PAWS of Chinook

Foster

Fostering a shelter dog is an important job. The majority of the dogs that come to us have not had much training or socialization. That's where our fosters come in! You fill the roles that have yet to be filled. Housetraining, basic manners as well as showing them the world from a new light. Cars, stores, trains, televisions. Many have never seen those things and showing them for the first time is an important job. 

PAWS of Chinook handles veterinary bills while they are in your care, delivers dog food and other necessities. You provide a safe, loving, comfortable space while they await their forever.  Each dog has different needs, so there is no "one size fits all" foster application. PAWS will treat each situation on a case by case basis and make a decision based on what is best for our shelter dogs. Here are just a few of the boxes that need to be checked for all dogs.

1. Fenced yard - For the safety of our shelter dogs as well as it's foster family and the public, homes without a secure, fenced yard will not be considered.

2. Transportation - As a foster family, you become a volunteer for our organization! Sometimes shelter dogs have vet visits, meetings with potential adopters, etc. A successful foster family will have reliable transportation.

3. Outside time - Play time outside, walks, field trips are all part of the foster experience for our shelter dogs. A successful foster family will make time to show our shelter dogs life outside. Exercise is vital for all dogs and keeps them from becoming destructive.

4. For puppies - All dogs need some alone time throughout th e day. For young puppies (and all dogs) who have not mastered housetraining, the opportunity to do their business outside in a timely manner is of utmost importance. Therefore, young shelter dogs will not be placed in homes where the foster family is unable to accommodate a healthy, routine schedule.

5. Socialization - We believe that socialization is very important for pets. We also understand that some dogs are not comfortable around other animals. A successful foster family with existing pets in the home will make the shelter dogs comfort level a priority. Examples of this include one-on-one time, feeding shelter dogs away from other pets in the home, ensuring that children do not harass shelter dogs, seeking training for their shelter pets (PAWS will pay for a consult with our trainer), etc. 

It would be difficult to name all important points here as every dog is an individual. If you believe that you would be a successful foster option for one of our dogs, please reach out to us on Facebook @pawsofchinook or email us at pawsofchinook@gmail.com.