Is fostering rescue dogs considered a business?

[curlybrilliance]

So here's the situation:
My partner and I volunteered to foster dogs for a local, reputable rescue group. Since we rent a dog-friendly apartment, they had to check with our landlord who likes dogs and allows our dog and our upstairs neighbors' dog. He was initially concerned about the dogs barking but he gave us the okay. Today, our landlord called and said that his insurance company considered fostering dogs a business since the rescue group supplies food and vet care for the foster dog. They said they would not cover the building if we were to foster dogs. The rescue group is a non-profit so no one is making a profit here. We are two teachers who love dogs but don't make enough money to support another dog nor can afford to donate money to the group. So we thought fostering would be a good option.
I am so crushed. We are supposed to get two pugs this week to foster and are so excited to be able to help dogs in need.
Any ideas about how to get around this? Thanks in advance.

[Alagirl]

Eewww.

No idea, honest, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[Cloverbarley]

How odd. I can't personally see how you are a "business" but I can sort of understand why the landlord may think you are. I have no advice, sorry, but I hope you can work it out with the help of some more knowledgable people on the subject.

[JSwan]

Fostering dogs for a 501(c)(3) is not a business. Certain expenses (like mileage) can be deductible.

But we're talking insurance here - not the IRS. Yuck.

It sounds like what you need to do is work with the landlord and insurance company to help educate them a little. What the insurance company is worried about is probably liability - if the dogs bite someone, for example.

So - what to do?

What you can do is make this a little more formal. For example, obtain a copy of the IRS Determination Letter from the charity (proving they are a nonprofit entity). Also, ask the nonprofit to draft a letter describing their organization, supplying their insurance information, and how they work with foster homes to house animals until they are adopted.

It may help the landlord and insurer understand that this is a true charitable endeavor - it's all on the up and up - and there is no business intent here; only a charitable one.

But what is important is that the nonprofit appear credible, professional, and be able to describe how they operate, describe how foster homes work, and that they do have insurance. Also be able to assure everyone that the fostered animals are UTD on shots (rabies, especially).

Hope that helps. Post back if you need more help.

(and thank you for fostering):)

eta - stuff like this is fairly common. Don't despair.

[Laytian]

No, fostering dogs is not a business, but the insurance company can probably say that anything they want is a business, true or not. It probably would have been smarter for the insurance co. to say it was too much of a liability (for which they *could* make at least a semblance of an argument) rather than say it's a business, but the end result is the same: no coverage.

Check with the rescue and see if you are covered under their insurance as a volunteer. When our breed club set up a rescue, we made sure that the club insurance would cover the rescue activities and all volunteers. If it doesn't already have such coverage, it really would be a good idea for the rescue to look into insurance that covers their volunteers and all rescue activities. It's not that expensive, either -- our club's insurance was actually through a horse insurance company.

If you're covered under the rescue group's insurance, your landlord may accept that and not insist that you be covered by their policy as well.