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TEMPORARY SAFE HAVEN
Are you willing to help with animals in the transition to their permanent home?
We are looking for loving caregivers for short term animal care. Fostering is free and fostering saves lives. Without dedicated, loving fosters we wouldn't be able to help all these precious lives.
If you're interested, please contact us below
Looking to Foster?
Fostering is Free & Fostering Saves Lives!
Fostering is a life changing experience, for you and the animal in need. By opening your home and your heart to an animal that has no home and no one to love, you are giving that animal the best chance to a brighter and loving future. You not only get to receive unconditional love every day when the animal is in your care, but that unconditional love remains for a lifetime when the animal finds a forever home and you continue to see them prosper. The reward that comes from fostering is truly remarkable.
All medical expenses are covered by the rescue.
WHY IS FOSTERING IMPORTANT?
By fostering, you help to increase the dog's chances of being adopted. You get to learn the dog's temperament while he/she is in your home and you get to interact with the dog on a daily basis. When prospective families come to meet your foster dog you are given the opportunity to help your foster dog find the best home!
By being a foster parent, you are saving a life. There are countless numbers of homeless animals and we wish that we could save them all - but the reality is, we need foster homes in order to save them. When you say "yes" to fostering that is one less homeless animal on the street, and for that animal, that means they are safe forever.
You are the bridge between what was and what can be. Many animals that are taken into rescue have come from horrible situations, never understanding what it's like to be loved. When they learn to trust you there is a bond that is formed that could never be replaced. Knowing you gave such a loving soul a second chance at life is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world.
You provide a safe haven to an animal that is in need of medical treatment. Many animals that are brought into rescue need immediate medical care and they cannot go to their forever homes until they are treated and feeling better. By fostering, you are giving a sick animal a chance to get treated, recover and find their forever family. All medical expenses are covered entirely by the rescue!
By fostering an animal in need you are showing them what it is like to be in a loving, caring environment. You are given the opportunity to prove to these hearts that there are people out there who care about them and want to give them the chance that they deserve.
FOSTER TESTIMONIALS
Hear first hand what it's like to foster an animal in need...
In less than a year, Chris Hoffman has fostered six different dogs for POWERful Paws Animal Rescue. Chris never had dogs before, so after about a year and moving into a house with a huge fenced in yard, he decided to take in his first foster.
Chris’s first foster dog was a two-year-old chocolate lab mix named Max. After getting the call asking if he would take Max in, Chris patiently waited as someone drove down from the Catskills to drop him off at his home.
When fostering a dog for the first time, Chris said that it takes some time to get adjusted. The dog and the caregiver have to build a relationship with one another. This means the caregiver has to learn the dog’s mannerisms, quirks, and preferences. Each of Chris’s fosters adjusted differently, and therefore had different limitations. For example, Max preferred to be crated while Chris was out of the house, while some of his other fosters were able to be left alone in a room or even left alone in the house.
As of now, all but one of Chris’s fosters have been adopted. After two weeks of having Max, he was adopted. Chris had a foster named Blue for two weeks, Nellie for ten weeks, Sadie for two nights and Sunny for four months.
"You just never know how long they are going to stay for, and that's ok, because they need a safe haven and I am able to provide that to them"
In January of this year, Megan Kenny and her family took in their first foster, Nala. Nala is a two-year-old black mouth cur and pit bull mix. After seeing Nala’s post on the POWERfull Paws Facebook page, Megan couldn’t get Nala’s story or photo out of her head. Megan didn’t think she would be able to foster dogs between her hectic work schedule and raising her children, but after becoming a stay at home mom she knew she now had the time to help a dog in need.
After both a telephone and in-person interview, Nala got to know Megan and her family over a series of visits. Even though the Kenny family was very excited for Nala to join their family, Megan knew that Nala had a long road ahead of her.
Since Nala came from a past of neglect, she was nervous around her new family. Megan decided to give Nala her own spot on the couch so she could get comfortable with everyone in the house. Slowly but surely, Nala got acclimated, started playing fetch, and began to snuggle.
After two months of living with the Kenny family, Nala was adopted. Megan wanted to find someone who would be able to care for Nala and was willing to adjust to all of her needs. After some searching, they found someone who they knew was perfect for Nala and was going to love her just as much as the Kenny family did.
In December of 2018, Michele took in her first foster dog. Since then, she has taken in seventeen foster dogs, ten of which were a litter of puppies. Michele started fostering because she started to notice how many dogs were in need. She wanted to get involved, so she reached out to multiple rescues, including POWERful Paws.
Michele described the process of fostering a dog like applying for a job. She said first you fill out an application, then your vet and personal references are checked, and lastly there is a home inspection to make sure the dogs go home to a safe environment.
Michele said that each time she brings home a foster, it is a different experience. She said that most of the time the dogs are scared and nervous, but learn to become more comfortable when they realize that they are safe. She said that some fosters take longer to adjust than others, but soon enough they all get comfortable enough with becoming a part of her family.
Michele ended up adopting her first foster Chloe after a year of having her in her family. In September 2019, Michele fostered and adopted Abby, a family member’s golden retriever. Out of all seventeen fosters, Michele has had all of them adopted into wonderful families. "It's remarkable to know one person can make a huge difference in so many lives in need."
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