Adoption Policy

Policy Number 20

Effective: June 1, 2007

Version 5.0

Policy

Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society, Inc.’s (BEHS) policy is to adopt out the equines belonging to BEHS to approved homes.

Procedure

In order to adopt, an individual or family must:

• Be a current member of BEHS in good standing.
• Have a signed liability waiver on file with BEHS.
• Submit a complete Adoption Application.

Once all of the above paperwork is received by BEHS, the rescue may:

• Review the adoption application to ensure that applicant meet fostering requirements.
• Call and verify references.
• Conduct a background check.
• Assign a volunteer inspector to set up a time for a pre-adoption home visit. During the pre-adoption home visit, the inspector will view and photograph the property where any adopted equine(s) will live, view and photograph other equines on the property, and answer questions about the adoption process.

Throughout the adoption process (starting when an application is received), the Adoption Coordinator will make periodic contact with the applicant. The Adoption Coordinator will:

• Contact the applicant when any part of the adoption application is received to give the applicant a report on the status of their application including what paperwork is outstanding.
• Answer questions about the adoption process.
• After a volunteer inspector has been assigned to conduct the inspection, the Adoption Coordinator will check in with the applicant to insure that they’ve heard from the volunteer inspector.
• Review the adoption policies and contract with the adopter.
• Remain a point of contact for the adopter.

The volunteer inspector will submit the Inspection Worksheet and photographs to the Horse Records Manager. The Adoption Coordinator will then decide whether or not the prospective adoptive home meets the minimum standards of care (outlined in the Minimum Standards of Care Policy) necessary to become an adoptive home.

The Adoption Coordinator may refuse an adoption for any reason.

After reviewing the Inspection Worksheet and photographs, either the Adoption Coordinator will contact the applicant.

• If the application is not approved, the Adoption Coordinator will discuss the reasons the application was not approved and outline what the applicant must do in order to be approved.
• If the application is approved, the Adoption Coordinator will notify the applicant and determine which equine(s) the adopter is interested in visiting. The Adoption Coordinator will put the adopter in contact with the foster home for those equines. The adopter will have two weeks to visit the equine, decide whether or not he/she will adopt, and arrange transportation of the equine. After the two week time period, the next approved applicant in line for that equine may get the opportunity to adopt him/her. Extensions may be granted if the foster home is not available during the two week timeframe. If the applicant fills out an adoption contact and pays the adoption fee but is unable to pick up the equine within the two week time-frame, the adopter will be responsible for paying board to the foster home at the rate of $50/week.

An applicant who has not been approved may file an appeal in writing to the Board of Directors within seven (7) days of receiving notice that they were not approved, and the Board of Directors will discuss the appeal. The Board of Directors has final discretion in upholding a refused adoption.

When the applicant visits the equine(s) he/she wishes to adopt if the equine is ridable, he/she and any family members who will be riding the equine once he/she is adopted must ride the equine under the supervision of the foster home. All equines must be handled by the applicant under the supervision of the foster home.

If the foster home does not feel confident that the applicant can safely and easily handle the equine, the foster home can delay the adoption and request that the Board of Directors reconsider the adoption.

If the foster home feels confident that the applicant can safely and easily handle the equine, the adopter may sign an adoption contract, and pay the adoption fee.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES may an applicant transport an equine before he/she has signed an adoption contract and paid the adoption fee.

When adopting, the adopter signs a contract agreeing to:

• Never use the adopted equine for breeding
• Never use the adopted equine as a Embryo Transfer donor or recipient
• To never sell the adopted equine
• To not send the equine through an auction or to a slaughter house,
• To only give away, lease out, or otherwise dispose of the equine (aside from humane euthanasia) when approved by the Adoption Coordinator. This approval will only be granted if:
• The adopter has had the adopted equine for more than one year.
• The person the adopter wishes to rehome the equine with agrees to submit a BEHS adoption and is approved.
• The person the adopter wishes to rehome the equine with agrees to follow the rules and guidelines outlined in the BEHS adoption contract and is willing to submit to a pre-adoption inspection and follow-up inspections in accordance with the adoption contract.
• If the adopter cannot keep the equine and cannot/will not rehome the equine in accordance with the above requirements, the equine must be returned to BEHS if the adopter can no longer keep the equine
• Advise BEHS if the equine is moved from the location described on the adoption contract
• Notify BEHS if the equine dies or is euthanized
• Maintain the equine in proper condition and health in accordance with the BEHS Minimum Standards of Care Policy
• Agrees to give BEHS volunteers who are acting upon instructions from the Board of Directors, Officers, or the Adoption Follow Up Coordinator access to the equine, with or without notice, in order to verify the equine’s condition and health
• Immediately notify BEHS if he/she receives a citation for any criminal or civil offense related to animal abuse or neglect
• Indemnify and hold harmless BEHS, its officers, directors, members, and volunteers for any damage to property or persons caused by the equine(s) adopted from BEHS
• Pay all attorney fees, legal expenses, and court costs of BEHS incurred in connection with enforcement of the Adoption Contract
• Knowingly and voluntarily assume all risks associated with the adopted equine – including but not limited to inherent risks and risks of negligence

BEHS will maintain ownership of the adopted equine for two (2) years. During this time, BEHS will conduct the following post-adoption follow-up inspections:

• One to two (1 – 2) months after the date of the adoption contract
• Four to seven (4 – 7) months after the date of the adoption contract
• Eleven to thirteen (11 – 13) months after the date of the adoption contract
• Twenty-three to twenty-five (23 – 25) months after the date of the adoption contract
• Additionally as needed

Foster homes are the heart of the organization. They open their homes and their hearts to house needy equines. Some foster homes help rehabilitate starved equines while others work with equines who have training problems. Foster homes show their equines off to prospective adopters – and when their foster horse is adopted, they open their hearts for another.

If you don’t think you have enough horse experience to foster, don’t worry. Bluebonnet is happy to set inexperienced foster homes up with a mentor who can help them learn to foster. Many foster homes say they’ve learned more about horses by fostering than through lessons, classes or anything else.

Fostering Policy
Effective: January 15, 2022

Policy

Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society, Inc.’s (BEHS) policy is to utilize a network of foster homes to care for, evaluate, and house the equines belonging to BEHS until those equines are placed into permanent, adoptive homes.

Procedure

In order to foster, an individual or family must:

 

• Be a current member of BEHS in good standing.
• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Have a signed liability waiver on file for each person who will be handling the fostered equine(s).
• Submit a complete Fostering Application.

Once all of the above paperwork is received by BEHS, the rescue may:

• Review the foster application to insure that the applicant meet fostering requirements.
• Call and verify the references.
• Assign a volunteer inspector to set up a time for a pre-foster home visit. During the pre-foster home visit, the inspector will view and photograph the property where any fostered equine(s) will live, view and photograph other equines on the property, and answer questions about the fostering process.

The adoption/fostering application includes a self-inspection section. If the adopter/foster home does not submit sufficient self-inspection information or if the Adoption Coordinator or Fostering Coordinator has questions or concerns about the self-inspection photos or property, he/she may ask the Inspection Coordinator to post for an in person self-inspection.

If an in person inspection is needed, the volunteer inspector will submit the Inspection Worksheet and photographs to the Horse Records Manager.

The Foster Home Coordinator will determine if the prospective foster home meets the minimum standards of care (outlined in the Minimum Standards of Care Policy) necessary to become a foster home. The Worksheet and photos should be submitted to the Horse Records Manager within three (3) days of the pre-foster inspection.

After reviewing the Fostering Application and photographs, the Foster Home Coordinator will contact the applicant.

• If the application is not approved, the Foster Home Coordinator will discuss the reasons why with the applicant and outline what the applicant must do in order to be approved.
• If the application is approved, the Foster Home Coordinator will notify the applicant, add the applicant to the BEHS Fostering list and add the applicant to the Approved Foster Home Spreadsheet.

Once an applicant is approved, he or she must sign and submit a Foster Contract to BEHS before he or she may volunteer to foster any equines.

When an equine needs a foster home (either because the equine is new to the organization, has been returned by an adopter, or must be moved from his/her current foster home), The Foster Home Coordinator may:

• ask a specific foster home to foster the equine based on the foster home’s proximity to the equine’s current location, resources, or experience, or
• post the equine as “Available for Fostering” BEHS Email lists and/or social media groups. The Foster Home Coordinator will then consider offers to foster on a first-come, first-served basis with special attention paid to the location, resources, and expertise of the foster homes.

BEHS will pay or reimburse for pre-approved expenses (in accordance with the reimbursement policy):

• Veterinary work in accordance with the Veterinary Procedures Policy and Standard Veterinary Care Policy
• Medications if pre-approved by the Foster Home Coordinator
• Supplements if pre-approved by the Foster Home Coordinator
• Corrective farrier work if pre-approved by the Foster Home Coordinator
• Paste de-wormer
• Trims

Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society also pays a fostering stipend to help offset the costs of hay/grain. The fostering stipend may not cover the entire costs of hay and/or grain, and the foster home will be responsible for any amount not covered by the stipend. Fostering stipends are paid quarterly. Stipend amounts:

• $80/month for a pony, donkey, mule, miniature
• $160/month for horses
• Additional fostering stipends may be approved by the Foster Home Coordinator for pregnant or nursing mares, emaciated horses, foals, senior horses, and/or horses will special feeding requirements. Additional stipends will only be given if supported by photographs documenting the condition of the horse and/or veterinary reports.

Upon arrival of a new equine, the foster home shall:

• Maintain the equine on a de-worming schedule
• Maintain the equine on a farrier schedule
• Ensure that the equine has had routine veterinary procedures performed in accordance with the Standard Veterinary Care Policy
• Evaluate the equine’s level of training to the best of his/her ability
• Complete an Equine ID form within one week and submit a copy of that form to the Horse Records Manager.
• Submit front, back, left, and right view photos to the Horse Records Manager within one week

The foster home will report by email, postal mail, or the telephone the condition, health, etc. of the fostered equine(s) as needed to the Foster Home Coordinator.

The foster home will review the equine’s web profile page and provide updates to the web coordinator as needed.

When the equine is put up for adoption, the foster home will be offered the opportunity to adopt the equine. The foster home will have two weeks from the date the equine is put up for adoption to decide whether or not they wish to adopt the equine. If they decide to adopt, the date on the adoption contract will be the date the equine arrived at the foster home and any follow-up inspections completed or photos submitted while fostering will count towards the follow-ups required of adopters. If the foster home does not adopt, then the opportunity to adopt the equine will then be offered to the first approved adoption applicant who has expressed an interest in the equine and the foster home will make the fostered equine available for scheduled visits by approved adoption applicants.

The foster home must give the Foster Home Coordinator at least thirty (30) days notice if they wish a fostered equine to be removed from their property.

If the foster home has a change in address, phone number, email, or any other contact information, they should notify the Foster Home Coordinator immediately.

The foster home will submit photographs that clearly depict the entire left side, entire right side, facial markings, condition of the hooves and any injuries of the equine twelve (12) months after the equine arrives at the foster home. The foster home will undergo follow up inspections at approximately two (2) months, five to seven (5-7) months and twenty-three to twenty-five (23-25) after the equine arrives at the foster home.

Once a foster home has fostered for five (5) years without problems, the Foster Home Coordinator will review the foster home’s history. If the foster home has had no problem follow-up visits, the Foster Home Coordinator will let the Inspection Coordinator know that the foster home now no longer needs follow-up inspections. Inspections will be reinstated if the foster home fails to submit photographs of the foster horse as needed/requested by the Foster Home Coordinator or Webpage Coordinator or if there are any problems with the condition of fostered or adopted horses that the foster home is responsible for.

If a foster home fails to submit photographs or self-inspections in a timely manner, BEHS may schedule additional in-person follow-up inspections.

The Board of Directors may remove a foster home’s “approved” status if the foster home:

• Neglects or abuses an equine
• Fails to comply with inspections
• Fails to make the equine available to approved adopters
• Fails to complete and submit the Equine ID Form and photographs within a reasonable amount of time
• Fails to comply with the Minimum Standards of Care Policy
• Moves a fostered equine without approval of the Foster Home Coordinator (in accordance with the Trailering Policy)

When a foster home’s “approved” status is removed, BEHS will remove any current fostered equines from the foster home’s care.

The following people may handle any BEHS equine in a foster home:

• Foster family
• Veterinarians
• Farriers
• Trainers with the permission of BEHS and completion of a signed liability waiver
• Approved BEHS Adopters
• Approved BEHS Trailering Volunteers
• Approved BEHS Inspectors
• BEHS members who have a completed, signed liability waiver on file at the discretion of the foster home