Foster rabbits

[Chin_Parent]

We've started doing small scale fosters, taking in unwanted pets or those that owners can no longer care for. We got three rabbits from a woman the other night who was unable to care for them. Her car had broken down and she'd overdrafter by 150 dollars her bank account. The day before she'd contacted me, she'd run out of pellets for them, and the day she contacted me, they were out of hay and veggies too. She couldn't feed them because she wasn't getting paid until october, and she's on social security, so she doesn't have that much money anyway. I asked her if she wanted us to keep one for her, and give it to her when she was able to take care of it again, and she said that she wouldn't be able to afford them for a long time.

Well, suddenly this goes out the window when she contacts me today and tells me that she's missing the baby of the bunch, and that he doesn't cost that much and she wants him back. I tried to calmly explain that by her own admonition, she can't care for them. I told her to think about it, that I wouldn't stop her from taking him back, but that she should consider what's best for the rabbit and her other pets (she also has cats, who apparently are still being fed). I was nice, but she responded in a huff and said that I should forget she even asked.

For those that do rescues or foster animals from bad situations, what do you do when someone is still attached to the pet and is doing something that isn't good for the pet or owner? Do you refuse give them back or what?

 

[Sycamore Chins]

To me, it sounds like you are rescuing these animals, not just fostering them.

As a foster-parent, the previous owner signed a release form with the rescue I am fostering with, so that I don't have to deal with anyone.

If you are indeed rescuing, you should draw up a release form for people to sign when they hand over animals to you, this way you can cover your butt. You can choose to have it say whatever you want, and I'm sure you can find many examples online to look at.

 

[Chin_Parent]

That's a good idea, thanks.

I suppose I just call it fostering since it's such a small operation, a few animals at the time (I'd like to think I'm a small-scale rescue). I'll go ahead and have people fill out a form from now on, I'd really love to avoid another awkward email conversation like that.