PAWS - Dogs in Foster Care

The dogs shown on the Dogs in Foster Care pages are all available for adoption and have been rescued from Death Row in various Kill Pounds in NSW by PAWS private rescuers. These pets are placed with volunteer Foster Carers who provide food, shelter and love while we advertise for new homes. Foster carers are usually animal lovers who, for various reasons, are unable to have a pet permanently. By adopting a rescued animal you are able to obtain information on their personality from both the rescuer and the foster carer before adoption ie. if the dog is suitable for a home with children or cats, whether they are shy or lively, affectionate or independent, whether they need a lot of exercise or are happy to curl up and snooze on your lap while you watch TV!

All adult dogs must be desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and heartworm tested before they can be rehomed. All puppies are microchipped, wormed and fully vaccinated and their adoption fee includes the cost of desexing them when they are old enough. They also have 2 or 3 booster vaccinations (depending on the age of the puppy) and have a slightly higher adoption fee than adult dogs to cover the extra cost to the rescuer.

Dogs are rehomed on two weeks trial to ensure that both the person adopting them and the rescuer are satisfied that the dog is happy and adapting well to their new home. The adoption fee is refundable only if the dog is returned to PAWS at the end of the trial period however we will always endeavour to take back any of our rescued dogs that are unable to be kept for any reason.

The adoption fee only reimburses the rescuer for the veterinary costs incurred in saving the dog and making it ready for rehoming (desexing, microchipping, vaccination, worming etc.) Whilst these routine veterinary costs are recouped when the pet is adopted (sometimes many months later!), any additional, unexpected vet costs must be paid for by their rescuer. These can include medication for a sick pet, emergency surgery for an injured one, a dental to remove abscessed teeth or even just grooming for a severely matted dog. Additional vet fees often run to hundreds of dollars if an animal becomes sick after it has been rescued, or has a pre-existing illness or injury which must be treated before it can be rehomed. It would be easy just to ignore the sick or injured dogs in Pounds but PAWS think they too should have a chance at a healthy, happy future.

Because of this we occasionally ask for sponsors when we have unusually high expenses for a particular rescue dog (generally when additional surgery is required).

Our veterinary account is with Animal Tracks Vet Hospital and you can phone them on 02 97646066 with a credit card if you would like to help us meet the ongoing cost of rescuing dogs from Death Row. Just ask for it to be credited to the PAWS account for either Denise or Ronda (our rescuers). Please do not phone Animal Tracks with an adoption enquiry because our rescued dogs aren't kept there but go to foster carers after they have been desexed, microchipped, vaccinated and wormed.

Please be assured that adoption fees are ONLY used to rescue dogs and cover any additional veterinary costs incurred by our volunteer rescuers. PAWS has no paid staff, no offices to pay rent on, no large advertising campaigns and no government funding. In addition, rescuers are not reimbursed for any personal expenses incurred by their rescue work such as phone calls or petrol. Perhaps more importantly, your money does not go to an organisation that kills healthy dogs just because it is taking too long to find them a home!

PLEASE NOTE NO PROFIT IS MADE BY PAWS FROM REHOMING RESCUED ANIMALS