VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES

Effective February 20,2023, Fetching Hearts Rescue’s adoption fees are as follows. Puppies less than 6 months old - $575.00 Dogs age 7 months to 8 years - $550.00 Seniors age 9 years or older - $400.00 Bonded Pair - $100.00 off 2nd dog (excluding puppies 6 months and younger) These fees cover transportation from the southern shelter the dog was pulled from as well as full vetting including but not limited to: · Spay/Neuter · Heartworm testing · All age appropriate vaccinations · Testing and treatment of parasites · Micro-chipping **Please note: Payments submitted by Paypal will incur an additional $15.00 transaction fee.

Our team of screeners will process you application once received. This process typically takes a couple days to a week. Once processed, you will hear back from one of our team members regarding your approval status & next steps. The next steps typically involve scheduling a meet and greet if the dog is already in the state, or informing you of the transport process, date & what to expect. If all goes well during your meet & greet you will be able to take home your new family member. All meet and greets are held with the intention of adoption, but only if you and the foster agree that the dog is a good match for you and your family. We ask that you come to the meet and greet or transport day with a leash, collar, name tag (even with just your information on it, if you don't know a name yet), water, a few biscuits, and maybe a blanket or bed for the car ride home. If your dog has any special food, toys, a bed etc., the foster or volunteer will provide these to you. They will also have the dog's medical records and will review these with you before handing them off.

We work hard to process applications as they come in so it may be that there are several other potential adopters that have already expressed interest in the same dog. That said, just because an application comes in first does not guarantee first adoption rights. Dogs are matched based on a variety of criteria. We want to give our dogs the best chance at a forever home. That's why our screeners are so thorough in vetting our applicants to find a match that will last a lifetime. So the good news is that you don't have to be the first applicant to be chosen as the adopter. You just need to be the first great match. If you don't get to adopt your "first choice" it may be that you got lucky and they were not a good fit for you. Don't worry, there are always amazing dogs right around the corner. So get your application in regardless, you never know. Also, once you have been vetted the process can move much faster for the next dog that you see.

We get varying degrees of information about dogs before they come up to our rescue from down south. Some may have been stray dogs, while others may have been owner surrenders. As part of the adoption process, we share everything we know about your dog with you prior to adoption. Please only fill out an application if you’re serious about adopting! We are volunteer ran and it takes time for us to screen each application to make sure you and your dog are the best match.

Each dog will have specific needs and preferences. If the dog was known to have a specific food before, your screener will let you know this. Most of our puppies in foster are eating Purina Pro Plan Puppy. If you are introducing a new dog food, your dog may experience an upset stomach. To avoid this, gradually introduce your new food to the food your dog has been eating prior. Or you can mix a tablespoon of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) into your dog’s food to help during this adjustment period. A bland diet such as white rice and boiled chicken can assist with digestive upset. For specific recommendations, please consult your veterinarian.

Yes! We highly recommend crate training your dog if it’s something you’re comfortable with. Crates can be a safe haven for dogs, can help make potty training go more smoothly and prepare your dog for travel. Often times, crates can be a safe space for your dog to decompress, especially in those first few days & weeks in their new home. Most dogs grow to love their crate once they associate it as a good environment. Feeding your dog in their crate and giving them treats (such as a frozen peanut butter filled Kong) to keep busy while trying to settle your pup in their crate can help them build positive associations. We recommend gradually introducing the crate so they can better adjust.

House training a dog can be very successful if you stick to a routine. Be sure to take your dog out frequently (especially after playing, eating & sleeping). Watch for signs that they might need to go and use praise when they go outside rather than punish when they have accidents. It’s important to be patient while your dog transitions into their new life.

Some dogs adjust very quickly while others need some time to adjust to their new life with you. Please be patient and understanding and be aware of the 3-3-3 rule. First 3 days: Your dog may be anxious, not yet comfortable, may not eat or drink a lot, may not be very social and may test boundaries. Be patient and give them space. After 3 weeks: Your dog will likely start to settle in, start to show his true personality, feel more comfortable, and get into a routine. During this time, behavior issues may appear. After 3 months: By now your dog will likely feel very comfortable in their home, have a set routine and be bonded with you. For some dogs this may take longer so please remember to be patient and supportive. We will tell you everything we know about their dog prior to adoption. Keep in mind that every environment is different. While we may have great feedback from one of our CT foster homes about a dog, their behaviors in your home may vary, including but not limited to, house training, manners, behaviors with children, and behaviors towards other dogs or household animals.

It is very important for you to teach kids of all ages how to positively interact with dogs. It is always the responsibility of an adult to monitor interactions between dogs and children of any age. Be polite and kind to pets Learn to recognize when your dog is scared or anxious Play appropriate games with pets such as fetch, training tricks (like roll over, shake etc.), going for walks, playing hide-n-seek Supervise all interactions Train your dog to associate kids with positive experience Things your children should avoid: Bothering dogs when they are eating or resting Taking dogs bones or toys Putting your face in a dogs face/personal space Grabbing a dog’s tail and ears Climbing on or trampling a dog. Do not allow your child to “ride” your dog. Even though it may seem cute, this can be very upsetting and lead to bites. Hugging; most dogs do not like it. Hollering and shouting which can be upsetting to dogs. Use your inside voice!

Upon picking up your new best friend, you will receive an adoption folder that has all the medical paperwork we have on your dog. You will find all of the dog’s paper records including information such as when your dog was spayed or neutered, when your dog’s rabies vaccine was given, dates other required vaccines were given (including Bortedella and DHPP), when your dog was last tested for Lyme, Heartworm, Platys, Ewingii, intestinal parasites, and your dog’s microchip ID (if applicable). It is very important that you schedule a first appointment for your dog with your veterinarian so that they can discuss next steps and get them seen on a routine basis. Ideally this should be within two weeks of your adoption date.

While your pup was tested for a variety of flea, tick and mosquito-borne illness prior to adoption, dogs are always as risk of coming into contact with an infected insect. Therefore, all dogs should be given regular preventative medication in order to minimize their risk of getting highly preventable diagnoses such as Lyme Disease or Heartworm. Using preventatives will greatly minimize the risk of your pup contracting a flea, tick or mosquito-borne illness which can be fatal. Your vet may have multiple options for flea, tick and heartworm prevention such as a monthly/quarterly chewable or a yearly injection. Talk with your vet about which options best suit your pup.

Screening applicants is one of the most important jobs of any rescue. This process ensures that when we place a dog in a forever home, it is the best match for both the dog and the family. Screeners are the "face" of the rescue and need to not only be comfortable interacting with the public, but they also need to have excellent follow-through skills. Screeners are required to review and validate the information provided to us via the application process. This is done through phone calls to vets and personal references, interviews with the potential adopter, contact with landlords etc. If you are interested in screening, our screening coordinator can answer any questions you might have.

No rescue can run without funds and Fetching Hearts is no different. While we do collect an adoption fee for each of our dogs, these fees only cover the costs of pulling, initial vetting (such as shots and spaying/neutering) and transporting dogs. While our rescue is a non-profit organization, we do still face many of the same costs of doing business as for profit organizations such as state and federal licensing fees and insurance. Additionally, we are responsible for the health and well being of the dogs in our care which include ongoing flea/tick and heartworm preventatives, surgery for undiagnosed conditions and professional training for dogs that may need help adjusting to living off the streets. Fundraising is an ongoing effort that may include setting up and running fundraising campaigns and events, writing grant proposals or soliciting donations. This takes a team effort and we are always looking for individuals willing to help us. The more funds we raise, the more dogs we can help.

Fostering involves providing a rescue dog with a temporary home that gives shelter, care and love for our dogs while they are awaiting placement in a new “forever” home. Having a dog in a foster home helps us get a better idea of its temperament, ability to interact with humans and other animals as well as provide training if needed. If you’ve had some experience with dogs before, and have a basic understanding of their needs, Fostering may be for you. All our dogs are looking for is love, understanding and a place to feel safe and secure. If you would like more information about fostering for Fetching Hearts Rescue, please visit the Foster page.

While all of our dogs are posted using social media and sites such as PetFinder, Adoption Events are another important part of getting our dogs and our rescue pubic exposure. The event coordinator is responsible for identifying/locating opportunities for us to showcase our dogs, working with the locations to set up dates, submitting the required regulatory paperwork, communicating with fosters to get dogs to the event, promoting/ advertising and then setting up, running and packing up after the event. There are a lot of details involved in event planning and this role can be done by either an individual or the tasks can be shared among a team.

There are times when a dog may need to get to or from a foster's home when the foster is not available. For example, the foster may have a prior commitment on the day of an event or on the day their foster is scheduled to arrive on transport. When this happens, handler/transport volunteers are needed to help out. We like to call them Doggie Uber drivers. If the situation involves an event, we would also ask that you volunteer to not only transport the dog to and from the event, but to also handle the dog during the event. All dogs must have a handler to keep an eye on them, take them outside for breaks, monitor their stress level and to interact with the public on the dog's behalf. These roles are ideal for individuals who want to help us out, but can't commit to anything on a consistent, ongoing basis. If a situation arises where we need this kind of help, it would be communicated usually via Facebook and/or e-mail. If the need is there and you are free, you can just respond to let us know.

When you are a dog rescue trying to match great dogs with great homes, it's important to let people know all about it. If you are skilled in public relations and have connections that may help our organization stand out, we would be so glad to have you onboard.

Part of our mission is to educate the community, showing people how they can help in the fight to reduce the population of homeless dogs. We also want to educate our community on what it means to have a dog in the home, what to expect and how best to train their pets to ensure a happy healthy environment. As we look to expand our online content we hope to have a variety of articles available on our site but would need writers. If you are interested in helping us provided well written content for our website, blogs and newsletters then this may be just the right volunteer opportunity for you.