Foster handoff checklist

Before the animal leaves

• Confirm the foster's name, phone number, and the address the animal will stay at.
• Confirm who at the organization is the foster's main contact, and who covers when that person is off.
• Check that the record shows what is known, what is unknown, and what staff want the foster to watch for.
• Write down the reason for the foster placement (space, recovery, age, behavior support, or something else).
• Agree on the expected length of the stay, or say plainly that it is open-ended.

Foster contact

Organization contact and backup

What goes with the animal

• Food and feeding instructions as staff were given them, with any change in diet noted.
• Medication, if any, with the labeled directions from the prescriber and a note of the last dose given.
• A copy of the record or a one-page summary, with the animal's ID and photo.
• Supplies the organization provides, and what the foster is expected to supply.
• Carrier, leash, or crate, and when it should come back.

Last dose given (if any)

Supplies provided

What the foster is told

Say these out loud and also put them on paper. A foster who is nervous on day one will not remember a verbal list.

• Who to call for a routine question, and who to call when something seems wrong.
• What to do outside office hours, including the emergency clinic your organization uses, if any.
• What the foster is allowed to decide alone and what needs approval first, including veterinary spending.
• What staff would like to hear about and how often: eating, behavior, photos, and anything unusual.
• Whether the foster may introduce the animal to potential adopters, and who handles adoption inquiries.

Spending the foster may approve

Update rhythm

Check-ins during the stay

• Set the first check-in before the animal leaves, not after.
• Decide where updates are recorded so they land on the animal's record and not only in one person's messages.
• Name who reviews each update and what a reviewed update looks like.

First check-in date

Where updates are recorded

The return or adoption handoff

• Agree on how the foster gives notice when they need the animal to move.
• Ask the foster for what they learned: routines, fears, likes, and what helped.
• Collect borrowed supplies and medication that is left over, and note what came back.
• If the foster wants to adopt, route that through the normal adoption review so it is not a side deal.
• Thank the foster in a way that does not depend on a clever message: a prompt reply and a clear next step.

Return date

What the foster learned