Congratulations on becoming a foster!

Introduction

  • Paws of the Pines Rescue was established in September 2022. We are foster based only meaning our animals are NOT housed in shelters but in homes.

  • By opening up your home to foster, you are not only saving lives; you’re helping provide care and attention that most of these animals need to help them find a forever home.

  • Our fosters make a world of a difference for our organization and the animals we take in. We ask that our fosters provide us with photos and updates regularly of their foster. We also value your input when it comes to a potential adopter.

Reminders

  • Please allow the animal time to decompress. Keep in mind that their world has changed drastically, therefore they may have accidents indoors or be distant to start.

  • If the animal you are fostering is not an ideal fit, that is fine! We just kindly ask that you allow us time to figure out a new placement for the animal being that we do not have a facility, we would need to confirm that another individual within our organization could commit.

  • All of our animals should be housed indoors and remain on a leash outdoors unless in a secured yard.

Supplies

  • Our organization is happy to provide supplies to our fosters to support the care of of the animal in their care.

    • Common Supplies We Provide Are:

      • A crate

      • Bowls

      • Food (we provide dry pet food)

      • Treats

      • A collar & leash

      • Blankets, towels (and beds when available)

      • Toys

      • Pet Shampoo

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House Training:

Many of our rescue dogs arrive from the shelter with minimal walks or chances to relieve themselves outdoors. Being prepared for an adjustment period is crucial for success.

House trained dogs have a MUCH higher chance of finding an adopter. We recommend taking your foster dog out regularly to help them perfect their house breaking capabilities. Many dogs give cues such as sniffing around, circling or going towards the door. Be sure to praise and reward your foster when they let you know they need to go out, and when they relieve themselves outdoors.

If your foster has an accident inside the house, please do not punish them. Re-direct them outside. If an accident occurs inside, we recommend using an enzymatic cleaner to eliminate future interest of doing it again.

Crate Training:

Crate training can be an effective component of house training. When done correctly, a crate is viewed as a safe place for animals.

Associating the crate with good things is a great way to start their journey towards being crate trained. Reward your foster when they enter the crate on their own. Keep toys, treats and chews available in the crate. Feeding your foster in their crate also helps desensitize them and helps them learn the crate is in fact a safe space for them.

Your foster dog should be crated any time you are unable to properly supervise them (to include at night and when you are away from home).

Do NOT force a dog into a crate. This should be a rewarding experience and not a problematic experience. Therefore, do not put the animal in the crate as punishment.

Mental Stimulation & Exercise:

Depending on your foster dogs age and energy level depends on the amount of exercise they need.

Toys will be provided, however there are lots of fun things you can do to stimulate and exercise your foster.

Sniff Walks - Dogs explore through scent. This concept is to allow the dog to take the lead on a walk, and allow them to sniff and explore as much as they want while being out and about.

Learning a new trick - Teaching a dog how to sit, walk on a leash without pulling, or any other cool trick stimulates their mind and can help wear them out!

Snuffle Mats - Start with scattered feeding and increase the intensity of it. Hide food or treats within the different styles of the mat to make the dog work for the reward.

Games - examples include fetch and tug of war.

Treats/Toys - Lick mats, Kongs, Pupsicle Pops, and other interactive dog toys can be very stimulating and rewarding. These are also awesome things to utilize while helping your dog get comfortable in their crate training.

Interaction with others:

We won’t always know an animals tolerance for different types of people, animals, activities and situations. Ensuring we set our animals up for success is important.

Interacting with children:

Children need to be taught how to act responsibly and respectfully with animals. Fosters should always be supervised around children. Key things to keep in mind to avoid a bad situation:

  • Do not disturb the animal while eating

  • Do not take away a toy or treat

  • Do not tease the dog

  • Do not climb, jump, or pull on the animal

  • Do not charge at the animal

  • Do not allow young children to walk the foster

  • Understand that dogs can’t always tell the difference between kid toys and their toys.

Interacting with other animals:

When it comes to introducing your foster to cats and/or other dogs it is imperative that we keep the interactions positive, safe and controlled for everyone involved. Please contact us directly for assistance on introducing your foster to other animal species that we are unsure the foster is friendly with.

Medical & Emergency:

Our organization uses a few different vet offices depending on your location and the situation needing to be addressed. Our organization will handle contacting and scheduling appointments unless otherwise stated.

Foster parents will be responsible for payment of any medical care if they take their foster animal to a veterinarian without authorization from the rescue.

For non-emergency situations, please understand that our veterinary partners book quickly and may not be available for same-day appointments.

Key things to watch for:

  • Diarrhea: Change of food and change of environment can cause a dog to have loose stool. Any blood seen in stool needs to be reported to us immediately.

  • Vomiting: Occasional vomiting isn’t cause for alarm. However if your foster vomits more than two times in a day, please notify us immediately.

  • Lethargy: Being tired is one thing however if your foster seems weak and unable to stand, this is an emergency and we need to be contacted immediately.

  • Loss of Appetite: Change of food and environment can cause a lack of an appetite. However, if your foster has never missed a meal and all of a sudden has absolutely no interest in food, please contact us immediately.

    If your foster dog is displaying one or more of these signs, please contact us immediately as these ailments can worsen if left un-treated.

    Signs of an Emergency:

  • Not breathing or labored breathing

  • Symptoms of parvovirus: bloody diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, high fever (above 103.5 degrees)

  • Signs of extreme dehydration: dry mucous membranes, weakness, vomiting, tenting of the skin (when the skin is pulled up, it stays there)

  • Abnormal lethargy or unable to stand

  • Unconsciousness or unable to wake up

  • Cold to the touch

  • Broken bones

  • Any trauma: hit by a car, dropped, stepped on

  • A large wound or profuse bleeding that doesn’t stop when pressure is applied

  • Loss of appetite for more than 24 hours

Rescue Pet Profile:

You will have the ability to help us make your fosters profile stand out. By providing us regularly with videos, photos, and information about your foster, we are able to help share more about the animal and their personality and needs. The more information we share, the higher the chances of the animal finding a family.

Safety:

If you have personal animals, they MUST be up to date on their vaccines. This helps both your animals and the foster animals remain healthy.

Young animals should not be in public areas until fully vaccinated. If you are unsure if your foster falls into this category, please contact us.

Puppies are susceptible to contracting parvovirus which can live in the soil for years. Ideally puppies who are not fully vaccinated should not be allowed outdoors. We have had some fosters place a puppy pen outdoors, with a cheap shower curtain or solid surface above the ground so their animal could enjoy the outdoors without the risk of illness.

Foster animals MUST live indoors. While outdoors, fosters should be supervised at ALL times. A foster dog should only be off leash in an enclosed, fenced in yard.

Do NOT allow your foster dog to approach unknown animals. We do not know how your foster will react nor do we know how the unknown animal will react. Additionally, we do not know what kind of illness or diseases the unknown animal may have.

We are here to support you!

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us for help. We want this to be a successful and rewarding experience for both you and your foster pet. We understand every animal is different and you may face unexpected challenges. Just remember you are not alone!