Adoption saves a life. FOSTERING SAVES LIVES.

Path of Hope Rescue does not have a building or a kennel location. That means that we are wholly dependent on foster families. Every dog we save has to have a committed foster family in order for us to rescue them.

LOVE THEM FOR A LITTLE WHILE, UNTIL WE FIND A FAMILY WHO WILL LOVE THEM FOREVER.

BE THEIR UNTIL.

"Try-It-Out" 3-Day Fostering

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"Try-It-Out" 3-Day Fostering ***

This program is designed for a family to 'try out' fostering to see if they would like to complete the full process to become an official PHR Foster Family. This program is in the Beta phase, so bear with us.

Here's how it works:

  • Submit your application to "Try-It-Out"

  • If approved, a volunteer will conduct a Home Inspection to make sure your house is secure and safe for puppies.

  • At the approval time of the Home Inspection, the volunteer will leave one or two puppies with you.

  • You have a 3-day commitment. That's it! If you love the experience, sign up to become an official PHR foster. If not, return the pups after 3 days. No harm no foul. At least you can say you tried.

  • We will provide you with everything you need for the puppy as well as support to answer any questions.

***This is NOT a "foster to adopt" opportunity. If you are interested in adoption, please fill out an Adoption Application. You will have an In Home Trial as part of your adoption process.

***This program is not intended for recreation or family activity, this is meant as a low barrier opportunity to see if fostering is right for your family.

FAQs

  • We won't lie, this one is hard. Every puppy or momma that comes into your home is going to take a piece of your heart with him. It's unavoidable. We accept the hurt of letting them go, so we can help more. Because there's another dog in Texas sleeping on the streets right now, just praying for a family like yours. And that next one is going to give you a piece of his heart too. So after awhile your heart will be composed of all of the dogs that you saved.

    Please note, we do not allow fosters to adopt their first placement.

  • We always need fosters, but if your goal is to adopt, we recommend only applying to adopt. We have a matchmaking service that will help match you to the right dog and an in home trial, so the dog can be part of the family before you have to decide anything permanent.

    Please note, we do not allow fosters to adopt their first placement.

  • That's some of that weird Rescue lingo. It just means we have certain rules for placement of dogs into foster homes. You will only have one 'placement' at a time.

    *Litters of puppies under 8 weeks old are always kept together with mom

    *Puppies 8-16 weeks are placed in pairs

    *Puppies and adults over 16 weeks are placed as single dog

  • Nothing! PHR provides everything you need: crates, toys, treats, blankets, food and medical care. We have an entire stock of supplies to make your experience as easy as possible, and if we don't have something, just ask!

  • Hasn't happened yet! We do have some dogs that take longer to find their families, but your commitment is only for two months. At that time, we will offer to move your pup or you can commit to an additional two month period. However, most of our dogs do get adopted before two months.

  • In our experience, the majority of our dogs slide right into an existing pack with little to no problems. It's a testament to how amazing dogs are, that they are social animals and thrive in well balanced packs. We always suggest a couple days of separation initially, just to let them decompress from their long trip. No one wants to attend a party after three days on the road! Additional, we will always be honest about what we know of a dog's temperament. We also have a Behavioral team that will come help you. But after all of that, if its just not a good fit, we will move your foster to a different home. Your family's safety is our number one priority, humans and fur kids.

  • We know you can't plan your entire life around your foster dog, so don't worry! We got your back. Just let your Case Manager know ahead of your vacation and we will find you a temporary foster while you're gone. Or you are always to bring your foster dog with you, we love to see our dogs being included in family adventures!

  • Loads! You will have your own dedicated Case Manager that will be your point of contact for everything you need. We have a Medic in every part of the city to offer you a close option to get your pups vaccines done. We have a Transport team that will give your pup a ride somewhere if needed. We have a Clean team of approved teenagers who will come clean your house and yard (basically child labor), and we have a Care team that is activated when a puppy needs extra medical care. And lastly, we have a Behavior team that will come to your home and help with any issues you are experiencing.

  • Our dogs have pretty terrible immune systems from living on the streets, so it does happen. We have an entire medical team dedicated to making sure our puppies have the best care and you have support. Almost all issues we can treat 'in house' but if we do need a vet, we have a couple of great vet partners we work with. And again, there is absolutely no cost to you.

  • Absolutely! We will take into account your 'out of the house' time when deciding who to put with you. For instance, we wouldn't put 8 week old puppies with someone who is gone eight hours a day.

  • We will take into account your age preference, but we don't allow people to choose which specific dog they want. Frankly, because that would be so hard to honor for everyone!

WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A FOSTER FAMILY?

  • Provide food and clean water daily

  • That’s it!

  • Okay, not really

  • Exercise and socialization would be a bonus!

  • And you’re probably gonna want to potty train them, you know, for the sake of your floors

  • Don’t worry, we will find the adopters, but we will want your input if you think they are serial killers or not

HOW LONG CAN I EXPECT TO FOSTER A DOG?

  • Fosters placements have a maximum length of 2 months.

  • If the dog is not adopted by that time, the foster family will have the choice of moving the dog to a different family or having the dog stay with them for another two month period.

  • However, most dogs are adopted before two months.

An old man was walking down a back street on an already muggy morning in Houston. At a distance, he could see a figure moving busily along the side of the street. As he moved closer, he could see that it was a young woman. She was putting out dishes of kibble and gathering up stray and sick dogs into kennels in her van.

"Young lady, why are you gathering up these poor creatures?"

"These dogs don't have families and need care. If I don't help them, they'll die."

"But young lady, there's so many! They overflow the shelters and streets. You cannot make a difference."

Every Dog. Wanted.

She listened politely, then he watched as she turned her attention to a small puppy in a bush. His fur was missing spots; you could see the lines of his ribs, and the flies buzzed around his face and clung to his weeping eyes. He was scared, crouched, and kept his tail firmly tucked. The man watched as the woman gently coaxed the dog from his hiding place with a little food and a low voice. She filled a little dish with clean water and slowly gained the pup's trust enough that she could run her hand along his protruding spine. When he'd had enough, the woman picked up the sick dog and put him in a kennel in the van.

"It'll make a difference for this one."

Adapted from the "Starfish Poem" and written by Jaymie Miner