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Please be sure to read ECMCR's Foster Home Guidelines below.
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Note: Please print out a copy of all forms for your own records
prior to submitting them to ECMCR.
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Just complete this form. Click on Submit when ready to send.
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| If you wish
foster for East Coast Maine Coon Rescue (ECMCR), you must fill out
and submit a Foster Application. ECMCR will review and approve all
requests for fostering. Please check with ECMCR before committing
yourself and us! |
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| Note: These
applications are used for rescue purposes only. ECMCR does not,
under any circumstances, sell information about our applicants.
Please print out a copy of this form for a future reference. |
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| Your submission
of the Foster Application means you have read and agree to comply
with the ECMCR Foster Home Guidelines. If you do not agree, do not
submit this form. |
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| Your electronic
signature and submission of this form acknowledges that you have
read and understand the ECMCR Foster Home Guidelines. |
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| Please answer
all the questions on the form. Failure to respond to some questions
or not send in the completed form may cause unnecessary delays in
the processing of your application. |
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Thank you
all for your willingness to help with our rescue efforts.
*Required Fields |
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| Personal
Contact Information: |
| Your First Name: |
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| Your Last Name: |
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| Occupation: |
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| Address: |
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| City: |
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| State: |
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Zip: *
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| Daytime Phone: |
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| Evening Phone: |
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| Best Time To Call: |
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| Your E-mail Address: |
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Personal Reference:
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| First Name: |
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| Last Name: |
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| Phone Number: |
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| Best Time To Call: |
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| Relationship: |
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| Do You Have A Regular Veterinarian? |
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Yes
No |
| Vet's Name: |
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| Clinic Name: |
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| Address: |
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| City: |
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| State: |
Zip:
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Current Pets
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| How many pets do you currently own? |
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| Pet #1: |
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| Species: |
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| Breed: |
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| Sex: |
Male
Female |
| Altered? |
Yes
No |
| Ever Been Around Cats? |
Yes
No |
| Behavior Towards Cats: |
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| Pet #2: |
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| Species: |
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| Breed: |
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| Sex: |
Male
Female |
| Altered? |
Yes
No |
| Ever Been Around Cats? |
Yes
No |
| Behavior Towards Cats: |
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| Pet #3: |
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| Species: |
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| Breed: |
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| Sex: |
Male
Female |
| Altered? |
Yes
No |
| Ever Been Around Cats? |
Yes
No |
| Behavior Towards Cats: |
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| Pet #4: |
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| Species: |
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| Breed: |
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| Sex: |
Male
Female |
| Altered? |
Yes
No |
| Ever Been Around Cats? |
Yes
No |
| Behavior Towards Cats: |
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| Additional Pets - Please include:
Species/Breed, Age, Sex, whether or not Altered, if they have ever
Been With Cats, as well as their Behavior Toward Cats: |
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Household Members
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| How many adults and children are in this home? |
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| Please list all household members including
ages: |
| 1. Name:
Age:
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| 2. Name:
Age:
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| 3. Name:
Age:
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| 4. Name:
Age:
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| 5. Name:
Age:
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| 6. Name:
Age:
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| 7. Name:
Age:
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Fostering Specifics
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| Have You Ever Owned A Maine Coon Before? |
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Yes
No |
| If Yes, Please Describe In Detail: |
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| Have you ever worked with a cat with behavioral
problems, medical needs, or special needs before? (describe)* |
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| Are you willing to work with a cat with behavioral
problems, medical needs, or special needs? |
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Yes
No |
| Problems You Are Willing To Work With: |
Inappropriate Elimination
Spraying
Scratching Furniture
Aggression Management
Fearful/Overly Shy
Medical Management |
| Please describe the space in which you
would keep a foster cat, away from your other pets, until the foster
cat can become integrated into the rest of the home.* |
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| How far are you willing to drive to pick up a foster
cat? |
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miles |
| Time Limit For Fostering?* |
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| * Time Limit: We request that foster homes
be willing to commit to keeping a cat at least 8 weeks (2 months),
because it often takes at least that long to find a suitable home
for the cat. Foster cats should ideally be kept isolated from any
current pets, preferably in a spare bedroom or office (a large bathroom
will suffice in a pinch). Any foster space must have windows to
allow in light and, season permitting, fresh air. |
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| Do you agree to allow ECMCR to perform a Home Visit? |
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Yes
No |
| If not, please explain: |
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ECMCR Foster Home Guidelines
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| The Foster Home is invaluable in the rescue
process. Cats need to be in a home atmosphere for their mental stability
and for rescue to be able to evaluate the type of home and people
best suited for each cat. |
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| As I/we
(Foster Home) agree to receive a cat from East Coast Maine Coon
Rescue (ECMCR) for the purpose of fostering until a permanent adoptive
home can be found, I/we agree willingly to all the following terms
of fostering: |
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| 1. Rights: ECMCR cats are the sole
property of ECMCR and decisions regarding their placement, medical
care, behavioral modification and euthanasia are exclusively made
by the Officers/Directors (hereafter referred to as Officers). Under
no circumstances does a Foster Home have the right to place, sell,
give away, abandon, donate, or euthanize the ECMCR cat(s) in their
care. Furthermore, all medical treatments given or extreme behavior
modification techniques practiced must be discussed with and approved
by an Officer before implementation. |
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2. Upkeep costs: As a Foster Home, you are responsible
for providing indoor-only accommodations including food, water,
a bed, litterboxes, litter, a scratching post and for providing
ample amounts of attention and one-on-one care for the cat(s)
placed in your custody. ECMCR will reimburse Foster Homes for
food and litter costs upon request, via a Reimbursement Form available
from the Director of Operations. Please liaise with the Director
of Operations for further details about this. It is the prerogative
of the Foster Home to buy additional items such as toys, further
scratching posts etc. at their own expense. It is understood that
fostering is not a short-term event, and that fostering can take
several weeks, and possibly even months.
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| 3. Vet bills: Pre-approved vet expenses
will be reimbursed by ECMCR after the Foster Home sends ECMCR an
original receipt for the services rendered. ECMCR must have a copy
of a completed Foster Home Application on file before funds will
be disbursed. Some cats enter a Foster Home without needing vet
care; others need varying degrees of vet care. The initial care
required for each cat will be specified. Each cat is later adopted
out with a guarantee of having been tested negative for Feline Leukemia
Virus and Feline Aids (FeLV/FIV), and up-to-date on certain vaccines.
Some of these will be performed while the cat is in foster care,
and therefore may not be current on shots or have been tested before
they come into the Foster Home. Additional vet care may be needed
during the course of fostering, but all such treatments must be
discussed with and approved by an Officer first. |
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| 3a. Vaccines: ECMCR cannot pay for
unnecessary vaccines beyond those pre-approved. Distemper/upper
respiratory vaccines are necessary if there is no written proof
of current vaccination provided by the previous owner/shelter vet.
ECMCR will determine if such proof has been provided, and inform
the Foster Home of any vaccines that are necessary. The Rabies vaccine
is deemed necessary only if there is no written proof of current
Rabies vaccination provided by the previous owner/shelter vet, AND
if it is required by law in the area the cat(s) is being fostered,
or if the cat will be transported out of state via land or air.
ECMCR will not reimburse for vaccines for FeLV, and under no circumstances
is a ECMCR cat to be given the vaccine for Feline Infectious Peritonitis
(FIP). |
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| 3b. Tests: If there is no written
record of the cat having been tested for FeLV/FIV, an Officer will
notify the Foster Home as to whether this test needs to be performed.
ECMCR will not reimburse for a Corona virus screening unless permission
is explicitly given for this procedure beforehand. At present the
Officers feel the test does not provide specific enough information
as to merit its cost. ECMCR will reimburse for tests such as stool
samples, urinalysis and blood screening if pre-approved. |
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| 3c. Altering: ECMCR will reimburse
the Foster Home for the cost of spaying or neutering any ECMCR cat(s)
in their care. |
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| 3d. Dentals: Because of the problems
associated with gingivitis, ECMCR will usually cover the cost of
a dental; however, this is done only in cases of severe deterioration,
or if another procedure requiring anesthesia is being done. ECMCR
prefers, if possible, to allow the new owner's veterinarian to perform
all dental work. Therefore, ECMCR will not reimburse for this procedure
unless the state of deterioration has been discussed with and approved
by an Officer beforehand. |
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| 3e. Emergencies: In the case of
a life-and-death emergency, the Foster Home must act in the best
interest of the foster cat(s). All effort must be made to contact
an Officer in the event of an emergency, but it is understood that
sometimes this is not possible. If an emergency occurs, the minimal
amount of vet care should be given to ensure the cat(s) is free
of pain and out of danger, until an Officer is contacted and further
authorization is given. In the case of a severe emergency where
euthanasia is recommended by the veterinarian as the best interest
of the cat, ECMCR will reimburse for the cost of this procedure.
A written report of the event should be made by the veterinarian
and sent to ECMCR along with the receipt. |
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| 3f. Euthanasia: In some cases ECMCR
rescue cats have medical or behavioral problems too advanced to
make it possible to responsibly place them in a new home. Unfortunately,
sometimes these problems are not discovered, or the extent of them
are not discovered, until after they are in foster care. The decision
to euthanize a cat is solely that of the Officers. However, once
that decision is made, it is the responsibility of the Foster Home
to have the procedure performed by a licensed veterinarian. This
is a difficult but crucial role of a Foster Home, and any Foster
Home must be willing to undertake this assignment. ECMCR will pay
for this procedure if pre-approved. |
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4. Pre-existing pets: ECMCR cats
should be kept away from existing pets in the household. ECMCR cannot
take responsibility for any injury or illness sustained by a non-ECMCR
cat. If the fostering period extends beyond expectation and the
Foster Home wishes to introduce the foster cat(s) to existing pets,
this should be discussed with and approved by the Director first.
Be certain that inoculations on your own animals are kept current.
It is necessary to quarantine the rescue cat for two weeks when
he first comes into foster care. If you're not equipped to do that,
please be sure to let ECMCR know. The cat may need to get a check
up and be scheduled for neutering as soon as possible.
The Foster Home is an interim placement for the cat. While ECMCR
wants you to enjoy the cat, permanent placement will be easier for
you both if the cat doesn't become "part of the family."
ECMCR knows you care; you wouldn't be providing foster care if you
didn't. ECMCR doesn't want you to get burned out. ECMCR doesn't
want the cat to settle in and bond strongly with your family only
to find that he/she is being sent away again. |
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5. Behavioral problems: Some ECMCR
cats may have behavior problems that require the Foster Home to
practice behavior modification techniques. Some examples of problems
ECMCR has encountered include: inappropriate litterbox use, spraying,
scratching furniture, aggression to humans or other animals, severe
shyness/fear of people. Many cases, the cat simply needs to be in
a loving, quiet environment away from other pets or noise. In some
cases, more extreme measures must be taken by the Foster Home to
correct the problem.
The Foster Home will be informed of any behavioral problems that
the Officers are aware of beforehand, and possible modification
techniques discussed. In the event that a cat shows a behavioral
problem in the Foster Home that the Officers had not been aware
of, the Foster Home must inform an Officer of the problem immediately.
The Officer will discuss possible behavior modification techniques,
or advise the Foster Home of sources to consult on the problem.
Under no circumstances should severe disciplinary or modification
correction techniques be applied without the approval of an Officer.
Again, the cat(s) is the property and responsibility of ECMCR and
if actions are taken that the Officers do not approve the cat will
be removed from the care of the Foster Home as soon as possible.
ECMCR will rely on you to evaluate the cat in your care so that
together, ECMCR can determine the best placement for him/her.
It may be necessary to expose him/her to a variety of situations,
experiences and types of people. It won't take you long to figure
out how secure the cat is, if he has specific fears, etc. Any information
you can give us about the cat will help us when we're interviewing
prospective people to take him. |
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6. Previous/Future owners: Although
the Foster Home may by necessity come in contact with previous owners
or with future adopters, that contact should be limited to the pre-approved
realm explicitly indicated by an Officer. Foster Homes are the agents
of ECMCR and should not solicit contact with previous owners after
the animals are placed in foster care, nor should they solicit contact
with new owners after adoption.
ECMCR does often provide updates to previous owners or to Foster
Homes after their cats have been placed, but this is done expressly
through the Officers to avoid potential conflicts and liabilities.
After any necessary contact is completed (e.g.: to arrange the picking
up or dropping off of a cat), no further contact should be made.
If the previous owner attempts to contact the Foster Home, an Officer
should be notified immediately. ECMCR also recommends exchanges
be made in a neutral location if possible. |
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7. Involvement in Adoption: Some
Foster Homes prefer to be actively involved in the placement of
their foster cat(s); others prefer to simply foster the cat and
leave the decision-making to the Officers. Foster interaction is
necessary with potential adopters and the Officers are especially
interested in feedback from the Foster Home on their feelings about
the potential adopters. You will need to be prepared to tell them
you don't think this is the right cat for the potential adopter
if you don't feel comfortable.
ECMCR will have screened prospective adopters before sending them
to you but a second opinion is extremely valuable. For each adoption,
make 2 copies of everything. The Foster Home should keep one copy
and one copy should go with the cat to the new adopter.
Be sure the new adopter understands that ECMCR will always be available
if they have any questions or problems. ECMCR will ask each adopter
to pay an Adoption Fee to ECMCR. Please check with the Director
of Operations for further details about this. ECMCR’s primary goal
is to place the cat in a happy and secure home. |
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| 8. Liability: The Foster Home accepts
responsibility for any and all events that occur in connection with
the fostering of an ECMCR cat. The Foster Home agrees to release
and indemnify ECMCR from any and all claims, known and unknown,
now or hereafter, arising in connection with the cat(s). |
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| 9. Attorney Fees and Costs: Should
it be necessary for ECMCR or its agents and volunteers to take legal
action to recover a foster cat or otherwise enforce any provisions
in this agreement, Foster Home agrees to pay all court costs and
legal fees. |
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| 10. Certification of Full Disclosure:
Foster Home attests that all information provided to potential adopter
is accurate and complete to the best of the Foster Home's knowledge. |
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| 11. Forum, Integration, and Severability:
This written agreement constitutes the whole agreement between
the undersigned and ECMCR, and no prior oral or written agreements
not explicitly included in this document are to be considered as
part of this contract. Wherever possible, the terms and conditions
of this agreement shall be interpreted in such a manner as to be
effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision shall
be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision
shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity,
without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining
terms and conditions of this agreement. |
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| 12. Multiple Fosterers: Where more
than one person or a non-incorporated group entity appears as Foster
home in this agreement, each person agrees to be jointly and severably
liable under the terms of this agreement, and responsible for compliance
with each of its terms and conditions. |
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| 13. Liquidated Damages: In the event
that the Foster Home abandons or otherwise transfers the cat without
the prior written permission of an Officer, or if the cat is abused
or mistreated in violation of this agreement, Foster Home agrees
to pay ECMCR $500 in liquidated damages, covering costs including
but not limited to: veterinary treatment, time and transportation
expended in locating the cat, travel expenses in recovering the
cat, expenses already invested to improve the cat's health, locate
permanent homes, and for legal and other investigative expenses.
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