FOSTER GUIDELINES Phone Interview Process
Step 1: Read the application. Take note of any questions you might have. Look specifically at what dog(s) they might have indicated interested in. If multiple, it's likely good to know the status (as best you can) for them!
Important: not all questions in Buzz are on the CoP adoption application. So, when you're reviewing the application, you might see some blanks. These are often intentional and things we hid intentionally to make the application manageable.
Stuff to look at on the application:
- Home type
- Yard space
- Hours away per day
Check the notes field of the application within Buzz. Sometimes notes will be here that could be good to know before making any calls. Someone might have sent emails to the applicant or left messages. This doesn't mean you shouldn't call but just so you're not surprised it's a good best practice.
Even if you're not thrilled with the application on paper, please try not to judge too quickly! Sometimes stuff doesn't come across quite as it could in conversation. It's SUPER important to talk to the applicant!
Step 2: Give ‘em a call! Chances are they won’t answer but a good majority will call you right back! It can also be a good practice to text and arrange a time to talk.
Please do your best to reach out to them within 24-48 hours of getting the application. The sooner we reach out to them, the less likely they are to go out and adopt elsewhere.
Step 3: Conversation time! There’s really no set of required questions. Our application is very thorough so in many ways the conversation can feel redundant. I like to focus my questions on describing their family, home, what they’re really looking for in a dog. Conversation might be different if the application has already been pre-screened vs not screened at all.
- Get to know the applicant. See sample questions below.
- Have they completed their home check? Not sure - ask them! Most of the time they won't have completed the home check yet so it's safe to assume they haven't.
- Here's how I typically state this:
- "Church of Pug has transitioned to virtual home checks since the pandemic and have kept them up because, let’s be real, no one has time to drive all over Puget Sound.
- We typically start with short videos or even still image pictures and can move to facetime or zoom if Church of Pug has any other questions.
- Please include all family living areas – so family room, kitchen, wherever they spend the majority of their time with their dog (and we recognize it’s different for everyone), the entry into the home and the yard. We don't need to see bathrooms, closets. (insert joke here).
- We totally recognize yards can be tough depending on the time of year and we recognize that so we don't expect perfection but still need to see a picture/video of that too."
- I also let them know the house doesn’t have to be perfect. We all have laundry, dishes, backpacks, shoes, etc. That’s not what we’re looking for. I’d rather get the home check done sooner and see really more of a day-in-the-life version!
- If you’re comfortable with the applicant texting the videos and pictures to you directly, that works! Otherwise, they can email to hello@churchofpug.com.
- You also want to send them the template email "Home Check Instructions" as this gives them all of this information and provides an easy means to respond with the home check.
- Explain the matching process….
- Since they're already talking to you as the foster, they're probably interested in your foster. 🙂
- Since you're’ the foster, you can start talking specifically about your foster pup! Now is the time to let them get to know your pup and have an honest conversation about how you think the pup will do in their home.
- If you think they’re not a great fit for your foster but maybe another foster, don’t be afraid to talk that pup up and refer to the rescue to connect the applicant to that foster.
- If you'd like to proceed with adopting your foster to this family...
- There’s no set requirement on meet & greet vs drop & run. It’s really up to the foster and the adoptive home to decide what’s best for the dog!
- Please let the CoP admin team know in advance of the meet & greet/handoff so we can send the contract in advance. There is NO PRESSURE to proceed with the adoption.
- Every adoption comes with a two week trial so if it's not a good fit, there's no pressure.
- On drop off day, we sign the contract, collect the adoption fee and if it doesn’t work out (again, 2 week trial) we’d of course swoop back in and refund the adoption fee.
- If you think they'd be better suited to adopt a different dog (or maybe not one at all)...
- Tell them that you're interviewing lots of applicants, so stay tuned to their email and social media. Facebook is where they'll see new pups
- Let the CoP admin team know.
Step 4: Input Notes in Buzz! Take notes and add them to the adopter file. If you've scheduled a meet & greet or potential handoff date for your foster, add that to the notes field for your foster!
Sample Phone Conversation Topics
- Tell me about your family?
- If they have kids, try to get a feel for how dog-savvy the kids are!
- What are their daily activities, schedule, and hobbies?
- Why do you want to rescue a pug?
- What do you know about dogs that come through a rescue?
- What are you looking for in a pug?
- If they’re interested in a specific dog, ask why that dog specifically!
- Would you adopt a pug mix?
- What about other breeds? Frenchies. Bostons. Chihuahuas.
- Ask about ages ranges they’re interested in. It’s on the application but good to discuss as everyone wants the healthy 3-5 year olds.
- Are there any behavior issues that a dog could have that would prevent you from adopting a pug?
- If your adoptive dog has accidents or behavioral issues, how would you handle that?
- Many people believe rescuing a dog is the right thing to do but don’t understand that dogs that come through rescue often come with baggage. How are you prepared to handle the less-glamorous side of a rescue pug?
- Do you have any concerns about adopting a dog that might potty-accidents? Do you understand that even the post potty trained of dogs will have accidents in a new home?
- What’s the plan for potty training?
- Depending on where they live and what they’re seeking to adopt (aka is the dog they’re apply for actually available), I often ask if they’d consider fostering-to-adopt and explain the foster process!
- In the event you cannot keep your adopted pug due to illness or death, Church of Pug requires the pug come back into rescue. Do you have any issues with this?
Common FAQs
Q: What if the dog isn’t dog/cat/kid friendly or doesn’t get along with my dogs/cats/kids?
A: We do our best to sniff all of that out in advance. However, there are no guarantees. We can have a perfectly happy, gets-along-with-everyone pup in the foster home and for some unknown reason it’ll react to a dog in the adoptive home. It’s rare, but it can happen! This is exactly why we have that 2 week trial! We’ll swoop back in and pick up the pup, refund the adoption donation and work to find a better fit for everyone! ☺
Q: Can I get the dogs records in advance?
A: Sure, but there won’t be much there and we promise if there is, we’ll have already told you about it That being said, we’re happy to provide records for the dog from their time with Church of Pug. Records prior to their time with Church of Pug may be provided pending we have them. (We don’t always get records from their past life)
Q: I can only adopt a dog that is potty trained?
A: We cannot guarantee that even the perfect potty trained dog won’t have accidents – especially as they transition into new homes.
Q: Can we do a meet & greet first?
A: You can absolutely do a meet & greet but (1) a meet & greet isn’t always going to give you a perfect view of the dog and their personality and (2) we also rely on our foster homes to help us understand and navigate to find the best possible adoption path for the dog. We have that 2 week trial that’ll be better than any meet & greet to really get a feel for the dog. Also, keep in mind, we’re 100% a volunteer-run organization so it can be hard to ask fosters to drive around Puget Sound sometimes. For this reason, we ask meet & greets be scheduled at a location of the foster’s choosing.
Q: Can I have the dog overnight for a trial run?
A: Sorry, no. These dogs need consistency and commitment. We’re confident through our adoption and interview process that we’re able to match the dogs well with perspective homes. It’s also a safety and liability thing too. All of our adoptions have a 14 day trial so if it’s not a good fit, there’s no penalty! We refund the adoption donation and pick up the pup!
