What do foster day trips, social media and adoption holds have in common? They’re all topics being discussed right now in Maddie’s® Pet Forum, the place for 24/7 animal welfare conversation! Here’s what you’ve been missing if you haven’t joined yet: Foster day trips User Finn made available a Doggy Day Out toolkit for fellow… Learn More
If you wish your shelter or rescue organization had more young people involved as volunteers, fosters, and supporters, then it’s time to let the dogs out… on a day trip, that is! Barbara Hutcherson recently told us about a happy and unexpected benefit of the day trip and short-term fostering program at the Lost Dog… Learn More
Cat Adoption Team has a pretty rocking foster program, with roughly 100 foster homes that care for nearly 1,000 kittens a year. So, when they dispense tips, we listen. During a webinar with ASPCApro, Kristi Brooks of Cat Adoption Team gave advice on how to strengthen your foster care program and make it more accessible… Learn More
Maddie’s Fund® has created a free app that will help unleash your foster caregivers’ super powers by boosting their confidence and increasing their pet care knowledge! It’s incredibly rewarding to provide a foster home for a pet in need. But every dog or cat will have their own little quirks, needs and preferences, and foster… Learn More
If you ever wondered who put the “fun” in “Maddie’s Fund®,” the answer is simple: You! That was clear as you joined us at Animal Care Expo to play (Foster) Family Feud and learn about foster programs from the experts and each other. There were lots of laughs and lots of lessons, and it’s hard… Learn More
When it is okay to lie to your kids? When you tell them you’re going shopping but it’s really a stealth pet adoption! These parents told their three kids they were going Christmas shopping, but they actually had arranged to meet a foster dog who was out on a field trip with her foster mom.… Learn More
Looking for ways to get your shelter’s dogs out into the community so they can get seen by more potential adopters? Consider partnering with your local police department! That’s what Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS) did after Stephanie Jackson got back from the Maddie’s® Medium and Large Adult Dog Foster Apprenticeship at Pima Animal Care… Learn More
Can just a few hours outside the shelter make a difference for a dog? Data from an ongoing study suggests foster field trips can help improve welfare in dogs, increase adoption chances and create other advantages for the organization caring for the dogs. Here’s the background: About a year ago, Austin Animal Center received a… Learn More
Short of finding a magic wand, there’s really nothing better than foster care programs for boosting lifesaving, cutting costs and improving health in animal shelters. Unconvinced? Check out the results of a study just published in the peer-reviewed journal Animals, “Factors Associated with High Live Release for Dogs at a Large, Open-Admission, Municipal Shelter.” The… Learn More
A Virginia animal shelter is in the process of developing an official foster program. In the meantime, they’ve become creative in how they discuss options with potential adopters, staff and volunteers — and are getting more dogs into homes because of it! Dyanna Uchiek is Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator at Chesapeake Animal Services, in Chesapeake,… Learn More