Be a Geezer Guardian
About Our Forever Foster Program
Aside from providing lifetime high-quality vet care, food, and compassion to senior dogs who come through our doors, our primary goal at Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary is to find lifelong placements for our Old Friends where they can live the remainder of their lives as part of a family. Most of the Old Friends you see at The PAWvillions are available for forever fostering and are seeking their Geezer Guardian(s).
The dogs we bring into our program are those who are deemed nearly or fully “unadoptable” due to age and/or disability, but who are still able to enjoy the remainder of their senior years with a good quality of life. While this amount of time may range from weeks to months to years, we aim to provide the best quality of life possible for our Old Friends during that time through loving homes, high-quality vetting and medication, and great food. Through donations, we provide and cover the cost of all medical care – routine, specialty, emergency, and even prescription medications and preventatives – to the dogs living with Geezer Guardians for the duration of their lives. Unless there are unusual food requirements, such as a prescription diet, or other arrangements are made, we do however ask that the Geezer Guardian provide food for their Geezer. OFSDS will recommend brands and types of food which are considered high-quality.
Being a Geezer Guardian to an Old Friend is different than fostering for other rescues in that we hope our Guardians will be forever homes for the remainder of their Geezer’s life. Geezer Guardians must live within 100 travel miles of Mt. Juliet, TN, as we expect our Old Friends to continue seeing our in-house veterinarian. If you live outside our 100-mile radius and would like to adopt a senior dog, we encourage you to contact your local shelter as there are many senior dogs in need of loving retirement homes. You may also consider sponsoring an Old Friend by clicking “Sponsor” on that Old Friend’s profile page!
After applying to be a Geezer Guardian, you will be contacted by our Foster Program Manager via phone or email. After a short discussion about the type of senior dog you’re looking for, a virtual home visit will be arranged. After your virtual home visit, our Forever Foster Committee, comprised of directors and managers, will meet to discuss your application. Once approved, we will help you find the perfect Geezer for your home.
Because our main goal is to place senior dogs in safe, loving forever homes, we do not charge any fees to become a Geezer Guardian.
The following are requirements for being a Geezer Guardian:
1. Your Geezer must be kept as an inside dog and as a loved member of the family.
2. Geezer Guardians must be willing to provide the time, environment, and attention necessary for the needs of a senior dog. There may be issues to contend with such as medication schedules, mobility problems, poor sight and/or hearing, and occasional disorientation. These things will be discussed during the application process and then again for a specific dog at the time of placement.
3. Geezer Guardians must live within 100 miles of Mt. Juliet, TN. For a map of our approximate foster area, click here.
4. Prior to approving a Geezer Guardian, we will require a virtual home visit and veterinary reference. In lieu of a veterinarian reference, we may require another professional reference.
5. All other dogs who reside in the forever foster home must be spayed or neutered unless there are veterinarian recommended reasons for not doing so. All pets in the house must be up to date on recommended shots and preventatives.
