NEBCR’s COVID-19 Policies & Procedures
effective 4/31/21

In compliance with states stepping down their COVID requirements NEBCR also feels it’s time to relax our COVID practices.

As of 04/13/21 NEBCR will adopt the following policies:

  • Social distancing (as much as possible) and masks will be required by all parties involved in transports, evaluations, meet and greets and adoptions.
  • Whenever possible we strongly recommend evaluations/meetings to be conducted outdoors.
  • NEBCR will continue to allow virtual home visits where foster homes are comfortable with them.
  • NEBCR will now allow “belongings” to accompany incoming dogs. We encourage items to be bagged or larger items like a crate disinfected once you get it home.
  • SignNow forms are still encouraged when possible.
  • If any persons involved have been exposed to COVID or have had a fever, cough or labored breathing within the past 2 weeks the meeting should be rescheduled or ask another volunteer to step in.
  • Please refer to individual state guidelines for any additional local requirements. This link provides you with the latest CDC updates and can be referred to for any state(s) involved. Interactive Map

We value our volunteers and want everyone to remain safe during this challenging time. Our thanks to everyone so far so good. Let’s hope this will all be behind us soon.

– The BOD

effective 6/24/20

The NEBCR Board of Directors considers it a high priority to ensure that all our volunteers stay as safe and healthy as possible while doing our best to ensure the health and safety of the general public we interact with. We have resumed daily operations, but out of an abundance of caution, we have implemented some temporary changes to our policies and procedures. They will remain in place until such time that public health authorities in all of the states we operate in determine that it is safe for the general public to suspend current CDC guidelines and travel and interact freely.

We ask that all relinquishing owners/shelters/rescues and potential adopters review the policies and procedures below. Your compliance will be required in order for NEBCR to assist you with relinquishing a dog or adopting a dog from us.

Adoptions

  • Home visits (which are mandatory for all adoptions) will be conducted via Zoom or other video conferencing medium.
  • Meetings with dogs will only take place with adopters that are an excellent match for a dog and have a high likelihood of adopting that particular dog, as determined by that dog’s foster home.
  • When in-person meetings are conducted, the potential adopter(s) must wear a face covering and gloves (please see current CDC guidelines). NEBCR will do our best to arrange for a setting where appropriate social distancing can be observed.
  • Once it is agreed that the adoption will take place, the adoption contract will be emailed to you for you to sign electronically prior to picking up the dog. Any documents that would typically accompany an adopted dog (such as vet records) will be either sent to you electronically or mailed. If the adoption does not take place for any reason, the signed form will be destroyed.
  • It is preferred that adoption fees be made electronically via PayPal whenever possible. PayPal payments can be submitted via smartphone through the NEBCR website. If electronic payment is not possible, a check will be acceptable. Adoption fees must be paid prior to taking a dog home.

NOTE: You do not have to have a PayPal account setup in order to submit payment. We can provide instructions as needed.

Relinquishments

NEBCR will accept new dogs on a case-by-case basis as our resources allow. Please keep in mind that our resources may currently be limited more than usual due to COVID-19 but we will do our best to help if we can.

  • We ask that only one person from the relinquishing family/shelter/rescue be present for the evaluation and that person must wear a face covering and gloves (please see current CDC guidelines).
  • Wherever possible, evaluations of dogs (mandatory for all intake) should be conducted in a safely enclosed outdoor space. If that is not possible, we ask that the indoor space be as large and open as possible so that social distancing requirements can be met.
  • Once a dog has been accepted into rescue, a transport will be arranged by NEBCR volunteers. Again we ask that only one person from the relinquishing family/shelter/rescue be present for the hand-off of the dog and that person must wear a face covering and gloves (please see current CDC guidelines).
  • It is preferred that all documents relevant to the dog (such as vet records) be sent electronically if at all possible to [email protected]. If not possible, they may be mailed (address to be provided) but either way should be sent to NEBCR prior to an NEBCR volunteer picking up the dog.
  • We will not be accepting personal items with incoming dogs aside from a leash, collar and ziploc bag of food (if available). The NEBCR volunteer picking up the dog may replace the dog’s current collar/leash with a new one if safe to do so, prior to putting the dog in his/her vehicle.

All NEBCR volunteers are required to be in compliance with these policies and procedures before interacting with the general public in any capacity. If you have any specific questions on these policies, please email [email protected].