FASS: FOTA Alternatives to Shelter Surrender

FOTA Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (FASS) is a Friends of the Animals BR program. If you have a dog that you need to re-home you can apply to be considered for our program.

We are able to assist with re-homing of owned, found, or rescued dogs that you are accepting ownership of, when you are able to foster the dog. You must also be able to bring the dog to the FOTA adoption house on a regular basis until adopted. You must prove that you have done a diligent search* for the rightful owner of any found/rescued dog.

NOTE: Acceptance of a dog into this program when you are not able to foster will be extremely limited and dependent on availability of a FOTA foster for the dog. At this time we are not likely to have a foster available, but you can apply.

*Diligent Search includes – active 7-10 day search for the owner by posting the dog on the Baton Rouge Lost and Found Pets Facebook page or Lost Pets for your area, emailing a picture and found info to CAA at intake@caabr.org if the dog was found in EBR, taking the dog to a vet for a free scan to see if it has a microchip, posting on Nextdoor.com for your neighborhood if found in that area, putting up flyers in the area where the dog was found and visiting vet offices in the area to see if they recognize the dog.

Criteria for FOTA FASS acceptance:

• The dog must, at a minimum, have current rabies, 5/1 vaccination, Bordetella, and a heartworm test. The Re-home Team may be able to provide assistance for some basic vetting cost on a limited basis such as spay/neuter, providing the microchip and monthly heartworm preventative if the dog is accepted into the program. In some cases a discussion with your vet may be necessary to confirm medical history and to request records.

• Owner/Finder/Rescuer must submit a re-home application and email photos of the dog to the address shown below. The Re-home Team will review and decide if they will proceed to the next step dependent on adoptability of the dog. A copy of vet records showing heart worm status and that the dog is current on vaccinations must be provided prior to assessment unless dog has been approved for FOTA vetting assistance. If you do not provide records, the assessment will be cancelled until you can provide the necessary documents.

• The next step is a behavior/temperament assessment. A meeting will be set up with the dog, the owner/finder/rescuer and at least one Re-home Team member. If the dog is approved after the behavior assessment, dogs being fostered by owner/finder/rescuer will be scheduled for a probationary period at the FOTA adoption house and dogs requiring a FOTA foster will be surrendered by the owner/finder/rescuer at a designated time/place. Once the dog is surrendered it becomes a FOTA foster and no longer part of the FASS program.

The time frame for FASS re-homing is two months when the owner/finder/rescuer is the foster. At the end of two months, the dog can be released from our FASS program. However, you may request an extension and the Re-home Team will review and advise.

You retain full ownership and liability of the dog while fostering for the FASS Program. All adoption applications will be reviewed and screened by FASS/FOTA. The approved adoption applications will be shared with the owner/finder/rescuer for input prior to a meet and greet being scheduled.

Friends of the Animals reserves the right not to accept dogs into the program and can release a dog from the FASS program at any time, if necessary.

If you would like our help re-homing a dog, please email fotafassprogram@gmail.com with your name, phone#, information about the dog and two pictures of the dog to request an application.

After initial contact an application will be sent to you via email if we think the dog will fit into our program. All fields of the application must be completed. If any do not apply, simply state that for the answer. We will contact you after the Re-home Team reviews your application and photos to let you know if the dog has been accepted for temperament testing.

FOTA FASS Contact Information
fotafassprogram@gmail.com