Interim Housing for Rescued Dogs

TYPES OF INTERIM HOUSING FOR RESCUED DOGS

by Pam Green, (copyright 1994, 2008)

Between the time a rescued dog is bailed out of the Pound and the time he is placed in a permanent home, some type of interim housing is necessary. There are 3 basic choices, each with advantages and disadvantages : (1) foster housing in the home of the rescuer or other volunteer, (2) boarding kennel or boarding at vet's , or (3) the "hybrid" system of private kenneling at rescuer's or volunteer's home. For those dogs whose owners come to Rescue seeking help in placement, there is a fourth possibility (4) remaining with prior owner until placement is arranged.

It is the purpose of this article to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method. My own experience has been extensive with method (1)., but I have recently acquired a small kennel run and so will be gaining experience with method (3) ; see Update Note at end of section. I have also had a little experience with method (4).

FOSTER HOME

The method :

The dog lives in the foster home's house more or less as if the dog were their own. Of course initially the foster people may limit the dog's freedom to the more "dog-proofed" areas of the home, especially when no human is present to supervise. The foster family begins the dog's education in how to be a civilized house-dog and in basic obedience.

Essential if:

• Dog has temperament/under-socialization problems.
• Dog has significant behavioral problems or is unruly.
• Dog has medical problems requiring daily attention.

Advantages for the dog:

• Allows the fosterer to make accurate evaluation of dog's temperament, household behavior and manners (eg house-breaking, destructiveness, barking, etc), behavior with fosterer's own dogs and cats (if any) and fosterer's children. Allows fosterer to take dog into town for further evaluation of dog's behavior with strange adults and children, testing in various strange environments, behavior in the car, etc etc.
• Allows fosterer to begin dog' basic obedience training (come, down, stay, and leash manners) and to do remedial training to improve any deficiencies in dog's household behavior (eg house-break, crate-train).
• Allows fosterer to do remedial socialization if needed. (I have had several cases where modest amounts of remedial socialization turned an initially unplaceably fearful dog into a completely placable confident and outgoing dog.)
• Allows fosterer to take dog to vet for spay/neuter, shots, heartworm, and any other needed treatment and to supply any needed daily follow up care. (I have had several cases where such care was essential.)
• Allows fosterer to groom dog regularly.
• Allows fosterer to provide appropriate daily exercise.
• Home life within a caring family is invariably highly therapeutic for the dog. It is especially needed by dogs who have previously been neglected or abused. The dog invariably becomes better behaved and more appealing to potential adopters.

Advantages for the fosterer or rescuer/rescue club:

• The club gains because foster care is much less costly than boarding care !
• The fosterer personally gains by advancing own skills regarding temperament assessment and training.

Disadvantages :

• Fosterer's own dogs are exposed to possible disease through rescued dog's exposure at Pound. For fosterers with young puppies (under 6 months) or elderly dogs or an immuno-suppressed dog, this would not be acceptable. For other dogs, the precaution of maintaining high levels of immunity through twice a year shots should be adequate protection against serious infectious disease. Kennel cough remains a mild risk : like the common cold in humans, it mutates so frequently that potential victims lack immunity to newer versions; but , except in very young and very old, it is a very mild and self-limiting disease. (My own experience has been 2 cases of it in 20 Pound-rescued dogs; our own dogs have mostly proved resistant, with one very mild and brief case and one more severe case in a very elderly dog who already suffered a chronic bronchitis.)
  

  Update 2008. The advice to give your own dogs extra vaccinations has been totally over-ruled by newer veterinary knowledge and the recommendations of the Veterinary Task Force on Vaccination. So I'd now advise sticking to the three year (or less often) schedule now advocated by the profession. I'd like to add that in over a hundred fosters, I have not yet had my own dogs become ill with anything more than very mild kennel cough, and that only a very few times.

• Fosterer's own dogs may feel some stress and/or resentment at sharing home with strange dog. Some dogs handle this well and others not so well --- most Bouviers are easy-going enough to handle it well. If the rescue dog should prove to be dog-aggressive or a dog-fighter, then the fosterer must either use a muzzle or play "musical dog crates" or else the dog must be kenneled or housed elsewhere, eg to a fosterer who lacks dogs (or whose dogs are of opposite sex to rescued dog, since aggression to opposite sex is rare). I reccommend to all rescue groups to have back-up plans for transfer of such foster dogs to another home or to a boarding kennel.
• Fosterer's own cats and livestock (if any) may be at risk. Obviously great prudence must be used in the first few encounters. I suggest use of a muzzle for the first encounter.
• Fosterer's human family may not be cooperative in various ways, eg resentment and complaints, sabotaging of training (eg by encouraging behaviors that make dog less placeable), or may fall in love with dog and refuse to accept necessity of eventual placement. The rules for foster care must be clearly understood and accepted by all human family members.
• Fosterer personally will experience some stress. (The subject of how to save dogs' lives without losing your own sanity deserves an article of its own.) Fostering two or more rescues at once is especially difficult and not recommended to inexperieced foster homes. However foster care is also immensely rewarding.
• (Update 2008) Some fosterers find it hard to give the dog up to its eventual adoptive home. I advise fosterers to remind themselves frequently that this dog is only visiting with them. I tell myself "this is not really MY dog" and I tell myself that there is a person waiting to adopt this dog who needs the dog much more than I do and who can give the dog a richer life and more individual attention than I can. In reality, while most foster homes fear they will not be able to give the dog up, they actually find that they can do so. The experience of seeing the dog and the adoptive family start to bond is a powerful antidote to the reluctance to give the dog up. Likewise hearing a few update phone calls from the new family is very rewarding..

BOARDING AT BOARDING KENNEL OR VET'S

The method:

The dog is boarded in a commercial boarding kennel or at the vet's. This is usually a temporary measure until a real foster home is available. Howevr in some cses it may be nescessary to continue boarding the dog until it can be place.

Essential if :

• There is no foster home available (or not immediately).
• Fosterer requires initial boarding as a quarantine measure.
• Dog seriously ill or injured : must board at vet's or at Vet School Teaching Hospital.
• Dog is a serious dog fighter but otherwise highly placeable.
  

  Update 2008 : I probably wouldn't describe a dog with serious dog aggression as being "highly placeable", but they are placeable if a home can be found where this dog is the only dog and where the people are very responsible and fully understand and commit themselves to the reality that this dog will always be on leash when outside their home and yard, and that the dog might have to be muzzled for some situations, such as the vet's waiting room.

Advantages for dog :

• I cannot think of any advantages for the dog, other than that this may be the only way to keep him alive if foster home not available : taking him straight from the Pound to the boarding kennel may allow him to be bailed out at the earliest possible momment, and this can be critical to saving the dog's life !

Advantages for rescuer / rescue club:

• No risk to rescuer's own dogs through disease, fighting, stress.
• No risk to rest of rescuer's animals and human family.
• No stress and personal work for fosterer and family.

Disadvantages for dog :

• Stressful and depressing for the dog. Especially likely to be harmful to a dog who is already suffering some form of "shelter shock." Some dogs deteriorate bahaviorally in a kennel situation and it can take a period of normal home life to gradually undo the damage.
• Close confinement and/or kennel stress may cause dog to exhibit behavior unattractive to visiting prospective adopters. Eg the dog who acts very depressed, the dog who fence-fights or exhibits barrier-aggression, the dog who paces restlessly. Some or most of these dogs would exhibit more relaxed, more cheerful, and/or more attractive behavior in a home environment. In any case, many prospective adopters find it easier to visualize a dog in their own home if they first meet the dog in a home setting as opposed to a kennel setting.
• Dog may be exposed to disease from other dogs at kennel. (And of course even more so , the Pound-rescued dog can be a source of disease to other dogs being boarded.
• It may be more difficult to arrange for spay/neuter, shots, and grooming. Some kennels have arrangements with vets and groomers (who may or may not be ones the rescue group fels comfortable using) ; otherwise a rescue volunteer will have to transport dog back and forth.
• Opportunities for evaluation, socialization, and training are very limited unless a rescue volunteer lives nearby and will visit frequently to attend to these.

Disadvantages for rescue / rescue club :

• Boarding becomes very costly if dog is there for long time. While some kennels do offer somewhat discounted rates to Rescuer, it is still more expensive than foster home care.
• Limited evaluation, socialization, and training opportunities may make placement more difficult. Evaluation enables rescuer to describe dog's good and bad points candidly to potential adopters so realistic judgement can be made about compatibility. Socialization and training augment the dog's good points and remedy his deficiencies, making potential adopters more likely to want him and far more likely to keep him.

THE "HYBRID" METHOD : PRIVATE KENNELING AT RESCUER'S HOME

The method :

In this method , the rescuer or fosterer has at least one kennel run or other separate quarters that fill the same purpose. Ideally, this kennel run is highly secure (escape-proof) and somewhat isolated from rescuer's own dogs (which I would hope are housedogs.) Alternatively and equivalently , the fosterer may have a separate section within the home (one room) or may have an outbuilding (perhaps an empty horse stall) or perhaps a horse-trailer in which a dog might be housed with adequate safety and comfort. I will speak of all methods of separate housing on the foster's home premises as being "private kenneling" or as a "kennel run" as pretty much the same factors apply to all of these.

The newly rescued dog thus may be initially kenneled full time (for quarantine) and taken out for daily training and evaluation sessions. Spay/neuter and immunization probably take place during the full time kenneling period, as soon as it seems certain that temperament is sound. After the quarantine period and after the rescuer has established dominance and basic control, the dog may be introduced to rescuer's own dogs and family and may begin to be brought into the home on a part-time basis. If the rescued dog does not get along with one of rescuer's own dogs, the latter may be confined or segregated for these visits. If dog integrates into rescuer's home smoothly, rescuer can choose to allow dog into home full time. This system is highly flexible to accommodate dog's needs and rescuer's needs.

Update 2008 : For some foster dogs, I find it is very advantageous to have the dog kenneled the first few days or week, during which I do two walking and training sessions a day. I take the dog for a walk, during which I do basic training interspersed into the walk. Once I have a bit of control over the new dog, then I will bring along whichever of my own dogs I think is most likely to get along OK with new dog. That would be a dog of opposite sex who is good with other dogs. I introduce my own dogs and other fosters to the new dog one at a time on walks. After the new dog has met the others this way, then new dog can start spending some time in the house. Now there are other foster dogs who I start in the house from day one. It really depends on my opinion of that dog and on what history I might have on that dog. Those dogs not yet spayed or neutered almost always remain in the kennel run until after their alteration.

Advantages for dog and for rescuer:

• Essentially all of the advantages of the Foster Home system and all of the advantages of the Boarding system are available to greater or lesser degree, by appropriate shifting of dog between run and home.

Disadvantages for dog and for rescuer:

• Essentially all of the disadvantages of the Foster Home and those of the Boarding system may be avoided or greatly reduced, by appropriate shifting of dog between run and home. The disadvantages are thus much less than those of the two preceeding methods.
• For the rescuer in urban or suburban setting, this system may attract a bit more attention and awareness of rescuer's dog activities from the neighbors, thus placing a premium on cultivation and maintainence of good relations with them. In particular, cleanliness of the run and prevention of nuisance barking are essential. I recommend ownership of an anti-bark collar (Tri-Tronics "Bark Eliminator" model) to be used at first instance of nuisance noise-making.
• Update Note: since this article was written in 1994, I have acquired extensive experience with use of a kennel run as part-time or full-time housing. I have also set up a spare room inside the house for use with convalescing dogs or for part-time or full-time separation of a foster dog . I find having such facilities available gives a great deal more flexibility to my foster dog management. I would highly recommend this as the very best method of caring for rescued dogs.
  

  Udate 2008 : I love this method even more than ever. My two runs are vacant most of the year. But when I need to use them, I am most glad to have them. Out of over a hundred foster dogs , there is only one who had to live in the run most of the time he was here, and that was a terrier mix who repeatedly initiated fights with two of my own dogs. There was one dog I fostered before I had a run who would have probably spent much of his time in the run if I'd had one then. But a lot of foster dogs have spent a few days in the runs. And when I find a stray dog, the run is where that dog lives while I seek its owner. Or if I am asked to board a dog for a few days for a fellow rescuer, I'd rather have the dog in the run instead of my house. My runs have roofing for shade and rain, dog houses for comfort, and are right outside my bedroom window.

DOG REMAINS WITH OLD OWNER UNTIL PLACEMENT

The method : placement by the referral system :

When a rescuer is called by an owner who is seeking to find a new home for his dog, it is often possible and sometimes safe to have the dog remain with that owner until placement can be made. Sometimes however this can be very unsafe for the dog, resulting in its death.

The rescuer must first interview the owner to determine how the owner feels about the dog and what the problems are that cause the owner to seek placement. Also rescuer must attempt to decide if owner is a stable and responsible person, committed to keeping the dog until it can be placed.

The rescuer must also acertain whether or not the dog is spayed or neutered and should insist that the owner provide written proof of spaying or neutering before any potential adopters can be referred. Rescuer must tactfully but firmly explain that it is Absolute Policy not to assist in placement of reproductively intact dogs because to do so would quite likely result in prodution of accidentally or deliberately produced puppies, many of whom would wind up requiring rescue services. As an alternative to demanding written proof, the rescuer could instead make an appointment to visit the owner's home to meet the dog and evaluate it; during the course of the behavioral evaluation, the rescuer can discover if the male dog is neutered or if the bitch has an apparent spay scar, and the owner can be asked to produce the apay/neuter certificate as well as a current Rabies certificate.

On rare and happy occasions, it will turn out that the owner still loves the dog and really would prefer to keep it, but is having some problem with the dog that could be solved with training or other means and that the owner is willing to attempt such a solution. If so, rescuer should counsel the owner towards a solution but also begin efforts to place the dog, either by giving the owner a list of potential homes for owner to contact or by rescuer making such contacts (preferably by postcards or by e-mail to save the rescuer's phone bill). Rescuer must make frequent check up calls to the owner until the dog is either fully reconciled with his owner's requirements or has been placed

On other occasions, it will turn out that the owner still has feelings of fondness and responsibility for the dog and is willing to continue to keep it as long as needed to find a genuinely good home, but the owner is quite certain that he cannot or does not want to keep the dog permanently. In this case, if rescuer is quite sure that owner is sincere about keeping dog as long as needed,  rescuer should first make certain to dramatically warn the owner that abandonment into a Pound or Shelter almost always results in the dog's death and that the rescuer must be notified immediately if the situation deteriorates so as to tempt the owner into considering the Pound as an answer. Next the rescuer should make suggestions as to training or other procedures to make the dog more placeable, and should insist that the owner get the dog spayed/neutered and made current on shots before placement (with suggestion that owner ask for an adoption fee from adopter to cover these expenses and to ensure a more responsible attitude from the adopter). After the spay/neuter has been accomplished, the rescuer should provide a list of potential homes for owner to contact (and/or should begin to make such contacts himself) and should advise owner on how to run an appropriate ad with an appropriate adoption fee to weed out the fast buck artists (who will resell the dog to a research lab) and the many many easy-come-easy-go homes (who will abandon the dog later, eg at the first large vet bill) --- dangers of which the owner should be dramatically warned. Rescuer must make frequent check up calls to the owner until the dog is placed. If the owner's efforts to place the dog remain unsuccessful (especially due to behavior problems requiring skills or time the owner lacks for their improvement), it will probably be necessary to move the dog into boarding or foster/hybrid care.

However, in the many cases where it is clear that the owner is fed up with the dog or has little feeling of affection and responsibility, or where the rescuer senses that the owner is a flake, or where there is any reason whatsoever that the owner will not be able to keep the dog for a possibly lengthy period until placement can be made, then it is essential to get the dog out of there and into boarding kennel or foster/hybrid care immediately. Even if the owner is somewhat willing to keep the dog "for a while" but is not fully committed to keeping it as long as needed to find a truly good home, for the rescuer to give way to the temptation to leave the dog there could be to leave the dog's life in serious jeopardy. I know of cases where the owners suddenly "snapped" , ran out of patience, and --- without even attempting to contact the rescuer --- took the dog to the Pound or to the vet for slaughter. (I know some horrible case histories of this!) All doubts MUST be resolved in favor of taking the dog into Rescue care immediately, even if that means kennel boarding.

Advantages :

• When it works, referral placement is the least disruptive for dog and for rescuer. The owner has also been taught that fulfilling his obligation to provide for his dog's future does work and is gratifying. And the owner will not be so quick to obtain another dog without first seriously considering the responsibilities involved.

Disadvantages :

• Since the owner is quite likely primarily focused on ridding himself of the dog and responsibilities of dog-care , and at best secondarily concerned with finding a genuinely responsible and loving home for the dog, there is a real risk that the dog will be given to the very first person who is willing to take it. Thus there is a risk that the poor dog will be placed into another sub-standard home, resulting in more suffering for the dog, and possibly later on in the dog being dumped at the Pound or in another call to Rescue to please come take the dog , who is now older, less well behaved, and less easily placed..
• When it doesn't work, the dog is placed in another inadequate home or is murdered at the vet's or at the Pound.