Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Foster Carers Needed


SAHA horse rescue and sanctuary has always been a sanctuary based rescue, we have only ever used a very small number of Foster carers, however due to our beautiful property being listed for sale for a massive $1.6m which is completely out of our budget we are looking to find some suitable, committed, loving foster homes for our babies until which time we can sort out another property, but in saying that if the foster families are working we might just keep them as a way of expanding and rescuing more horses. If you are interested in fostering please text me your name and location and I will call you back in the evening to have a chat. You must remember that these are special horses that require special care and just putting them in a paddock with other horses and forgotten about isn’t what we want. You must live on the property (no agistment), you must be able to feed morning and night separate from your own horses (ours have special diets), you must be able to medicate if needed, provide grooming, baths and general care and also have lots of unconditional love to give. If this sounds like you – then we need you on board. Please text 0428333044 and I will call you back to discuss.

1.      What is involved in being a foster carer? Caring for one of our special rescue horses is an important and rewarding journey and you will need to be committed and reliable not just for the organisation but for the life that is in your care. What is required for each horse will vary depending on what condition they are in and what “issues” or illnesses they have at the time. One rescue horse might be in poor condition, another may have an injury or illness and one might have emotional issues. We do our best to match up each rescue horse with the carers abilities and confidence levels. The carer will be required to sign a liability waiver and a carers contract and agree to keep the horse in accordance to the organisations code of conduct, and report to the field officer about how their horse is progressing. We will come and meet you in person and inspect your property before sending a rescue horse to you.

2.      What are the expenses involved? All expenses relating to the rescue horse are covered by the organisation. If you are not located on the Gold Coast and we cannot get feed delivered to you or you are not using one of our farriers or specialist and you do have to pay for something out of your own pocket then you are required to keep the receipts so that we can write you a cheque for the out of pocket expense. This can normally take up to 4 weeks to be re-imbursed.

3.      What is the selection process? First of all you must live in South East QLD and we will take preference to people on the Gold Coast or within 1 hour drive. This is so that I or a field officer can get to you quickly if there is an emergency and so that we can still use our amazing team of specialist vets, farriers and equine therapists.

4.      4. What time frame do you keep the horse for? Rescue horses stay with us until they are fully rehabilitated. We are looking for long term foster carers or short term depending on the horse’s needs. Each horse is different.

5.      5. If need arises can the horse be returned? Yes, the contract that you sign will be as the carer only, and if you feel that you cannot take care of the horse 100% providing the care needed, then the horse is to be returned immediately.