BECOMING A FOSTER.
Our Foster Care Program asks community members to open their doors to our animals who need some TLC. Fostering is one of the most important ways you can help the animals of Paws-N-Claws Iowa. By providing our temporary residents shelter for just a small amount of time, it helps save lives.
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Requirements to become a foster?
Why foster?
Does fostering count as volunteering?
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Foster parents must be at least 18 years of age
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Foster parents must fill out a Foster Application and be approved
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Foster parents must agree and sign our Foster Care Contract
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Foster parents must be able to transport their foster to and from our vet clinic, in Newton, IA for necessary appointments.
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Foster parents must be interested in and willing to help find a forever home for their foster pet.
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Foster parents are encouraged to help network to find potential adopters.
We believe that at risk animals - the young, abandoned, sick, abused, and stressed - deserve to have the best possible chance at finding a loving, permanent home. A foster parent has one of the most important jobs within our organization; allowing our animals to receive the proper care and individualized attention they deserve as they wait for adoption. It allows us to make better forever matches with our adopters because we know so much more information about the animals that are in foster care. By fostering you’ll be making a huge difference in the lives of your foster(s)
Yes, we consider fostering full time volunteering at home. It is a wonderful way to give back from the comfort of your home!
Where do the dogs come from?
Paws-N-Claws Iowa has three routes in which animals typically enter our program:
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We pull from a number of shelters to help save dogs that are deemed unadoptable. Oftentimes these dogs are so stressed from an overcrowded shelter setting that once in a home we see them flourish and show their true personalities.
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We work with a number of midwest (primarily Iowa) commercial breeding facilities to take in the dogs no longer in their breeding program; or those with medical concerns. This is a very balanced relationship built on honesty, transparency and good communication. This allows dogs who otherwise would have spent their lives in a kennel facility the opportunity at home life. Anonymity is something we promise our breeders, so you will never see us disclose what breeder an animal is from.
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From time to time we also accept owner surrenders on a case by case basis.