The foster family is a very important part of our group.  It’s through the generous hearts and homes of our volunteers, we ensure that animals who come into our care will never again be alone, hungry, sick, or afraid. All we ask is for you to open your heart and your home to a dog in need of a second chance.

What WAG Rescue needs in a Foster Home

The most important requirements are time, patience and compassion. You must be willing to include the dog in family activities, allow the dog to live as a member of your home, provide human companionship, provide some daily one-on-one time with your rescue, including play time and walks on a leash.  Due to our local resources, fosters must live in or near Wimberley.

What WAG Rescue provides to our Foster Homes

WAG Rescue provides all food, medical care and medication, collar & leash, grooming, bedding, kennel, toys and treats.  We ask that you feed the food provided so our dogs have a consistent food regime.  WAG Rescue also provides behavior assessment and training classes for each foster dog.  WAG Rescue enrolls our dogs in Canine Good Citizen classes.  Foster families are encouraged to participate in these classes with their foster dog.  We do have volunteers available to take the dogs to the classes if the foster cannot attend.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

"Don't you get attached to the dog?" -- Yes, and that is what we want for both you and the dog. Rescued dogs need to learn to trust again and the foster home is the perfect environment.  You will bond with your foster dog, which is necessary to his or her rehabilitation and also leads us to the next question.

"How can you give him up?" -- This is probably the number one reason why a lot of caring people do not offer their homes for foster care: they are afraid giving the dog up will hurt too much. Yes, it will sometimes be painful to give up your foster dog, but without enough foster homes we cannot rescue and save more dogs that will die in the shelters or on the street if we don't have space for them in our program.   It helps to think of the foster dog as ultimately belonging to someone else. When you give him or her up, it will be to a 'forever home' that this dog has been waiting for--and you will be opening a space for the next rescue that needs you so desperately. There is ALWAYS another rescue dog. After many years of fostering, your fellow volunteers can assure you there is nothing quite as moving as seeing your beloved foster dog happy, healthy, loved, and cherished by the forever home that really wanted him or her and in some cases really needed the dog. It's contagious, and we hope you will be hooked on fostering, too.

"What if I don't think I have enough room for a foster dog?" -- Our rescued dogs come in all sizes. If you lack space you can volunteer to foster a small dog. Small dogs take up very little space, and are usually adopted quickly. You might be surprised by how quickly they work themselves into the family situation and your hearts.

"What if I'm afraid my ill foster dog might die?" -- We ease foster homes into fostering very gradually and never give a very sick or injured dog to a home until they feel ready to take on that responsibility. Tragically, most of us who have fostered for a long time have gone through the pain of loss because, after all, most rescues are in the program because they have been neglected, abandoned, and abused: and that includes previous owners not giving them heartworm pills or other medical care. The illness is not the dog's fault, and sometimes the weeks or months he or she is with us are the only medical care, peace, and love the rescue has ever known. If we hadn't intervened, the dogs would have had a far worse experience, dying in an overcrowded shelter or alone, frightened, and sick on the streets. The dogs we do lose in our program knew we loved them and did the best we could for them; and we are humbled by their sweetness and understanding even as they cross over, and we're never sorry we tried to help these dogs.

"What if I want to adopt my foster dog?"-- This does happen. Sometimes the "perfect dog" comes along, and everyone in the family just seems to agree that theirs is the "perfect home." Fortunately, qualifying as a Foster Home usually qualifies you as an Adopter as well. Should this happen, and we all agree, then the foster home will pay the adoption fee (this can be waived by a WAG Rescue Directors consent), complete the Final Adoption Agreement, and assume ownership of the dog. Please think about this carefully, and make the best decision for your home and the dog.

In order to foster one of our dogs you must complete the Foster Application, which  includes a home visit, and attend one of our monthly information sessions.