Foster Frenzy!

Fosters are one of the main components of what we need to be successful here at Standing Proud. Donations are important, as are community partners, but without fosters we can’t take in dogs, which are arguably the most important component of dog rescue!

Summertime is brutal here in Maricopa County, and not just because of the sweltering heat but also because that is when the shelters are the most full. Last week alone the East Valley Care Center of Maricopa County has just under 500 dogs in its wings; well over capacity! Spring brings loads of puppies and kittens, which fly off the shelves like 2 for 1 specials at the grocery store! This means, those rescues that take in puppies and kittens fill up fast, as do adopters who choose wee ones. The 4th of July makes for hundreds of lost dogs and cats that make their way to the shelters as well (close to 200 this year between the two county shelters on July 6th). Many of the post-firework furbabies are untagged and unchipped, which means they never see their owners again.

What does this mean for the rest? Well….it means longtimers wait longer, it means those of us that don’t deal in the way of puppies and kittens have trouble finding fosters at a fast enough rate to compensate for the overflow of pets, it ultimately means more dogs and cats die due to lack of space.

How can you help? First and foremost you can spread the word! Share our posts and pleas on Facebook! You can sign up to foster yourself. Just because you fill out an application does not mean we will be knocking at your door an hour later to hand over a dog, oh no! We have an in depth process for foster approval which starts with an application, consists of a home check, and then if all goes as planned we will find a dog that is suitable.

So, filling out the application today does not mean you will have to scramble tonight to make room for a new house guest. We will give you time to adjust, ask questions, and become prepared for your time as a foster. That way, when a dog comes up that needs us most, we have a foster waiting to welcome them with open arms! All that said, if you are not committed to becoming a foster, then please find another way to help! Share! Donate! Volunteer!

Occasionally we have our eye on some special dogs at the shelter. Usually it’s because we have worked with them for extended periods of time…typically on fear issues. Zoey and Leo are two such dogs that we would love to help! We had a foster lined up for Zoey but unfortunately they backed out after the home check leaving us stuck, and leaving her STILL at the shelter.

So, in short, please foster if you can. If you can’t foster, tell someone about it! We could ALWAYS use more hands on deck!