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Dogs and Puppies are placed into the Dubuque Regional Humane Society's (DRHS) foster program for the following reasons:

• Age

• Underweight

• Orphaned

• Nursing

• Behavior

• Medical issues
   

As a general rule is that puppies must be two months old and weigh two pounds or more before being ready for spay/neuter surgery and adoption. Once puppies are the proper weight and age and are healthy, they must be returned to the DRHS to begin the adoption process.
 

Time Commitment

Foster dogs all have different needs and requirements depending on the situation. It is a general rule that the minimum time requirement for adult canines is 1 hour per day. Of course, foster families can always spend more time cuddling and loving their fosters!

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Supplies Needed
The DRHS provides all the supplies needed for fostering dogs and puppies. It is the responsibility of the foster family to pick up supplies when needed. ​​​​​​​
 

Dog and Puppy Medical Schedule

All dogs and puppies are vaccinated, treated for worms/parasites, and spayed/neutered before they are made available for adoption.
 

Medical Schedule

It is the responsibility of the foster and the DRHS vet staff to maintain each dog and puppy’s medical schedule. The vet staff and Manager of Volunteer & Foster Engagement will establish a monthly schedule with the foster parent to ensure that vaccinations, worming, flea/tick, and other medical needs are met in a timely fashion.
 

Things to observe:

• Abnormal stools (blood, parasites, diarrhea)

• Lethargy, loss of weight, not eating

• Sneezing, coughing, abnormal breathing

• Vomiting

• Eye discharge
   

If any symptoms arise, it is important to contact the manager of volunteer & foster engagement as soon as possible. We have vet staff on site daily, please do not take foster animals to your personal veterinary clinic unless you have communicated with the Manager of Volunteer & Foster Engagement.