Foster Only

It takes a special family to be a foster only family.  These families are willing to open their homes to rescued retrievers at a moments notice.  Foster families accept these dogs into their homes and treat them as if they were their own.  When their current foster is adopted, they are ready for another!  Foster families give unconditional love and care to these dogs and ask nothing in return.  There are some foster families who will only take special needs dogs.  Dogs that need extended medical care or need to stay longer to deal with behavioral issues they may have.

Typically the retriever remains in a foster home for 2-4 weeks.  During that time, the foster family evaluates the dog  - how they react toward children, other dogs, cats, what they like, what they don't like.  This information is used in the adoption process to match the retriever to a family that is most suited to their needs. The foster family is also responsible for taking the retriever to veterinary appointments and administering medication that may be received at those visits.  These vet appointments are paid for by AZRR and must be made with an AZRR approved vet. When the retriever is cleared for adoption, the foster family plays an integral part in the process by allowing adoption families to come in to their homes and spend time (typically 2-4 hours) interacting with the retriever being considered for adoption.  Foster families may approve an adoption family, but they also may say no to a family if they feel the match is not in the best interest of the retriever.  Foster families also have the first right of adoption of any retriever they foster.  Foster families must go through the screening process and be approved just like adoption families and foster with intent to adopt families.

They are truly caring and loving families that are very important to AZRR.

Fostering with Intent to Adopt (FWITA):

This classification differs from a straight foster family in that this family fosters WITH the intent to adopt the retriever placed in their home.  FWITA families must go through the screening process and be approved to adopt, just like foster families or adoption families.

AZRR volunteers do their best to match the FWITA family to the incoming retrievers, using the information obtained from the adoption, foster or FWITA application completed at the beginning of the adoption process.  After receiving their retriever, the FWITA family basically completes everything described in the Foster Family area, except the adoption interview.  When the retriever is medically cleared and the FWITA family is ready to adopt the adoption contract will be sent. 

If for any reason, the FWITA family decides that the retriever in their home doesn't meet their lifestyle or family needs, AZRR will arrange to have that retriever adopted by another family and the FWITA family will be ready to accept another dog.  We ask that FWITA family house the dog that they have until another adoption home can be found.