Foster to Adopt Program

The first step to becoming eligible for Ruff Start’s FTA program is by submitting an adoption application. Your application simply shows that you are interested in adopting an animal from our rescue; it is not a binding contract.

A member of our Adoption Application team will begin to process your application as soon as possible, usually within 48 hours of initial submission. Be sure to check your spam folder in the days after submission to ensure you do not miss an email from our team members.

After our Application team has processed your application, they will reach out to you directly to discuss the best next steps for your unique situation. This will depend on if the animal you are interested in fostering to adopt is already in rescue or if you are joining our foster team with the intention of adopting an animal that may be in need in the future.

Next, you will likely be asked to submit a foster signup form. While similar to the adoption application you previously submitted, a foster signup form is necessary as it is your first step to becoming a Ruff Start foster parent.

After submission of a foster signup form, you will be contacted by a Foster Coordinator and begin your foster training. This training includes watching a video and taking a quiz to ensure you understand the fostering process as well as what to expect before starting your journey.

Once you finish your foster training, you are now a Ruff Start foster home.

If you have indicated interest in a specific animal who is already a part of our foster to adopt program, you will be given unique instructions regarding their pick-up date and time, veterinary needs prior to adoption, and projected timeline before adoption can be made official if all works out.

If you are not yet interested in a specific animal, you will be able to choose which animal(s) you would like to foster based on who is available in our internal communication channels. These animals are listed privately and only viewable by approved foster homes, as they are in need of rescue and not available for adoption yet. This is why it is advantageous to be an approved foster home if you are looking for an animal that fits certain characteristics or breed profiles.

The animals we find in need of rescue come from a multitude of circumstances, and we do our best to communicate as much information as possible about them to potential fosters. However, some animals may not have extensive background information available, or may experience behavior changes during times of stress and/or transition, so we are unable to guarantee an animal will immediately be a good fit in your home. We ask for your patience during this process and are happy to provide resources to you that help ease this transitional period for both you and your foster animal.

If you find an animal in need of rescue that you are interested in fostering to adopt, you will then work with the applicable members of our staff and volunteer teams to gain approval and get the animal into your home on a timeline that works for everyone involved.

Note: While not all prospective foster animals are available for public viewing due to privacy concerns and time restraints, a very small sampling of animals that are currently in need of a foster home are made viewable on our public Foster Homes Needed Facebook page.

After your new foster to adopt animal enters your home, it is put on hold for 10 days while it gets up to date on necessary veterinary care before adoption. During this time, you will also assess if the animal is a good fit for your family dynamic. Extensions may be granted circumstantially, and adoptions may be conducted sooner as long as the animal has been medically cleared.

Animals that are adopted out by our rescue must be spayed/neutered, up to date on age appropriate core (rabies and distemper) vaccinations, blood tested (a heartworm test for dogs and puppies over six months of age, and a FeLV/FIV test for cats and kittens), and microchipped as well as dewormed and up to date on flea/tick preventative.

The rescue will cover all costs associated with veterinary care, but you are expected to coordinate necessary veterinary visits for your animal’s routine care and surgical procedures according to our standard foster protocols. You will also be responsible for your animal’s transportation to and from these appointments, which will most likely take place at the rescue office in Princeton, MN.

Once your animal is considered up to date on its veterinary care and has been medically cleared for adoption, it’s go time!

If you decide that your foster animal is a good fit for your household and you would like to adopt, congratulations! You will work with our Applications team to process your previously submitted adoption application by filling out an adoption contract and paying your animal’s applicable adoption fee. Please note that adoption fees are not discounted for those who foster their animal with the intention of adopting it and are considered non-negotiable since they cover the veterinary care the animal receives while in rescue.

If you find that your foster animal is not a good long-term fit for you and you do not want to adopt, the animal will be made available for public adoption on our website. Under this circumstance, we do require that you continue to foster the animal until it finds a great home. This is so we can stay true to the foster to adopt process of bouncing the animal around to different homes less. To do this, you will work with our Applications team to review and meet with potential adopters until your foster animal is officially adopted.