Foster-to-Adopt (FTA) Program

• Ruff Start Rescue is a foster-based rescue, meaning that all animals in Ruff Start’s care stay in foster homes.
• Animals in the FTA program (foster-to-adopt) don’t have everything they need to be adopted yet, such as spay/neuter surgery and medical treatment.
• Most foster-to-adopt animals have an arrival date in their name and bio as they are not in the Rescue yet—for example, Fluffy arriving 1/27/21. Foster-to-adopt animals need to be picked up by their foster at the office in Princeton, MN, on this specified transport date.
• Ruff Start’s foster-to-adopt program helps the animal acclimate faster when they are already in their adoptive home while they finish up what they need before officially being adopted.
• If the foster decides the animal is not a good fit for their household, we require that they continue to foster them and work with Ruff Start’s application team to review and approve applications to help their foster find a great home.
• Fosters need to drop-off and pick-up their foster animals to any necessary general vetting appointments and surgical procedures on specified dates at the Rescue office in Princeton, MN.
• Fosters need renters insurance if they rent their home.

• You’ll complete a virtual training to ensure you have everything you need to successfully foster an animal.
• You’ll join a community of other fosters to share tips and tricks, ask questions, and post pictures and videos of your foster (our favorite part).
• Supplies are covered by the Rescue through supply houses across Minnesota.
• Fosters get to see all the animals that can join the Rescue in a closed Facebook group, so foster families always get to pick the animal they foster.

Watch Ruff Start Founder + Executive Director, Azure Davis, explain the foster-to-adopt process.