The Breakdown on Foster Buddies
It’s February, and Muddy Paws is hitting its stride as we try to save as many lives as possible in 2023. With so many dogs in our care, most of our foster buddies are supporting more than 10 fosters each—which is a lot!
What are foster buddies?
Foster buddies are volunteers who have been with MPR long enough to know the ins and outs of fostering. They are dedicated, even obsessive, in helping MPR to save lives, but they are just human. Although they are your main point of contact with Muddy Paws Rescue, because they are stretched so thin, we encourage fosters to respect their foster buddy’s time by trying to identify answers on their own before asking foster buddies for help. Think of them not as your first person to call when a question arises, but as your reliable backup when you aren’t able to find an answer on your own.
Where should you go for answers first?
Depending on the question, most concerns can be answered either by looking through the Foster Portal, or with a quick internet search.
How to access the foster portal
First, on our website, in the banner at the top of the page, look for ‘Foster’, then hover to go down to ‘Update Your Foster Availability’.
Login with your username and password, then find ‘Foster Resources’ in the bottom right. Here you’ll find a wealth of information including:
How to introduce your foster dog to your resident dog(s)
How introduce a dog to cats
How to interpret canine body language
Explanation of ‘decompression’
Exercise guide
House training guide
Crate training guide
How to work on a dog’s impulse control
Troubleshooting common leash issues
Guide on muzzle training
How to address resource guarding
How to help shy and fearful dogs
Enrichment ideas
Tips on bringing out the most photogenic
What if your question isn’t answered in the Foster Portal?
Although they say you shouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet, chances are, if you have a question about your dog, thousands of others have had the same question. We recommend checking a few sites to see if there’s a consensus about the answer to your question. Generally there is: are marshmallows safe for dogs? (Yes) Are grapes safe for dogs? (NO). How many times per day should a dog be fed (twice-daily for adults, more often for puppies). If you’re reading conflicting advice, reach out to your foster buddy for clarification.
All this being said, definitely reach out to your foster buddy for any medical concerns, so that we can weigh in on how urgent the issue is (our emergency guideline chart can also be found in the portal). Foster buddy hours are 9am-9pm. If you have a concern outside those hours, expect a response the next day. For emergency foster matters, please call the emergency foster line - that phone number can also be found in the portal. Please save it to your phone so you can easily access it if the need arises.
Thank you for taking the time to read this overview of Foster Buddy roles, and thank you as always for fostering with Muddy Paws Rescue. We could not save lives without you.
