Phoenix Area Rottweiler Rescue (PARR) is a local nonprofit rescue group dedicated to finding loving, permanent homes for Rottweilers that have been abused, neglected or abandoned. We are a small group of volunteers who love dogs in general, rotties in particular, and our community as a whole. We find that helping the Rottweilers of our community makes a safer, friendlier, happier place for us all to live.

This page provides information about what foster homes are and what they do. If you are interested in becoming a foster home for PARR, please let us know! We love meeting other "dog people" who are interested in helping their community through volunteer work.

What is a foster home?

Foster homes are temporary homes for the dogs that are accepted into our rescue program. The foster parents care for the dogs as their own, but for a limited length of time -- just until we find a permanent home for them. They provide shelter, food, toys and human interaction. Sometimes they need to administer medical care, such as giving medicines, changing bandages, or applying salves or special shampoos.

If you are interested in adopting a Rottweiler as a permanent part of your family, please visit our adoption information page.

Does it cost money?

PARR pays for the dog's vet bills, medicines, medical supplies (salves, special shampoos, bandages, etc.), and provides the dog with its vaccinations, a collar and an ID tag. Currently, our rescue fund is not sufficient to pay for food, so we ask the foster home to provide a high-quality kibble. Because of the size of our organization, we are unable to pay fees or a salary to any of our volunteers. We hope that one day we will be able to pay each foster home a small stipend to cover food and toys.

What are foster homes responsible for?

We have a short foster home agreement, which the foster parent and rescuer sign before a dog is placed into their foster home. The main points of the agreement are that the foster home will:

• provide fresh food every day
• provide clean, fresh water every day
• provide shelter and a clean, dry place for the dog to sleep
• provide clean bowls to eat and drink from
• provide baths, brushing and toenail clipping as needed
• ensure the dog is clean and available for its appointments to meet prospective adopters

Who finds the adopters?

PARR is responsible for finding the adopters. The foster home merely takes care of the dog while PARR looks for, screens, interviews and approves the permanent homes.

How long do dogs stay in foster homes?

It's not possible for us to predict how long a dog will be in foster care before its permanent home is found. We've had dogs in foster care as few as two days, and as long as 8 months. How quickly we can place a dog depends on a number of factors, such as physical beauty, age, health and training.

For many dogs, we've found that foster families who provide basic training (obedience and good manners) to their foster dogs make those dogs easier to place, and they tend to get adopted more quickly. Foster families who let their foster dogs get away with undesirable behavior tend to have the dogs for a longer time.

What are the dogs like?

When dogs are first rescued, they are generally untrained and exuberant, happy to finally be with someone who cares! Often they are not housebroken, and have some minor behavior problems (getting into garbage, stealing food from counters, jumping up, etc.) When we accept a dog into our program, we evaluate the dog to be sure it has a temperament that will allow it to live in a home safely. Dogs that are aggressive are not accepted into rescue, or are euthanized. If a dog in foster care becomes aggressive, we remove it and reevaluate it for placement. We do not place dogs that bite people!

We are always happy to provide foster parents with advice and guidance on solving any behavior problems that might surface. We use positive training methods and do not condone violence against dogs or the use of pain in the name of "training."

Can I pick the dogs I take into my home?

We have a foster profile that lets you specify the kinds of dogs you will accept into your home. For example, if you have a cat, you probably won't want a dog that chases cats, or if you are home all day, you may be willing to care for a dog with a handicap or that is recovering from major surgery and needs more attention. When filling out the foster profile, you can also specify any behavior problems that you will not accept.

Isn't it hard to say good-bye to them?

Yes! We won't lie to you -- it is hard, sometimes very hard, to say good-bye to a dog you've cared for, loved and trained. In the end, however, we all find that the rewards of knowing that our foster dog has a family of his very own is well worth the pain of saying good-bye. After all, the greatest gift we can give a dog is a forever family to love!

Can I adopt a rottie I foster?

If your home is the best home for the dog, yes! But we have a two-dog rule: you must foster two dogs before you will be eligible to adopt one of your foster dogs. The reason for this rule is that foster homes are MUCH harder to find than adoptive homes. Foster homes are a valuable resource and we don't want to lose them! Foster families tend to fall in love with the first dog they foster, partly because their first foster rottie is a wonderful dog, and partly because they haven't had a chance to foster enough dogs to find out how wonderful all of our rotties are!

I want to help! How do I get started?

Great! We look forward to meeting you. First, please fill out the foster home application. (If you cannot fill out the online form, email us and we will send you the forms you'll need.) We'll contact you and set a time to meet, fill out the foster profile and sign the foster agreement. As soon as the paperwork is done, it won't take long to find a dog for you to foster!

For more information, please visit our "contact us" page for contact information.

Thanks for your interest!