We are always in need of foster homes. We do not have a shelter and are strictly foster home run, so that means, we can only rescue as many dogs as we have foster homes for. We never have enough foster homes. They are our most treasured volunteers and the ones that are hardest to get and hardest to keep. Fostering is a hard job, don't get me wrong, but it is also very rewarding to know that you gave a dog that would otherwise have been euthanized a second chance at finding a family to love them. Many of these dogs have been abused and neglected and all they want is someone to pet them, feed them and love them. They need a little training, socialization and guidance before they can be placed. Many need to be fed some good food and receive veterinarian care. It is tough to see them go after you put so much time and effort into loving and caring for them, but when you see the happiness in their eyes when they meet their forever families, it makes it all worthwhile and you can move on to help the next dog that needs the special attention and love only a foster home can provide. We need you! Please fill out a foster application now. It will be tough, but we are here to support and guide you along the way and it gets easier the more you do it!

Help us!

Letter to Our Foster Homes

Dear Foster Home,

Thank you for your interest in fostering an Australian Cattle Dog for New Hope Cattle Dogs. Here is a little about how we work: we do provide crates, bedding, toys and food (if available), although we have not been getting the food donations that we would like. We also provide ALL medical care. We just ask that you get any medical expenses approved through us first. We work with several veterinarians in different parts of Phoenix and a couple in Tucson. It is imperative that you contact us so that we can make sure to get you an appointment and arrange payment at the right vet. We are strictly non-profit and rely on our adoption fees and donations, so we have to use specific vets that offer us discounted medical care because we just can't afford to pay regular fees for every dog that comes through our group.

It is very important that you understand that the dogs that we rescue are far from perfect, which is why we get them most often. They all need potty training or a potty training refresher course, crate training, socialization, house manners and basic obedience commands (like sit, down and come). We also encourage our foster homes to take their foster dogs to a basic obedience course and/or dog parks for socialization. We, of course, pay for the training, but it is not required to be a foster home. If this sounds like something that you would be interested in, we would be happy to talk to you more and tell you about some of the dogs that need foster homes.

Our goal is to find a dog that will fit well into your home and lifestyle. We will give you options and allow you to pick your foster dog. We do ask that you do your best to make a two week commitment. We do not have a lot of foster homes and most of the time we are overflowing over with dogs, so moving them around on short notice is difficult. Therefore it is very important that you notify us before a problem is out of control so that we can assist you in working with the dog to solve the problem. I was an obedience instructor and behaviorist for 10 years and I have worked with rescue dogs and cattle dogs for many years. Most of our foster homes and volunteers have been with us for awhile and together we have a lot of knowledge to share. We encourage you to reach out and talk with other volunteers. We are a family and are here to help and support in any way we can. There are also tons of training resources on our website, but we are always happy to talk to you and help you with any problems or questions you may have, so please do not hesitate to call or email your foster home coordinator, Tia at .

I hope I have not scared you away. I only want to make sure that you are informed of how we work and our expectations. We value our volunteers and foster homes. I hope that you are still interested in assisting us. Please let me know if I can answer any more questions for you. Thank you for your interest. I look forward to meeting you.

Shannon Stevens
President and Founder
New Hope Cattle Dogs
www.newhopecattledogs.com
Shannon@newhopecattledogs.com

Our Commitments to our Foster homes

• We will cover ALL approved medical expenses. To ensure coverage, contact us BEFORE you take your foster dog to the vet to get approval.
• We will do our best to give you a foster dog that best matches your home and lifestyle
• We will give you food, crates, bedding, toys, vitamin supplements, etc. IF we have them available
• We will do our best to work around your schedule and give you plenty of notice for potential adopters to view the dog