No More Publicising For Fosterers, Only For Adoptions

Effective today, please be informed that we will no longer be able to publicise for fostering unless it is for our sponsored animals. We will, however, still publicise for adoptions.

The reason is, we can take full responsibility for our sponsored animals, but we cannot do the same for the animals of other rescuers.

Off and on, we encounter cases where some rescuers who ask for fostering help through us do not honour their word of taking back the animals after the agreed period of time. We have received feedback from fosterers (who responded to our blogposts out of goodwill and trust) lamenting that they have been dumped with the animals whom they agreed to foster. There are also cases of some rescuers who promised to supply food or pay for the medical needs of their rescues, but there is no follow-up from them once the fosterer has taken over the animals. Some do not even answer the phone or reply text messages.

“Can you hold on one more day? Can you hold on one more week?”, “Can you hold on until I find an adopter?”. No, please. When rescuers go back on their word, the fosterer then has to either adopt the animal or look for other fosterers or adopters. This is unfair as the fosterer had only agreed to FOSTER for an agreed period of time. Not to rehome, and certainly not to foster for a longer period than what had been agreed upon.

Being the middle-person, we have to source for new fosterers to take over for the sake of the poor innocent animal and the fosterer who has offered help out of goodwill. If no new fosterer can be found, we also cannot take over the animal as we do not have a shelter. What happens to the poor animal if no one can look after him/her then? What happens if the fosterer really cannot hold on anymore?

As for the case of rescuers who promise to supply food or pay for the medical needs but “disappear” after that, we would like to suggest that fosterers ask for a fee upfront, to at least cover food and medical expenses. But no fee can cover the responsibility incurred once an animal has been dumped on the fosterer. It is a living being, and money cannot buy everything. The whole future of that poor animal then lies with the fosterer – this is a responsibility which the fosterer had never bargained for when he/she first agreed to FOSTER.

Granted, there are many responsible rescuers, but there are also those who are not. We have received emails from fosterers saying they will “never ever” foster again because of the latter. I don’t blame them at all as I had also been previously dumped with kittens, so I know exactly how it feels.

I have also been told that some rescuers resort to emotional blackmail on the fosterers, ie. “If you insist that I take back, I will dump the animal on the street”, knowing the fosterer would have already formed a bond with the animal during the period of fostering and would not want the animal to be dumped, especially very young ones.

So, as of today, we will no longer publicise for fosterers anymore. Should you need fosterers, please ask for help in pet forums and other channels.

We will however, publicise for fosterers only for our sponsored animals because we can take full responsibility for them. Currently our sponsored animals are Russell, Sweetie, Doby and Jackie (with Meiji since 2010) and Sunshine (with Lydia since 2011). As stated above, we do not have the resources to take responsibility for other rescuers’ animals because we do not have a shelter. If the rescuer refuses to take back the animal, and the fosterer comes back to us for help, we will be put in a very difficult position.

With this announcement, should you refer to our old posts and respond to those who seek fostering help, please do so at your own risk.

We will publicise for adoptions, but not fostering services.

Last but not least, we wish to record our very grateful thanks to all fosterers who have responded to our past appeals and have done a great job at fostering these rescued animals. We wish to also thank all rescuers who have acted responsibly and we acknowledge that there are many of such out there.

The “bad apples” are a minority – thank goodness for this! Still, one bad experience can change people’s perception, sometimes for life. We need to act responsibly at all times, because if animal welfare gets a bad name, the animals suffer the most.

To everyone – Thank you for your kind understanding. We can only do so much.

Our rehoming policy:�http://myanimalcare.org/rehome/

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2012/11/21/no-more-publicising-for-fosterers-only-for-adoptions/

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AnimalCare

AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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