Animals that may be adoptable, but need help with socialization, minor illnesses, grooming, or if there just isn't space at our facility. Animals in the Foster Friends Program are available to rescuers, adopters, and transporters to tag and we will continue to network these animals to our rescue and transport partners, as well as through social media for potential adopters. 

• A foster animal cannot require any type of medical treatment that is not available from our medical staff.
• A foster animal cannot be human aggressive.
• A foster animal may be chosen for a transport or rescue at ANY time. If you plan to adopt, please let us know IMMEDIATELY via email. All Foster Friends remain on the website for rescue and adoption and the animal will be sent to our Transfer Partners for potential placement.

These are animals chosen by our Transfer staff for transpot to other areas of the Unites States via our Transfer Partners.

• Each animal will have a specific time range that a foster parent is needed (usually 1-3 weeks for /kittens puppies or up to 5 weeks for adults) 
• Most Transfer Partners have different requirements for how long we must hold before transfer and vaccinations. Because of these requirements, these animals are not available for local adoption and need not be marketed. 
• We will communicate with you to arrange your foster’s transfer date and any possible treatments needed.  
• Once an animal enters foster care, we will submit the animal to our transport partner and transport date will be set.
• You will need to be available to come back to our facility for medical treatments or a vaccination prior to transport.

When you first bring your foster home, it is a good idea to allow them to decompress. We recommend having a space set up for your foster animal like a crate or an X-pen (even a bathroom will work) that is just for your foster to hang out and relax. Meeting new dogs, all the neighbors, etc. is too much for the first few days. A nice bed to lay his head on and some good meals will help him learn what he’s in for – a life of happiness and love.  Once an animal has a few days to decompress, he can slowly be introduced to new pets and people. 

While there are many different ways to do this, we encourage you always introduce animals on neutral territory, avoiding nose-to-nose contact as the first way of meeting. Give the dogs a chance to sniff each other from behind. Keep both dogs on a leash until you have seen how they will interact in this new setting. The key is to go slowly and supervise until both animals are comfortable with each other.

Another way to introduce your foster to your resident dog is to go for a walk as soon as you bring your new foster home. This will tire out both animals and associate the other animal with something they like; walks!

Your foster dog should always be fed in a crate. New dogs should be fed away from other dogs until you know how they react with food. Be sure dogs do not interfere with each other during feeding.

The key is to be confident and calm. If you are calm, your foster and resident dog will stay calm. Both will look to you for cues on how to proceed in this new situation. By staying calm you are letting the dogs know that this is a good situation.

Yes! Crating or otherwise safely securing the dog at night or when leaving the home is HIGHLY advised. It will give your resident animals a break and also protect your home from accidents and/or destructiveness. With time, the crate will become your foster’s safe spot and will go in on their own when it is time to relax.

Always keep your foster on a leash or in a restricted area (fenced yard) when it’s time to do their business. Don't assume the foster is house-trained -- changes in homes and families are stressful for the dog and it may "forget" or need some time to adjust to your routine. Praise when foster dog does its business outside, don't just let it out and assume it knows what to do. Go with the dog and as soon as it happens, quietly praise. Best practice is to assume the dog has no training and proceed as if it’s a puppy, with frequent opportunities to go outside: after meals, playtime, upon waking up in the morning and from naps, after excitement. Some dogs just need a refresher to get back on track. NEVER PUNISH A DOG FOR SOILING INAPPROPRIATELY. Secure the dog and quietly clean it up out of the dog's sight, using a cleaner with enzymes.

We always advise a foster to be vigilant in cleaning up accidents, washing hands and bedding, and watching for symptoms of illness, if your animals are up to date on all their vaccinations (rabies, DHPP, and bordatella), the chances of your pets contracting any illness is very slim. Should your pet come down with any illness, due to the shelter’s limited resources, it will be up to you, the pet owner, to treat.

Shelter animals can carry an array of diseases, however, if caught early, can be easily treated. Please contact us via the foster email should any of the following symptoms occur: nasal or ocular discharge, lethargy, lack of interest in food or water, watery stool, bloody diarrhea, or a hacking cough with or without the presence of mucus.

Should your foster exhibit any of these symptoms for an extended period of time or experience severe lethargy with no willingness to stand or walk, pale gums, or consistent vomiting and/or diarrhea, please contact our emergency line- do NOT wait until morning.

If your foster has separation anxiety, counterconditioning might reduce or resolve the problem. Counterconditioning is a treatment process that changes an animal’s fearful, anxious or aggressive reaction to a pleasant, relaxed one instead. For dogs with separation anxiety, counterconditioning focuses on developing an association between being alone and good things, like delicious food. To develop this kind of association, every time you leave the house, you can offer your dog a puzzle toy stuffed with food that will take him at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish.

For example, try giving your dog a KONG® stuffed with something really tasty, like low-fat cream cheese, spray cheese or low-fat peanut butter, frozen banana and cottage cheese, or canned dog food and kibble. A KONG can even be frozen so that getting all the food out takes even more of your dog’s time. Be sure to remove these special toys as soon as you return home so that your dog only has access to them and the high-value foods inside when he’s by himself.

To make an animal more adoptable you can do the following:

• Take a great photo of your foster- make the animal the clear focus, use a neutral background, and take in landscape mode (horizontal)
• Teach your foster manners (no jumping on guests, using the litterbox, socializing with other dogs, cats, and kids) 
• Visibility- post your fosters of various social media sites. If there is an interested adopter, please let the foster department know

We understand that life happens and we encourage you to try to network your foster in order to find another home. If you absolutely need to bring your foster back to the shelter, he or she will be at risk of euthanasia unless another foster is found.