Preparing for your foster

What to Expect as a Foster Parent

Fostering with Arizona Pug Party and Rescue is a meaningful way to help pugs in need while being fully supported by our volunteer team. As a foster, you play a critical role in providing a safe, loving environment while we work toward a permanent home.

Matching and Placement

As a registered foster, you can view dogs in need through our Slack portal and respond to specific intakes your wanting to foster. Our team reviews each request to ensure a good fit based on your foster profile. In some cases, we may proactively match you with a foster dog based on your availability and preferences, including age, breed, or size. Our goal is always to place each dog in the foster home best suited to their needs.

Communication and Support

We use Slack as our primary communication platform to share which dogs need fosters and to stay connected. Fosters are expected to engage regularly and keep notifications turned on, with notifications required on days of adoption events and scheduled meet-and-greets.

Each foster is paired with an experienced volunteer who provides guidance, resources, and support for behavioral, medical, or logistical questions.

Training, Behavior, and Expectations

Every foster dog comes with a unique history, so training levels and behaviors can vary. Some dogs may be well-trained, while others will need time, patience, and guidance. It’s important to foster with zero expectations—many of our dogs come from unknown or difficult pasts and need compassion as they decompress and adjust. This is why they are in rescue and why fostering is so impactful.

Veterinary Care

Arizona Pug Party and Rescue provides all veterinary care for foster dogs. This includes age-appropriate vaccines, spay/neuter, microchip registration, 4DX/SNAP testing, deworming, monthly preventatives, and medications as needed.

Dentals, tumor removals, and other procedures are performed when medically appropriate and determined by our veterinarians. All veterinary care must be approved by a board member, and unapproved appointments will not be covered.

Supplies and Setup

Fosters may use supplies they already have or borrow items from the rescue. All foster homes must have a metal kennel appropriate for the dog’s size, a rescue-approved harness and leash, and a rescue ID tag. Foster dogs are fed Hill’s Science Diet kibble with Weruva wet food as a topper as needed; any dietary changes must be pre-approved unless veterinarian-prescribed.

We can provide additional supplies such as bowls, bedding, baby gates, playpens, toys, and potty supplies. Borrowed items must be returned promptly after adoption to support future fosters.

Adoption and Events

Most foster dogs are adopted within 2–3 weeks, though timing varies based on medical and behavioral needs. Adoption success relies heavily on foster communication, including regular photos, videos, and updates used for promotion.

Fosters are required to bring their foster dogs to all adoption events and scheduled meet-and-greets once the dog is available for adoption.