Our volunteers are our life-blood at BHRG. Without our volunteers, BHRG would not exist. We have several ways you can help. Read below to find out more about becoming a foster home, a transportation volunteer, a home visit volunteer, or a special events assistant.
What Does It Take To Foster A Basset Hound for BHRG?
Shelter
Just as with our adoptive homes, we require that a foster home provide the foster basset with adequate shelter during the day and indoor sleeping quarters at night. Basset hounds love their people and prefer to stay with them.
Food
We ask that you feed your foster hound a good quality dog food. Iams, Science Diet, Eukanuba, and Nutro are good choices. Many foster dogs come into our care very under-nourished. A puppy formula food, some canned food mixed in, or even whole-fat cottage cheese mixed in can help your hound add body weight and be healthy again.
Transportation
Occasionally you may need to drive your foster hound somewhere. Transportation may be required to and from a BHRG vet if your hound needs vet care. BHRG also sponsors basset events such as PETsMART and Petco Adoption Days and the annual Basset Bash. Bringing your foster hound to these events gives him exposure to potential adoptive families. And sometimes, we may ask that you bring your foster hound to meet a potential adoptive family at a mutually agreed on place such as a park.
House Training?
When basset hounds come to us from a shelter or as strays, we have no idea whether they're house trained. If your hound is having house training issues, many of us here at BHRG can assist with suggestions that have helped us through the years.
Patience
Many of these guys have been through the ringer. Some patience and understanding from you can help. Many hounds need to learn to trust again, and some just need time to de-stress. We ask that if you must move a hound to another home, please give them two weeks in yours first. Bouncing hounds from home to home is tough on them. Of course, if there are issues with children in the home, we'll do our best to arrange a move as soon as possible.
Love
You will grow to love your foster hound. And rest assured that you have first option to adopt if you just can't bear to give up that sweet basset hound. Nursing these guys back to health can be a joyful experience that you'll never forget. For the love you give, you'll get back double the love in gratitude. And your love for your foster basset can bring wonderful basset love to another family.
What Do Transportation Volunteers Do?
There are many reasons BHRG needs transportation volunteers. Sometimes we need help transporting dogs from parts of Georgia into the metro-Atlanta area to be placed in foster care. There are times when foster families need help getting the hounds to/from the vet or Petsmart adoption events. And sometimes BHRG needs help transporting a hound to his forever family.
What Is a Home Visit?
BHRG requires that all foster homes and adoptive homes have a home visit. This helps BHRG make sure the dog and family are settling-in nicely. It also gives potential foster families and adoptive families a chance to ask questions. BHRG has standard forms that volunteers use when visiting a home, and a home visit only takes 20-30 minutes.
Interested in Helping with Special Events?
BHRG hosts several special events and needs volunteers to make those events happen. Almost all events take place in the metro-Atlanta area.
The annual Basset Bash is held each fall at an area park and is family-oriented with many basset hounds in attendance. This event requires volunteers to serve on the planning committee and to assist in raffles, t-shirt sales, etc. We also need volunteers to help us at the event with setting-up and cleaning-up, managing games, registering guests, selling merchandise, and more.
Our annual spring fundraiser is the Spring Fling Dinner Auction. This event is held in the evening complete with a sit-down dinner and a cash bar. We need volunteers to help acquire auction items, transport items to the auction, set up and clean up at the auction, etc.
Adoption events are held each weekend at various metro-Atlanta pet supply stores. Volunteers are needed to help speak with potential adopters, hold leashes, etc.
Sign Me Up!
We'd love to have you join us!
If you're interested in more information on becoming a foster family for a homeless basset in Georgia, please complete the Foster Home Application.
If you'd like to volunteer in other ways, please continue by completing the Volunteer Sign-Up Form below.
