Purpose
There are lots of great reasons why short-term foster care is great for shelters. It helps get dogs out of the shelter and reduces kennel stress. It enables more of the community to get involved with the shelter in a fun way. It enables shelters to learn more about the behavior of the dogs in their care and to market them for adoption in new ways. There is a perception held by some of the public that shelter dogs are “unknown.” Short-term foster care does so much to combat this stigma. The better our shelters get to know the animals in their care, the better matches we can make for permanent adoptions!
Length of Time
This is a very flexible program. You can help out for 2 days-2 weeks. We also have a select few dogs that can be fostered until they get adopted. This option does require a bit more work on the part of the foster since they would have to accumulate pictures throughout the week and write a story for Foster Friday posts as well as be able to bring the dog back and forth to the shelter as adoption intros needed to happen OR be comfortable enough to have adoption intros at or near your home.
Matching a Foster with the Right Dog
Once you have submitted/completed a dog foster application, and it has been approved, then you are welcome to come down and meet with an Animal Caretaker to help you find your best match! We encourage you to bring current household dogs in to introduce here before bringing the foster dog home. We want to make sure that the dog you bring home will get along well with whatever/whoever already lives there (dogs, cats, kids, etc) so please make sure that you are forthcoming about your current living situation.
Responsibility
The responsibility of the Foster Family is pretty simple…keep them safe and make them feel loved! There are a few things that go along with that: No off leash dog parks/beaches, no meeting other dogs (except the dogs they live with) on walks, etc., make sure to tell the WAGS staff about any medical or behavioral concern, and report back to WAGS weekly (at least) with updated photos/videos and a story about how they are doing in your home.
Social Media Commitment
As stated above, we require weekly (at least) photo/video updates with stories that we can post. BUT, we also ask that you proudly share your Foster journey on your own social media sites as well to help us spread the word about the dog you are helping with even further. Not only can this help them get adopted, but it can also bring in new foster families to help us out.
Foster Contract
We have a very simple, easy to read Foster Application/Contract. If you are interested in helping out, please click the link below to get started!
Volunteer Opportunities
We have a variety of roles for you to select from.
Please complete a volunteer application to get started!
You can complete more than one volunteer application too!
Doggie Day Explorer (DDE) is the opportunity to give dogs at the shelter a break and exposure to the home or community environment. You get to spend quality time one-on-one with a dog and WAGS learns more about the dog’s personality and needs plus exercise and fresh air.
Commitment: 2-8 hours
Short-term / Emergency Foster in your home. This is needed for bad weather or for dogs being treated for short-term medical conditions. Your role is essential to keeping dogs safe during rain or heat events. Dogs recover more quickly in a healing environment away from the stress of the shelter. You get to explore the fun of pet ownership without the long-term commitment!
Commitment: 2+ days
Extended Foster or until adopted in your home. This is needed for dogs who have been in the shelter for an extended time and need a break as well as to reduce shelter overcrowding. Dogs can work on developing their people skills, manners, and behavior in real-life settings. You get to help an animal learn to trust humans again!
Commitment: 2+ weeks
Fospice for dogs that due to age or terminal medical conditions need end of life care in your home. Fospice allows the dog to live out their days in a stress free and loving environment.
All medical care is provided. You get to love on an amazing animal who needs it most!
Commitment: end of life
WAGS Walker
The WAGS Dog Walker program is designed to get dogs out of their kennels throughout the day and allow them to destress from kennel life, to get them life experience and adventure time, practice leash walking and calm exit & entry, socialize with new people, and to work on new behaviors to help them get adopted. WAGS Walkers receive training on basic dog handling skills to prepare them to work within the shelter and to safely walk our dogs.
Kitten Fostering
Bottle Babies from birth to 4 weeks. This is needed for infant kittens who are bottle fed (every 2-3 hours). You get to help these little babies get strong, watch them open their eyes, and begin to walk and play. All medical care is provided, plus food and heating pads.
Transition Kittens from 4-8 weeks or until adopted. These kittens are now ready to be weaned from milk toward kitten food. They are more playful and love cuddling. You get to socialize them to humans and possibly your own pets. All medical care is provided, plus food and heating pads.
General Volunteers Over 18yrs
General volunteers are the backbone of the shelter.
They provide much-needed cleaning such as dishwashing, laundry, cleaning community cat rooms, and guinea pig kennels.
A General Orientation class is required before you can volunteer.
Reading to Cats (8-14yrs)
If you are between 8-14 years, you can volunteer with your parent or guardian. We offer reading to cats, which is a great way to help cats become more comfortable with humans. Many will want to sit in your lap as you read.
Classroom Foster
If you are a teacher wanting to foster a rabbit or guinea pig in your classroom at school, we can support you and you get to help an animal be with humans who will care for them.
Application Approval
Once you complete your application, you should receive approval within 24-72 hours. You will be asked to join Bloomerang our application used for scheduling training and volunteer shifts.
The first training will be our Orientation training to acquaint you with WAGS Pet Adoption and the expectations and requirements for volunteering. We want you to feel welcome and knowledgeable about shelter life and the opportunities that await you.