Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet© does not charge a fee for providing this service or any other service provided by the organization. However the military/veteran legal pet owner is usually responsible for any and all pet care related expenditures that can include but not limited to needed veterinary care, food, treats, grooming during the foster term unless other arrangements have been made by the organization’s national office.
In addition we hope the military/veteran legal pet owner will consider supporting the organization following the foster term via a monetary donation to the organization so we may continue assisting other active duty service members, our wounded warriors, our veterans, and their beloved pets.
During the time your pet is fostered with a specific “Guardian Angel” through our organization, the assigned “Foster Coordination Liaison” or an assigned “Foster Home Services Liaison” (FHSL) volunteer representing the state your pet or pets are fostered will follow up on a regular basis with the foster home to ensure the pet remains in a caring and safe home environment.
We will do everything humanly possible to assist you but are unable to make any guarantee with the following:
- We may not be to assist with each case since we are dependent on available volunteer registered foster homes in our network that will meet the needs of your pet and appears to be a good fit for both the pet and the chosen foster home.
- We will make all efforts to place more than 1 pet belonging to the same military or veteran legal pet owner where possible.in the same foster home.
- We will try to determine and suggest a foster home located as close as possible to where the pet is currently is located.
Pet Requirements
Each pet being submitted for assistance via the fostering program must be:
- Altered (spay or neutered) and cannot have major aggressive issues. See our “Altered Pet” policy HERE for further details
- Must be current on all required vaccinations including Bordetella
- If Canine, then Heartworm test results must be negative
- If Feline, then Feline Leukemia test results must be negative
Once a potential foster home has been determined and a “Meet and Greet” is held and both parties (MSM legal pet owner and chosen foster home) are comfortable with the pet to be cared for by the chosen foster, then our “Fostering Written Agreement” (FWA) document must be prepared and signed by both parties. Each party should retain a copy of the prepared/signed FWA with the foster home sending a copy of the signed FWA to our National office via Fax (866-800-0115).
Blank “FWA” provided here HERE for your information and review.
NOTE: Failure to prepare and sign the FWA will be recognized as between you and the foster home only and outside of the Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet area of responsibility or ability to assist with any issues that may arise during foster term. For your protection and that of your pet a FWA is required to be prepared and signed by both parties.
Situations We Assist With
If your particular situation is not defined below, we recommend doing an Internet search using words “military pet fostering” to determine other groups/organizations (national, state, and local levels) providing similar military pet fostering services and who may have available resources to assist with your particular situation.
Our foster home program was established primarily to assist in the following situations (click on the headings to go to the specific page):
Deployments
- Active Duty
- single and dual military couples whose units have received deployment orders related to a combat or peacekeeping or humanitarian mission.
- Foster Term up to 1 year
- Family of Deploying Service Member
- assistance related to a major medical situation (e.g., MS, Autism, spouse or child wheelchair bound) within the immediate family that would have an impact for the family to care for their beloved pet during the spouse’s deployment.
- Foster Term is the same as deployment term
Deployments relate to where a unit or members of a specific unit have received deployment orders related to a combat or peacekeeping or humanitarian mission only.
Wounded Warrior
- Assistance related to a medical situation (combat injuries, TBI, PTSD, Cancer or other major medical issues) by working with the various VA medical assigned representatives (mentor, counselor, social work, etc.), military medical facility (assigned Primary Case Manager) or the military Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) or Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) program.
- Foster Term between 2 – 12 months dependent on situation
Veteran Major Medical Issue
- Assistance related to major medical (e.g., PTSD, TBI, Cancer, etc.) situations by working with the various VA Medical Center representatives (mentor, counselor, case manager, etc.) across the country.
- Foster Term between 2 – 12 months dependent on situation)
Homeless Veteran
- Assistance involving a homeless situation by working with the various VA and/or VA approved “Homeless Transition” program representatives (mentor, counselor, case manager, etc.)
- Foster Term between 3 – 12 months dependent on situation
Out-of-Country PCS
- Out of the country including Hawaii and taking their pet(s) with them, but due to airline restrictions (weather related) or regulations related to vaccinations and quarantine requirements pet(s) are unable to travel at the same time as military service members.
- Foster Term between 3-6 months
Fallen Warriors
- Families impacted by the loss of a loved one who has paid the ultimate sacrifice (KIA or Suicide related) and is being supported through a “Survivors Outreach Services” (SOS) or “Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors: (TAPS) representative feels with everything unexpected happening at the moment they are unable to properly care for the MSM/family pet or pets may need our assistance. At the end of the foster term the family needs to pick up the pet or pets whether at that time they decide to keep the pet or pets or surrender the pet or pets.
- Foster Term up to 3 months
Military Pet Assistance (MPA) Fund
The Military Pet Assistance (MPA) fund was developed and implemented in February 2008 to assist with emergency pet care related costs for pets fostered in our MVPFH program when we are unable to reach the legal pet owner and emergency pet care is needed due to an unforeseen emergency medical situation occurs.
In addition expenditures from this fund are used to ensure our homeless veterans’ pets that are fostered through the MVPFH program (legal veteran pet owner is receiving a “hand up” via a VA medical center and/or Homeless Veteran Transition program) are altered, healthy, and current on shots prior to placement into one of our specific foster homes. These expenses can include but are not limited to:
- temporary boarding (usually not exceeding 14 days);
- required veterinary care related to the need for the pet or pets to be spayed/neutered, heartworm tested, current on all required shots as deemed necessary by the veterinarian;
- have the pets Microchipped;
- cover costs for up to 6 months of heartworm/flea/tick meds, and
- food and treats where the veteran does not have the funds to cover this expense.
In addition, funds may be expended for these pets during the specific foster term who may need unforeseen veterinarian care. To date the cost per pet averages $500 – $700.
Actual assistance via this fund is totally dependent on funds available at the time the expense is occurred and totally based on donations received via the general public during the year.
Military, Veteran and Pet (MVP) Sanctuary
Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet “MVP Sanctuary” program/capital project purpose and mission as another way to honor, remember, and support our military and veteran communities, military working dogs, and PTSD assistance canines by developing, establishing, and maintaining the MVP Sanctuary in Texas, approximately 14 miles west of Fort Hood in Coryell County (approximately 2 miles south of Gatesville off FM 116 on FM 1783).
Proposed MVP Sanctuary Virtual Tour
Questions or interested parties who wish to become involved with this program/capital project may contact Program Director volunteer by phone (254-248-1818) or via email (mvps@guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org).
Proposed Projects:
To learn more about each individual click on the project name which will take you to more details:
- Warriors’ Angels (WA) Training Facility: Establish an on-site training facility of WA Teams (specific service member/veteran and assigned Assistance Service Canine candidate) with approved program trainers in the Central Texas area and around Fort Hood.
- Private Pet Care Facility: approximately 2800 square foot building to include a private pet care facility with initially 8 pet suites and their own private enclosed outside run, vet care and isolation room, admin office, on-site grooming, laundry capability, and lunch area for volunteers.
- Official National Office: approximately 800-1,000 square foot building to act as the Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet “National” office to perform required “day-to-day” operations of the organization and required administration of the organization’s programs.
- 3 Memorial Gardens: will involve the develop 3 separate memorial gardens related to (1) “Fallen Warriors”(link to Fallen Warriors sub-page) including TX Law Enforcement and First Responders; (2) “Military Working Dogs (MWDs)” (link to Military Working Dogs sub-page); and (3) “Remembering our Pets” (link to Remembering our Pets sub-page.:
- Event and Picnic Activities: dedicated areas for picnics/BBQs, events for our military and veteran community, covered pavilions, areas for activities such as volleyball, basketball, and horseshoes, and fundraising events for Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet needs and work in collaboration with other 501c3 military and veteran support organizations supporting all of our efforts.
- “On-Site” Security: on-site residence 24 hours a day to ensure any pets on-site are never left alone and to ensure property is secure and properly maintained. This project was accomplished as of 1 September 2010 with the on-site manufactured home is housing our national day-to-day operations until we can establish the official National HQ building and the residence for the CEO who is on premises 24 hours 7 days a week.
Warriors’ Angels (WA) Program
The Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet© Warriors’ Angels (WA) Program was developed to support service members and veterans who have been medically diagnosed with “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” (PTSD) and official recommendation from their Primary Care Manager (PCM) to us has been received that an “Assistance Service Canine” (ACS) will help improve the service member/veteran’s quality of life.
Note: Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet plans to purse ADI Accreditation but due to specific ADI Accreditation requirements we are unable to do so until approximately Dec 2015/Jan 2016 when we have met the 2 requirements related to the number of program “certified” Teams (minimum 3) who have been active working Teams for 1 year after graduating from our program.
Due to the complexity of the program we are implementing the program on a “state-by-state” basis which at this time the final steps are being put to place to implement “WA” in the state of TX initially in San Antonio area followed by program implementation in Central TX during the 3rd and 4th quarters 2014. During 2015 goals is to expand the program to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Southwest TX (El Paso area) plus evaluating the need for the program in the Northwest TX area, Southeast TX area, and Northeast TX area.
Going forward our plans are to implement Warriors’ Angels program in states such as southern CA, CO, TN, FL, NC, VA, and NY between 2016 and 2021 as long as we have qualified program volunteers within the states, qualified PTSD Team trainers, and the funds to implement and maintain the program in each state defined.
Warriors’ Angels “Definitions”
The program includes but not limited to qualifying potential service member/veteran applicants, determining potential ASC candidates via a specific evaluation process, arranging for specific “Team” (specific Handler and ASC candidate), program certification, and on-going WA Team follow up until such time as the ASC can no longer perform the functions it was trained to do or the Team has officially been dropped from the program.
The program has been set up following the standards and recommended certification exams as defined by the IAADP, AKC, and ADI organizations involved with defining and developing standards and recommended certification criteria for these Teams (service member or veteran and a specific Assistance Service Canine) from a privately trained perspective.
All applicants will be considered regardless of race, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, and ethnic origin.
