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Fostering a PAW Alliance Pet
Thank you for your interest in PAW Alliance and our foster program! Fosters help save lives, both four- and two-legged. We need fosters for both, our New Start in Life program that assists domestic violence survivors and the pets they love and for our New Leash on Life prison dog-training program. We need fosters, and hope you'll become one.
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A few details:
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PAW Alliance will be responsible for all food and treats, little, bedding, medical care and, if necessary, crates or cages for the foster animals. Please feed your foster animal only the agreed-upon diet.
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As a foster, you will be responsible for keeping your foster safe, secure, clean and well-loved. We hope you will help socialize her/him. Many pets will be understandably frightened and disoriented and will need special care and attention to relax. They have likely been in a terrifying situation themselves and will need time to feel safe.
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We cannot accommodate people fulfilling court-ordered community service to our program. We cannot accept those convicted of violent crimes or crimes involving animal cruelty or neglect.
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If renting, we'll contact your landlord to ask if fostering animals in your home is acceptable.
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Fostering for A New Leash on Life is generally a 2-3 weeks commitment.
Fostering for A New Start in life is generally a few weeks to a few months commitment.
If at any time, that time frame changes or needs to change, we will reach out to you to discuss.
Because everyone deserves a second chance.
PAW Alliance partners with the Forsyth Correctional Center, a minimum-security men’s prison and the Winston-Salem Dog Training Club in A New Leash on Life, a N.C. state prison dog-training program. We also form alliances with area rescue groups to help dogs most in need.
Once our dogs for the next class have been selected, we begin looking for fosters. By placing the dogs into a foster home for the two-three weeks before their 10-weeks of training begins, it gives the dog a chance to decompress, we are able to learn more about the dog from the foster, and it gives another dog the chance to have that kennel.
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PAW Alliance will be responsible for all food and treats, little, bedding, medical care for the foster animals. Please feed your foster animal only the agreed-upon diet.
As a foster, you will be responsible for keeping your foster safe, secure, clean and well-loved. We hope you will help socialize her/him. We often do not know what the dog's life has been like before s/he arrived at the shelter, many will be understandably frightened and will need time and patience to allow them to relax.​​
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Many domestic/interpersonal violence victims won’t leave the home, for fear their pets will be
abused if they leave—if they haven’t been already—and often, abusers use pets as hostages. If
the victim does leave and finds a safe shelter, pets are rarely allowed.
A New Start in Life (NSIL) program partners with Family Services of Forsyth County to provide safety and care to pets while survivors of interpersonal violence stay at their shelter. We can assist Forsyth County residents who are in need. We provide loving foster homes or lodging, food and treats, medical care, toys, and all other needs. The survivors feel great relief knowing their pets are safe and loved. After they figure out their next steps and leave the shelter, they’re reunited with their pets.
If you know someone in Forsyth County who may be experiencing domestic/interpersonal violence, they can call Family Services' crisis line 336.723.8125 or go to Bridges to Hope Family Justice Center at 725 North Highland Avenue, Annex 1, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 and file a restraining order or domestic violence complaint. Our forms are at Bridges to Hope, as well.
We began this program after realizing that:
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71% of women in domestic violence shelters report their abuser threatened, injured or killed a pet as a means of control. (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
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Nearly 50% of victims stay in abusive situations rather than leave their pet behind. (Carlisle-Frank, Frank and Nielsen, 2004)
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As many as 25% of survivors will return because the abuser is using their pet as a means to get the person back. (ASPCA)
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And, finally, domestic violence shelters very rarely accept pets.
“PAW Alliance was the thread that kept my family not only together but safe during a time of our life that fleeing was our only safe option ... It is only through PAW Alliance that I was able to keep my entire family safe. Thank you for being there when it mattered most!"
- New Start in Life Domestic Violence Survivor
“I have been a pet parent and fan of PAW Alliance for years. When I first read about A New Start in Life, I knew that I wanted to somehow get involved, and luckily the chance came for me to foster my first dog. I think that this program is so important and fills a need in our community to provide the love, care, and support for both humans and pets going through an extremely difficult time in their lives. It made my heart happy to provide a little peace of mind for my foster pup and his family.” M. S.
- A PAW Alliance Foster
“We are so grateful for our partnership with PAW Alliance. Individuals and families that come into the domestic violence shelter face unique and challenging situations. Because of PAW Alliance, we are able to offer our clients comfort, knowing their animals are safe and well taken care of. This allows them to flee unsafe situations to maintain their own safety, as well as the safety of the animals they love.”
- Family Services, Forsyth
Protecting Domestic Violence Survivors and the Pets They Love
This program works only because of people like you opening your hearts and homes, and giving their time and attention, to a pet in need. As a foster, you know you’re offering desperately needed support to both the animal and the violence survivor, helping both begin to feel safe. Your fostering is crucial to allow the survivor to recover and look to the future, knowing their beloved pet is in loving hands.
We need help with this necessary, important program. We are in desperate need of foster families. You can change lives!
Why Foster a PAW Alliance pet?
A New Start in Life
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You are helping a domestic violence survivor in our community.
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You are offering a pet a safe, comforting home while its parent is trying to recover from a seriously traumatic experience.
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The pet very possibly has been abused, too, so you’re helping the pet learn that there are safe, loving places.
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You’re reducing the pet’s stress and giving the survivor much-needed emotional relief. When survivors know that their animal is in a safe, loving place, they can breathe easier and put more energy into making plans for a new life.
​​A New Leash on Life
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You are providing the dog time to relax, learn to trust again.
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You are also potentially saving another dog's life as well. Many shelters are always full, by fostering A New Leash on Life dog during their transition from the shelter to the prison for training, it allows that kennel to become free and available for another dog, who may have not had that opportunity.
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PAW Alliance supplies everything a foster home needs, including food, treats, and toys, cages or crates if needed, medical care, and all other essentials.
HOW IT WORKS
In A Nutshell:
Fill out a foster application and get it to us. We’ll be in touch, and if all seems a good fit, you’ll be a PAW Alliance foster home! A PAW Alliance rep will contact you to discuss your interest. If it seems a good fit, the rep will come visit your home and explain more about our program. Fosters are short-term, ranging from a few weeks to a few months.
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Fill out a foster application and get it to us.
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A PAW Alliance rep will contact you to discuss your interest, then will make a home visit and give you more details and answer any questions.
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When the time comes—A New Start in Life, it’s often last minute—we’ll call you and tell you what pet/s need your help. A New Leash on Life, we will email as many details about the dog and if you feel you can foster that particular dog, you let us know and we will arrange everything with you.
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PAW Alliance will bring the pet/s to you with all necessary equipment, food, treats, toys, beds, medicines, and so on.
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We’ll ALWAYS be available if you have questions or concerns and will be with you every step of the way. We’ve learned that the survivor parents love getting info and photos, so we hope you’ll send some to us and we’ll pass them along.
A New Start in Life
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When the survivor decides a path going forward and leaves the shelter, we’ll pick up the pet/s from you and bring them back to their parent.
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A New Leash on Life
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When it's time to begin her/his training, a PAW Alliance representative will arrange to pick up your foster dog and transport it to the prison.
