All this crazy spring snow has us longing for warmer days and sunny hikes with our canine companions. For this Volunteer and Foster Friday, we want to thank champion dog walker Marc who not only loves to take our dogs out on dates, but always records his experiences with them so we can better understand our pups and help them get adopted faster. That’s the power of being a foster volunteer!
Dog Date Program
Recently, Marc took Pablo out on a hiking date (before the snow!!) at Hope Woods and had so much fun! Marc is part of our Dog Date foster program here at AWS and enjoys picking up resident pups on a weekly basis to get them out of the shelter. Taking a dog out for a walk, a hike, an ice-cream date, and even a sleepover helps our dogs become socialized, gives them an opportunity to feel what it’s like to be in a home, and helps them relax and have some fun. They also get to meet potential adopters!
Our foster volunteers also get a personal look at our dogs and how they behave outside he shelter, which helps us to match them better to potential families. It’s their special power of being a foster! Here’s what Marc had to say about Pablo when out on their date together:
“Pablo is the sweetest boy! He is a very easy walk as he does not pull, and although he is very excited about the opportunity to greet new people and dogs, it is not a desperate wrestling match to keep him with you! He is very sweet with new people and even let me squeeze him into his harness about 90 seconds after we met with no familiar faces around. He jumped right into the car and relaxed right into the hike as soon as I let him know which way we were going. Pablo’s about five years old and I think the perfect age for adopting a Pittie who still has a great deal of fun left in him, but won’t send you through the Tasmanian devil puppy stage!”
Marc, Foster Volunteer
Become a Foster
If you’ve ever wanted to become a foster volunteer and help us to get our animals adopted faster, consider signing up for a Dog Date! Fosters can change lives and help our animals in so many ways. From companionship to socialization, to exercise and information, there’s nothing our fosters can’t do for our dogs! That’s the power of being a foster.
Become an AWS hero and foster an animal today! We’ll work with you to make the best fit, make sure it aligns with your busy schedule, and answer any questions or concerns you may have. We love our volunteer and foster community!
