinarian to verify your history of vet care
- Arrange a home visit to discuss your preferences if references and vet follow-ups are suitable
- Contact you to discuss potential dogs matching your needs and family lifestyle
Note: IF GRRAND is unable to verify you have provided responsible vet care for your pets, your application will likely be declined.
How long will it take to process my application? Your application will be processed as quickly as possible by GRRAND volunteers. We appreciate your patience and will provide status updates as appropriate. If you have questions during the process, contact us.
What are my responsibilities as a foster? As a foster you will be responsible for:
- Transportation to GRRAND’s partner vet clinics if authorized and scheduled by a GRRAND representative, including the potential for multiple visits
- Dog food unless a special veterinary diet is required
- Daily exercise
- Basic obedience training
- Transportation to GRRAND’s veterinarian if authorized and scheduled by a GRRAND representative
- Full disclosure about the dog’s temperament and characteristics to GRRAND and any prospective adoptive families
- Working with GRRAND representatives to approve/decline a site visit with potential adopters
- Contacting potential adopters to meet your foster dog (if approved by GRRAND)
- Providing access (in or away from your home) to show the dog to prospective adoptive families approved by GRRAND
- Providing recommendations to GRRAND when a family is not perceived to be an appropriate match for your foster dog
What are my limitations as a foster? As a foster you may not:
- Offer the dog for adoption to anyone who is not approved by GRRAND
- Subject the dog to harmful or dangerous situations (off lead in unfenced areas, unsupervised outside when not home, riding in the car with windows down, etc.)
- Arrange veterinarian appointments for the dog
What are GRRAND’s responsibilities during the foster period? GRRAND will assume responsibility for the following:
- Keep the new foster up to date on the medical care each dog has received
- Identify the need for further treatment(s) as medically appropriate for the dog
- Cover the cost of the medical needs and veterinary appointments
- Arrange appointments and pay fees for veterinary services
- Pay for special diet veterinary food if required
- Work with the foster family to approve/decline a site visit with potential adopters
- Assist the foster family with training issues as needed
- Ongoing support to foster families for medical or behavioral concerns that may arise
What is your Vet Care policy? Our Vet Care Team will keep a foster parent up to date on the medical care each GRRAND dog has received.
- Each dog will receive an intake exam with testing for infections, fecal exam, vaccinations, and placement or recording of a microchip. GRRAND covers these costs.
- If test results indicate a need for further treatment or the need to be spay or neutered, we expect you to help by taking your foster dog to our partner vet clinics as needed. GRRAND covers these costs.
Will I be eligible for adopting my foster dog? You may adopt your foster dog with the following provisions:
- The decision to adopt must be made prior to the dog being offered to another family for adoption.
- An adoption fee will be required.
