With the majority of shelters remaining closed due to the ongoing pandemic, fosters are needed now more than ever.
Fortunately, most shelters have cleared their kennels and placed all their animals in foster homes, but of course, the act of saving lives continues.
There are still plenty of stray animals on the streets that need rescuing, but because shelters are closed, the only way to save them is to put them in a foster home.
If your organization is one of the many selfless heroes that continue to rescue and find homes for animals during this very trying time, we’re here to help!
You can now use Doobert to recruit fosters from the safety of your home. From publishing foster requests to screening applicants to managing fosters, everything you need will be in one place.
We walk you through the entire process down below or you can check out our quick video from our Youtube channel!
How to Create A Foster Request
To make things easier, you can go to the Animals tab and add the animal you want to find a foster for or import their profile from the animal management software that you’re using before you create a foster request.
Doing so allows you to select the animal from a list when creating your foster request and have Doobert auto-fill the information for you.
Step 1: Go to the FosterSpace tab
Go to your Organization Dashboard and click on the FosterSpace tab.
Step 2: Go to the Recruit Fosters quadrant
Scroll down and you’ll find the Recruit Fosters quadrant on the lower right-hand side.
Step 3: Click the + icon
Step 4: Fill out your new foster request
You can choose to select an animal that you’ve already listed on Doobert and have the information auto-populate.
Or manually add in information.
To increase the animal’s chances of attracting a foster, upload a good-quality photo (or photos, if possible, to provide variation).
If you’re using RescueTube and have a video of the animal in one of your buckets, you can add that as well.
On the lower part of the foster request form, you can also add questions that you want applicants to answer. To add more than one question, click on the + icon.
Step 5: Select the account you want to share your foster request to
If you’ve already connected your Facebook account to Doobert, you’ll be able to automatically share your foster request there just by hitting Publish.
Step 6: Publish your new foster request
After selecting the Facebook accounts that you want to share your foster request to, click Publish.
The animal will then be added under the Recruit Fosters quadrant where you’ll be able to keep track of applicants and accept or decline applications.
Step 7: Accept A Foster Application
When someone applies to foster the animal, click Applications and you’ll see the name of the applicant and the Accept and Decline buttons.
Click the name of the applicant to view their foster profile and the answers to any questions you might have added to your foster request.
Once you accept their application, applicants will be notified via email.
Applicants are given the option to accept or decline and until they make a decision, the status of the foster request will show as Pending Acceptance.
Once the applicant accepts, the foster request will automatically be archived.
How to Connect Your Facebook Account
By default, Doobert will notify relevant volunteer fosters about your foster request. But you can have it reach an even wider audience by connecting your Facebook pages or groups to Doobert and automatically post your foster requests to those accounts every time you hit Publish.
Step 1: Go to your Org Account Settings
On your Organization Dashboard, click the drop-down arrow to the right of your profile photo and click Org Account Settings.
Step 2: Click Edit Organization Profile
Step 3: Go to the Social Media tab
Step 4: Click Add A New Connection
Step 5: Select the type of account you want to connect
You have the option to connect a Facebook page or a Facebook group, if you’re an admin, then click Continue.
Step 6: Follow the steps provided and click Continue
After clicking Continue, you’ll see step-by-step instructions on how to link your Facebook accounts to Doobert. Once you’ve gone through all the steps, go ahead and click Continue at the bottom of the page. 
Step 7: Select the Facebook account you want to connect
Check the boxes to the right of the Facebook pages or groups that you want to connect to Doobert. After that, click Next.
Step 8: Allow permissions and click Done.
A dialog box will appear to let you know that you’ve successfully linked your account to Doobert. Finalize the process by clicking OK.
Your chosen Facebook page or group will automatically appear in your list of connected social media accounts on Doobert.
How to Choose A Template
To help you save time and ensure that your foster requests look professional and visually appealing when you post them on Facebook, we’ve prepared pre-made templates for you. Here’s how you pick a design:
Step 1: Go to the Animals tab
Step 2: Click Add/Manage
Step 3: Select Social Media Postings
Under Manage Animal, click Social Media Postings.
Step 4: Select a social media post template
In the Social Media tab, click on Foster Share Templates.
Once you find one that you like, simply click the check underneath it and you’re all set!
Did you find this feature helpful? We’d love to get your feedback or suggestions!
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