Ok, so I guess I should know this, but I don't
I hope maybe Sharron or Liz chimes in with that, but I do know we try to get all dogs into foster especially before they go on to be adopted, we have to know what we are adopting out, it is our responsibility after all.
While this thread is a good…. what needs to be addressed is dogs that are evaluated or with a foster that have serious issues .... and how those are classified and what is to be done with them?....... we all know about the ones that overcome hardships... but what of the ones that have serious problems, regardless if due to breeding or how they were placed/raised? Again I point out the issue of a dog that is a serious problem and could be a potential to give serious harm to a person or another dog.... these are the hard cases ... and the ones that give many pause on what should become of them.
Some of the dogs that come to BRAT and are fostered that has issues, large and small, will never get adopted out for various reasons.
Some stay in forever fosters, if that makes sense, others, I don't know what happens to them, but truth be told, not all dogs are adoptable, that is just a fact. Sad, but the truth..
Add to the mix the question of how much in resources should be used or allotted for an animal that may never be suitable as a pet? Also is fair to the dog and the foster homes for these dogs to be left in a foster situation for extended periods of time? The question of how long is long enough still begs to be answered!
Jason
Some of the dogs that come to BRAT and are fostered that has issues, large and small, will never get adopted out for various reasons.
Some stay in forever fosters, if that makes sense, others, I don't know what happens to them, but truth be told, not all dogs are adoptable, that is just a fact. Sad, but the truth..
Exactly and that is my point… and for those who have to make that hard decision, my hat is off to them... been there, had to do that....
Add to the mix the question of how much in resources should be used or allotted for an animal that may never be suitable as a pet? Also is fair to the dog and the foster homes for these dogs to be left in a foster situation for extended periods of time? The question of how long is long enough still begs to be answered!
I don't know what is the deciding factor on when a dog or foster is ready to move on in that situation, if that makes sense.
The foster situation is purely voluntary, so no money goes towards that, but vetting does and kenneling if needed does, so yes it does cost money to have these dogs around, and yes you have to be a very special person to be able to subject yourself to harm or the potential of harm, knowing this dog will never be adoptable..what do you do..?
The only human thing to do, is to let that dog go..across the bridge..such a hard option though…but necessary..I think.. i am very much on the fence on this one. One minute it makes sense to me to just let that dog go, the next minute it sounds like an aweful option..
I don't think I can tell when that time is, unless I am put up to that decision..
I would get the strength, when I would need for me to have the strength..
I don't know what is the deciding factor on when a dog or foster is ready to move on in that situation, if that makes sense.
The foster situation is purely voluntary, so no money goes towards that, but vetting does and kenneling if needed does, so yes it does cost money to have these dogs around, and yes you have to be a very special person to be able to subject yourself to harm or the potential of harm, knowing this dog will never be adoptable..what do you do..?
The only human thing to do, is to let that dog go..across the bridge..such a hard option though…but necessary..I think.. i am very much on the fence on this one. One minute it makes sense to me to just let that dog go, the next minute it sounds like an aweful option..
I don't think I can tell when that time is, unless I am put up to that decision..
I would get the strength, when I would need for me to have the strength..
This sounds like a common dilema. Therefore what guidelines should be determined to make those kinds of decisions? Another problem that arises is really based on how many people are deciding in particlar cases such as these.
Jason
The shelter that I volunteered at used a temperament test to evaluate all dogs before approving them for the adoption floor. Many shelters now do this and there are several variations out there. The seminar I attended by Sarah Kalnajs included a portion where she went through what she does for a temperament test.
Even with the temperament testing sometimes dogs would get to the adoption floor and after awhile of being worked with the volunteers would notice things that may not have shown up on the test day.
Rescue and shelter work is very hard because you can't save them all. Some come to the shelter or rescue too broken to be fixed.
Exactly and that is my point… and for those who have to make that hard decision, my hat is off to them... been there, had to do that....
Karen Jones at Medfly keeps them for good. I adopted a rw in 94 that had serious issues which I did not find out until after. I found him through an ad in the paper and sent my then wife to pick him up. The rescue breeder didn't say anything to my wife. We found out his issues the first week. And he had malobsorption (hard time digesting) and only weighed 19 lbs and came with a bottle of Pancrezyme to mix in his food. He was very quiet and depressed. You could see his ribs. If he was laying on the couch and you walked towards him he'd really growl at you. He bit my b/w on the back the second day here. I just kept him and decided I'd work with him. Had him till he died in 2007 at 14-1/2. He made a lot of improvement over time with a lot of walks and diet improvements. I called the rescue breeder and she knew where he came from but did not know too much of what if his experience was good/bad. He lived with a couple an apartment and hardly ever got walked. They got him from a breeder in Texas.
Dogs who are damaged are IMO given 2 options. YOU as the person who is responsible for the dog, be it fostering, or having this dog in a foster, keep the dog until it dies, or you put it down.
NOT making a hard decision, to kill the dog, will give rise to all sorts of issues, including humans and animals being hurt, or the dog, who is damaged, suffering even more with folks who think they can "break" it to their will.
Jason, there are suggestions for basenji eval in the BRAT site. I believe you have access to this. If not, I will send it to you.
Fostering is the idea place to see if a b can be rehomed, but sadly, now, we are short of foster homes, and sometimes a b goes from a home to a kennel…that is very tough on the dog.
I have been a BRAT foster home for several years and hosted many basenjis. There is no limit on how long a basenji will be fostered and depends completely on the dog's needs and the availability of a suitable adopter when the dog is ready to move on. I have adopted two fosters who were both here longer than normal due to health issues. A foster home in MO frequently ends up with basenjis who have serious health or behavior problems. They have lots of room on their farm so can manage several basenjis at once although the work is demanding, sometimes overwhelming. Currently they have 9 fosters and have adopted others who were deemed to be unqualified for other placements due to age or other problems. Two fosters have been with them for 4years. BRAT will have a dog PTS if it is suffering from physical illness or too aggressive to be placed. If they are old, have Fanconi or other manageable illnesses they may remain in a foster home until they die a natural death. We always need more foster homes.
Good threat Jason.
Thanks for asking the question.
I have been a BRAT foster home for several years and hosted many basenjis. There is no limit on how long a basenji will be fostered and depends completely on the dog's needs and the availability of a suitable adopter when the dog is ready to move on. I have adopted two fosters who were both here longer than normal due to health issues. A foster home in MO frequently ends up with basenjis who have serious health or behavior problems. They have lots of room on their farm so can manage several basenjis at once although the work is demanding, sometimes overwhelming. Currently they have 9 fosters and have adopted others who were deemed to be unqualified for other placements due to age or other problems. Two fosters have been with them for 4years. BRAT will have a dog PTS if it is suffering from physical illness or too aggressive to be placed. If they are old, have Fanconi or other manageable illnesses they may remain in a foster home until they die a natural death. We always need more foster homes.
It must be difficult though, to allot funds for medical care, and foster space that is always in need, to an animal once you know it is not adoptable. There are just too many animals in need, and only so much that can be done. It must feel like a no-win situation sometimes.
Miranda
Good threat Jason.
Thanks for asking the question.
LOL Sharron… would that be Thread, not threat!!!!
LOL, can you tell I have NOT had enough coffee!
Is there such a thing as "enough" coffee?
It is if your basenji gets ahold of it…:D:D
It is if your basenji gets ahold of it…:D:D
I used to give my rw a coffee bean now and then and he'd take in the dining room and roll around on it like a cat does on cat nip then eat it. 
I have been a BRAT foster home for several years and hosted many basenjis. There is no limit on how long a basenji will be fostered and depends completely on the dog's needs and the availability of a suitable adopter when the dog is ready to move on. I have adopted two fosters who were both here longer than normal due to health issues. A foster home in MO frequently ends up with basenjis who have serious health or behavior problems. They have lots of room on their farm so can manage several basenjis at once although the work is demanding, sometimes overwhelming. Currently they have 9 fosters and have adopted others who were deemed to be unqualified for other placements due to age or other problems. Two fosters have been with them for 4years. BRAT will have a dog PTS if it is suffering from physical illness or too aggressive to be placed. If they are old, have Fanconi or other manageable illnesses they may remain in a foster home until they die a natural death. We always need more foster homes.
My apologies to people who read this before, it disappeared once, so I am reposting it. Hopefully this explanation will stick, so I don't continue to look like a moron who posts the same things over and over again.
It has to be a tough decision to make to house a dog indefinitely. Knowing that there are limited funds being used for veterinary fees, and limited number of foster spaces being used for dogs that will never be suitable to be adopted. It would feel like a no-win situation to have to make a decision like this.
Miranda
I went to a dog training class last week. They talked about shelter dogs, not dogs in foster homes, but there is a point to be made. The quality of life of the dog, in no kill shelters should be considered, as well at their health. The trainer said keeping dogs in cages, until they went into spinning mode was not a kindness.
I agree.
While foster dogs in homes have a good quality of life, what happens to the social b's who are not being taken in, because a foster home is full of a dog who will probably not be rehomed? This post is not directed at any specific rescue group, as I am a helper in 3
different rescue groups.
I think we need to evaluate the dogs who need homes with their ability to BE rehomed.
