Previous adopters or foster parents living an applicant's community usually perform home visits. When Labs4rescue doesn't have any adopters or fosters in an area, we will ask members of nearby rescues, animal control officers, or local veterinary hospital staff to perform home visits.
Home visits are performed after an adoption or foster applicant is matched to a dog. The home visit must be performed and approved before the adopter or foster can receive the dog.
All family members residing at the residence must attend the home visit. Exceptions are made for college students living away from home and for military personnel currently deployed away from home for an extended period.
If you arrive at the home to find that one or more family members are absent, you should remind the applicant that all residents must attend. Do not allow the applicant to pressure you into performing a home visit when one or more family members are absent. You should feel free to reschedule the home visit to a different time and notify the Home Visit Coordinator of the change. If you travelled a considerable distance to perform the home visit, and do not want to return at a later date, then you can perform the visit clearly noting who was absent when you submit your report.
Although Labs4rescue has a thorough screening process before a home visit is conducted, not all applicants "pass" the home visit. While an applicant may look good on paper, issues may be detected at the home visit that could not be detected on an application or in interview.
This decision is made by the dog's Adoption Coordinator who uses the information provided on the application, interview, vet check and home visit to determine an applicant's suitability for adopting or fostering a dog.
The home visit volunteer does not have the authority to "pass" or "fail" the applicant during the course of the visit. The home visit volunteer's purpose is to gather information, ask and answer questions, and provide their report and recommendation to Labs4rescue. If the home visit volunteer has any reservations about an applicant's suitability to adopt a dog, they should be noted on their report.
No, home visit volunteers should refuse to perform home visits for friends, neighbors, relatives, or business associates. If one of Labs4rescue's Home Visit Coordinators asks you to perform a home visit for a friend, neighbor, relative, or business associate, you should decline the request noting that you are familiar with the applicant. You should only perform home visits for applicants you do not have a prior relationship with.
The results for all home visits must be submitted using the rescue's online Home Visit Form. Use of the online form ensures that the appropriate members of the rescue receive the form quickly. It is best to submit your report immediately after the home visit. Please do not delay submitting your report since applicants are anxiously awaiting the results.
Adoption Coordinators appreciate receiving detailed responses to questions since it helps them make more informed decisions. When in doubt, please provide as much information as possible. Be sure to raise any concerns you have, no matter how minor they may seem.
All first-time home visits must be performed before the dog arrives. Occasionally, follow-up home visits are requested for adopters after the rescue receives a report that the dog was found by a Good Samaritan or Animal Control Officer, or if the rescue has reason to believe the dog is being mistreated or the adoption is not working satisfactorily.
No, a copy of your report is not provided to the applicant. Although the Adoption Coordinator may discuss the results with the applicant, they may not supply the completed home visit form to the applicant.
Labs4rescue is a volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. As such, home visit volunteers receive no financial remuneration for completing a home visit. Labs4rescue does not reimburse home visit volunteers for travel expenses, gas or tolls. Check with your tax advisor/preparer to determine if you can deduct your unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses or mileage on your tax return.
The need for fencing is evaluated on an individual basis. If a fence is required, you will be notified before you perform the home visit. Some situations requiring a fence may include property abutting a major highway or a history of having a previous dog hit by a car.
Labs4rescue wants its adopters to treat their new dogs as family members. As such, the use of an outdoor kennel or doghouse is prohibited. Please report the presence of an outdoor kennel or doghouse when you submit your report.
You may bring your dog with you if you desire. This is recommended if you are visiting a family that never had a dog before since it will allow you to see how all members of the family interact with your dog. Bringing your dog is not recommended if the family already has a dog or if you are uncomfortable doing so. If you bring your dog with you, please advise us how the family members interacted with your dog when you submit your report.
Please advise the applicant that you do not have the authority to "pass" or "fail" the applicant and that you are there to gather information, ask and answer questions, and provide your report to Labs4rescue. You should inform the applicant that the decision is made by the dog's Adoption Coordinator who uses the information provided on the application, interview, vet check and home visit to determine an applicant's suitability for adopting or fostering a dog.
As a home visit volunteer, you should not allow the applicant to pressure you since the rescue is most concerned with the safety and well being of the dog. If the dog is already on the transport and you believe the applicant's home is unacceptable, please contact the Home Visit Coordinator and/or Adoption Coordinator immediately so that the dog can be placed with an approved foster home or boarded in a licensed boarding kennel.
As a home visit volunteer, you should recommend that the applicant consult his/her Adoption Coordinator.
About Us
Labs4Rescue is a volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing a new life for rescued or displaced Labrador Retrievers and Labrador Mixes.
Our goal is to promote and advance responsible pet ownership.
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P.O. Box 955 Killingworth, CT 06419
State of Connecticut Department of Agriculture Animal Importer Registration # AIR 000118
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Import License to Operate a Rescue Organization License # 0141
State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Certificate of Registration for Rescue/Category A License # 1596/1247