Foster FAQs

To foster a dog, fill out our online Foster Application and describe what type of animal you are looking for. A member of our staff will reach out to you within a few days to ask follow up questions, and will then match you to the perfect foster. You will get an opportunity to meet the dog or cat before fostering..

The easy answer is, no one knows. Some fosters may last a few weeks. Others may be with you for a year. We take pride in finding the right home for every dog and cat. And you, as the foster parent, will have a big say in the adoption process. The more events you can bring your foster animal to, the shorter the stay. Shorter stays help us save more animals, so we encourage our fosters to attend as many events as possible. If you cannot make an event, we have volunteers who can bring your foster to the event and get them in the spotlight.

Renegade Rescue will pay for any and all vet bills. Please reach out to your case manager before bringing your foster to the vet. Renegade partners with select veterinarians in the area to keep the vet bills low. We do not reimburse routine vet visits that are not with our approved veterinarian. If there is an emergency, please let us know as soon as you are able, but do not delay treatment. In Emergency situations, please bring your foster to Savannah Emergency Veterinary Clinic on 335 Stephenson Ave, Savannah, GA 31405.

Adoption visits will be held at the office or with your Case Manager. Please inform your Case Manager before scheduling any potential adopter visits.

Renegade Rescue will pay for any food and supplies you may need including the leash, collar, crate, food, medicine, etc. We appreciate any donations to help cover the cost of our supplies.

All animals must be up to date on all vaccines to attend events (DHPP, Rabies, and Bordatella). Puppies must have had at least 2 of their 4 Distempers to attend events in a play pen. Rabies exceptions are made for puppies that will go in play pens to be kept safe. A tarp and puppy pen are REQUIRED and permissions must be granted by Renegade Paws Rescue leadership. Puppies can play one week after 2nd DHPP. Events are always posted on the Facebook page and are an excellent way to get your foster exposure to potential adopters. We encourage all of our fosters to try and come to as many events as possible. If you cannot bring your foster to an event, just let us know! We have volunteers who can go to the events and showcase your foster pet. Remember, the more dogs and cats we get adopted, the more dogs and cats we can save.

Notify your Case Manager of the the dates you’ll be out of town along with a short snippet about your foster, and post on the foster Facebook page . We will always find someone to watch them while you’re out of town. The sooner you can tell us about an upcoming trip, the better.

Consider all puppies that have not received their 4 DHPP vaccines “bubble puppies.” This means they should not go into public due to the danger of contracting a serious disease. Absolutely no dog parks, downtown walks, or any areas that have a high volume of dog traffic. Puppies should not be around any other dogs until they have had their 2nd (second) shot. Yes, this includes your personal dog at home. They should not even be allowed in your backyard until after the 2nd booster. Bubble puppies will be at least a 3-4 week commitment until they are fully vaccinated and can begin socializing with other dogs and going to events. Puppies can get adopted at 8-10 weeks. This means they can go home ideally a week after their second Distemper/parvo vaccine is given. They are still considered “bubble puppies” until they’ve had all of their distemper/parvo vaccines and we are adamant to remind adopters of this.

Always try to locate the owner first. Take the dog or cat to get scanned for a microchip at a veterinarian's office or at the Renegade office. If you can’t immediately locate the owner, you must contact your local animal control services to report the animal as found. After they are reported, they must undergo a stray hold. The stay hold needs to be reported in the county in which the animal was found. You may keep them at your home or with your local animal control center for the duration of the stray hold. Even if you choose to do the hold in your home, you MUST report them. Different counties require different lengths of time for their stray hold. You can reach out to Renegade Paws Rescue at any point during this process for assistance. Please see the “I Want to Bring a Dog or Cat into the Renegade Program. What is the Process?”

If you come across a dog or cat who needs help and you cannot foster, send an email to info@renegadepawsrescue.org with the following information: Is there any history of aggression/biting? How does the dog or cat do with other animals? Other dogs/cats? Why are you rehoming? If found as a stray, have you reported the animal to the animal control authorities in the county found? Are you willing to foster until they are adopted? Please include photos. If we get all this info, and they are a good fit, we will schedule a time to meet them. If the meeting goes well, we will look for a foster if you are unable to . We have an Awesome foster placement team who works on this behind the scenes 24/7. We have limited resources (and foster homes) so this process can take time.

Do you love dogs and/or cats? Will you do anything to take good care of them? Do you have time to devote? As long as the answer to these questions are "yes," you have the potential to be a great foster parent!

When you are approved as a foster you will receive an email containing the Foster Handbook. You can also find a copy of it in the Files section of the Renegade Paws Rescue Foster Parents Facebook page.