Fostering

A foster home is a temporary home for one of our Southeastern Greyhound Adoption Greyhounds awaiting adoption. Being a foster home entails welcoming a hound into your home to help start the acclimation to its new life as a family pet. Most of our homes have their foster hound between two days to seven weeks, depending on the type of fostering assignment.

HOW FOSTERING HELPS SEGA

Fostering a Greyhound allows it to begin the transition from a professional athlete to a pet and acclimate to a new “home-life” environment. It also helps create room at our adoption kennel for more rescued hounds to be brought in from the track.

WHY VOLUNTEERS FEEL GOOD ABOUT FOSTERING

Not only do the Greyhounds who are fostered benefit, but there are rewards for foster volunteers as well:

  • They are able to connect with a hound and feel a great sense of accomplishment in preparing it for its “forever home”
  • After the adoption, they can follow the progress of the hound and assist the new owners in the transition.
  • When fostering they are introduced to many of the other volunteers and programs in SEGA.
  • Volunteers are helping SEGA in one of the most critical areas of need. Without enough foster homes, we will not be able to help the Greyhounds that need a little extra preparation for their life as a pet.

ways to be a part of the program

There are a number of different ways foster volunteers can be part of the foster program:

  • Be a foster vacation family, where you take a hound that is already with a foster family while they are on vacation.
  • Foster a hound that has been adopted but there is a short delay until the adoptive family is ready to take custody.
  • Foster a Greyhound that has, for whatever reason, been in the kennel too long and needs the loving attention of a family.
  • Foster a Greyhound who has been returned by a owner who can no longer keep their dogs. Typically, we have good background information and can match up the personality of the returned hound to a well-suited foster home.

commitment

Being a foster volunteer requires a commitment of time, emotion, and a small financial component:

  • Time: Typically the time period is two days to seven weeks for a foster assignment, depending on the individual hound’s situation and the availability of potential adopters.
  • Emotional: Fostering a Greyhound takes a large emotional commitment. The Greyhound will require love and understanding as he or she adapts to the home environment from the kennel environment. To be a successful foster home, it helps to have experience with the breed, patience, and a big heart.
  • Financial: SEGA provides all the medical care for the foster hound. All you have to do is provide the food.

FOSTER GROUP ORGANIZATION

The foster group is made up of several foster coordinators who are assigned different geographic areas of greater Atlanta. The foster coordinator for your area is there to support you in your effort to provide a temporary home for your foster. They will make their first contact with you after you complete the foster application. They will be there to help you throughout your entire fostering experience.

The Foster Process

Step 1

Consider the Commitment

First, and foremost you must give serious thought to whether you and your family are prepared to make a commitment to fostering a Greyhound. All members of the family need to be supportive of this effort as you are bringing a new member, albeit temporary, into your home.

Step 2

Read the Foster Manual

Read the foster manual. 

After reading the foster manual, if you have questions or need clarification about the fostering commitment, visit our Contact Us page and select Foster Inquiry.

Step 3

Complete an Application

Once you have read the foster manual and had any questions answered, complete the online foster application.

Step 4

Await a Greyhound in Need

Await a call from the foster coordinator with a Greyhound that needs help. Once your application is approved and a hound becomes available, your foster coordinator will contact you. Your foster hound will be matched to the situation at your home. If you have small animals or small children, an appropriate hound will have been selected.

Depending on the circumstances you might pick the dog up at the kennel or at a foster’s home or the hound might be transported to you directly. You will have an opportunity to see if the foster hound “gets along” with any other pets you may have at the house.

At that point you will be given the Starter Kit and you’re “off and running.”

FOSTERING SUPPORT

SEGA provides continuing support to the foster families throughout their fostering experience.

Foster Coordinator

SEGA foster families are provided a volunteer who is experienced in fostering and well connected to the other resources of SEGA to:

  • Identify pre-approved local veterinarians who provide services to SEGA fosters in emergencies
  • Provide ongoing advice and helpful suggestions on day to day challenges

FOSTER HEALTH CARE NEEDS

The following are provided by SEGA to foster families at no expense:

  • Pre-approved veterinarian support provided by SEGA’s vets in Acworth.
  • Pre-approved local veterinarians who provide services to SEGA fosters in emergencies.
  • Monthly heartworm medication and flea preventative when needed.

Please note: If your foster hound experiences any health problems or you have questions about the hound’s health, contact the foster chair or your foster coordinator.

STARTER KIT

here will be a number of things you will need to get started with your new foster Greyhound. Most everything will be provided free of charge by Southeastern Greyhound Adoption (SEGA). Vist the Foster Manual page to read about the starter kit.

YAHOO GROUPS BULLETIN BOARD

Foster families are granted access to the foster committee’s Yahoo Groups bulletin board which allows:

  • Easy access to scores of other fosters for answering questions.
  • Timely communication of critical issues.
  • Social interaction with like-minded volunteers.
  • Immediate access to current files and databases needed to carry out foster activity.