Our foster families allow us to save more lives, while providing our animals a safe place to decompress as they wait for their forever homes. To become a foster, please fill out our foster application here. 

Thank you for fostering with Dogs & Cats of Antigua (DACOA)! Fostering saves lives — not only are you providing a place for your foster pup to stay, but we can now rescue and shelter another animal in Antigua.

Unlike your local animal shelter, we are an entirely foster-based rescue network in the US/Canada. That means we do not have a physical location or a regular vet clinic in the US. However, we have volunteers based in most major northeast metro areas and are available to provide assistance should you need it. If you have questions about your foster pup at any time, reach out to our foster coordinator. 

1. Supplies

What your puppy arrives with

Your foster puppy will arrive in a soft-sided carrier. We suggest you hang onto this in case the pup needs to be transferred to another foster or to its forever home. Ideally, either you or the adopter will mail this carrier back to us so that we can use it for another pup leaving Antigua. 

In this carrier will be your foster pup’s health certificate. Please hold onto this and give it to the eventual adopter or rescue group when your fostering period is over. Most of our puppies will arrive with a collar and leash as well. Extra poop bags and wee pads may also be in their carrier (if not used in transit). 

What you provide

Fosters are kindly asked to provide food for their foster pups. If you would like a receipt noting your donation of food and supplies, we are happy to provide it. Ensure the puppy has clean, fresh water at all times. Beyond this, you are of course providing a safe living environment and basic care and clean up for your pup. We hope you enjoy spending time with your foster and getting to know them! 

Suggested supplies

• A wire / metal crate is an excellent way to manage your foster. Keep in mind that your pup may not be crate trained, and that they may protest at first. With time, most dogs come to understand their crate is a safe space to rest and relax—so please do not ever use a crate as punishment! Feeding meals and providing enrichment and toys in the crate can help pups acclimate. At night, it can help to have the crate in your bedroom -- puppies are comforted knowing their humans are close by. Note: It is better to avoid placing blankets or towels in the crate with the puppy until you know they are comfortable in the crate. Anxious puppies will shred linens and ingesting pieces of fabric is dangerous. 

• Wee pads help with potty training and can help protect your carpets/floors in case of accidents.

• “Work to eat” toys such as West Paw Toppls, Kongs, LickiMats, puzzle toys or snuffle mats are an excellent way to keep your pup occupied and tire them out mentally. 

• Safe chews like benebones/nylabones or bully sticks are also a great way to occupy puppies. If providing an edible chew (bully sticks and some nylabones, read packaging!), please do not leave your pup unattended, and ensure you remove the chew when it is smaller than ~2” to reduce the risk of choking. We suggest avoiding rawhide chews, as they are harder to digest. 

2. Puppy care

Medical

In the event that your puppy appears ill, lethargic, or otherwise "off" please contact your foster coordinator immediately. We will advise on steps to take and whether your foster puppy should see a vet.

Feeding

• Puppies generally need three meals a day. Follow the instructions for the food you’ve purchased, by weight of the puppy. If your pup seems unusually hungry, it is okay to feed more than the recommended amount -- they are growing! If you are unsure of the puppy’s weight, let us know and we can give you their most recent weight.

• Most puppies in our care eat Pedigree Puppy formula kibble. You are welcome to switch them to a different food, but it is best to transition them to their new food over the course of 10-14 days.

• While it is okay to feed only wet or only dry food, a mix of both is usually best. 

• Ensure the puppy has access to fresh, clean water at all times. (The only exception is when they are in their crate at night.)

Potty training

It is highly likely that your puppy will need potty training! While we don’t expect our fosters to fully potty train our pups, you can play an important role in setting a foundation for your foster pup’s success. Below are some potty training tips. 

• Keeping a consistent schedule is the very best thing you can do to potty train your puppy and avoid accidents. In the beginning, this may involve taking your puppy out every 2 hours to eliminate; this period can be extended during overnight hours (4-6 hours is usually possible for most puppies).

• Take your puppy out 20-30 minutes after each meal. They usually have to eliminate after eating. 

• Reward your puppy every time it eliminates outside. Use a clicker or marker word like “yes” and provide a treat within 1 second of puppy eliminating. This helps reinforce the value of eliminating outside. 

• Never punish your puppy for having an accident. If you catch your puppy mid-act, pick them up and move them to a wee pad or outside. If you do not catch them, simply clean up and note the circumstances (was it close to a meal time? Had it been close to two hours since they last went out? Did they just finish playing?) We suggest using an enzyme cleaner to reduce the risk that your puppy will return to the same spot.

• Crate training is extremely helpful for potty training, especially because many puppies will avoid eliminating where they sleep and eat. Crate training is not a substitute for taking your puppy out at regular intervals, though. Remember, they have a much smaller capacity to “hold it” than adult dogs!

• Keep an eye out for signs the puppy has to pee! After a few days behavior patterns often start to emerge if you know what to look for. Excessive sniffing (particularly near the location of a previous accident), jumping on doors, whining, walking away from the common area where you are hanging out, restlessness, can all be signs that the puppy needs to go outside. If you think there is any chance the puppy has to pee, it’s best to go outside. You’re probably right!

Walks & exercise

Puppies have a LOT of energy! Depending on how many vaccines your foster puppy has, they may be able to go on short walks and outings. If the puppy has not had their full set of vaccinations (three DHPP shots), they need to stay in your home or yard. 

• Puppies that can go for walks don’t need long walks! Intentional/educational walks are even better for tiring your foster puppy out--allow your puppy time to sniff as well, as this also tires them out mentally.

• If you have a fenced-in yard, please only allow your puppy to play loose in the yard while attended. Please also check for small gaps or loose boards, etc., which might allow a puppy to slip through. If you are not confident that your fence is 100% secure, a long line can provide a puppy with plenty of room to romp around without risking an escape (never leave a puppy, or any dog, unattended while tethered).

• If your foster puppy is vaccinated and able to go on walks, we encourage you to do so! Being out and about in public is a valuable way to socialize puppies. Besides poop bags, we always encourage fosters to bring along treats to reward puppies for good behavior, such as eliminating outside, walking without pulling, or paying attention to the handler. We highly recommend walking your foster puppy in a well-fitted harness to ensure their safety and protect their neck (given that most puppies like to pull!) If you are walking with just a collar, we suggest a martingale collar. Please do NOT ever use a choke, prong, or shock/e-collar on your foster puppy. 

• Keep an eye out for spooking behavior on walks from your foster puppy. Lots of things we see every day are brand new to the puppy. Bicycles, skateboards, scooters, children, buses all represent brand new experiences. Puppies may put on the brakes and stop walking to observe the new object - that is ok, and actually provides a good opportunity to provide treats. Let puppies explore all of these new things in their own way, at their own pace. 

• Dog parks should be avoided, even for puppies with all their vaccinations. While we are not opposed to dog parks, there are too many unknowns to risk bringing a foster puppy. In general, we suggest avoiding on-leash greetings with other dogs, unless you know the other dog and its temperament around puppies. On-leash greetings can be frustrating for dogs of any age, and can lead to issues with reactivity in the future. Playdates with puppies of a similar age, or with trusted adult dogs, are excellent if done in a controlled setting, such as your home or yard. 

3. Settling in

Management & puppy-proofing

Canines are curious animals and love to sniff, chew, and explore their environment. Sometimes, this involves destroying things that your foster puppy doesn’t know aren’t toys! Proper management and puppy proofing of your home can help avoid accidents like chewed shoes or scratched walls.

To start, make sure all items that could pose a hazard or attract the puppy to chew are put away (providing dog-safe chews and toys can help provide an outlet as well, but don’t expect a puppy to know the difference between a toy and your new shoes). Management is just as important, and involves monitoring your puppy when they are loose in the home. If you don’t want the puppy getting under your bed, make that room off limits and keep the door closed. If you want to avoid accidents on the rug, make sure the puppy has gone to the bathroom before playing on it. 

Managing your foster puppy helps set them up for success instead of giving them opportunities to make a mistake. Besides crate training, items like baby gates and long lines (used as a tether, only under supervision) can help keep the puppy only in areas you want it. 

Introducing your dog

Many of our foster families have dogs of their own, and this can provide an excellent socialization opportunity for foster puppies. Before agreeing to foster, we expect that you have confirmed that your dog(s) is friendly with other animals, and especially with puppies. If your dog is not friendly with other dogs or puppies, and you cannot realistically keep them separate from your foster, please let us know.

Dog-to-dog introductions should ideally be conducted outside, with both dogs on a leash. When you see relaxed behavior (no tension in the body, low to mid tail wagging, soft eyes, ears up) you may drop the leashes (given that you are in an enclosed/secure area) and allow the dogs to sniff and interact. Foster puppies should not be left unattended with other animals; please crate them or confine them to a safe space/room when you leave.

Decompression period

Nearly all rescue dogs undergo what is known as a decompression period when they are placed in a new environment. During this time, they get to know their environment, the people caring for them, and their routine. It is important to understand that the first few days or even weeks with a rescue animal can sometimes be tough, and the best thing you can do is provide patient care and space. Most rescues advise their adopters to abide by the 3-3-3 rule: give a new dog 3 days to settle in, 3 weeks to get acclimated to a new home and routine, and 3 months to show their true nature!

Many of our puppies come from unknown origins. They may have been born on the streets, under a house, in a bush, or in a yard. They may have had to face the elements and dangers like wildlife, cars, unfriendly people, and harsh weather. They may have been taken from their mothers at a young age and dumped in a box on the side of the road (sadly all too common in Antigua). While they have known only love and compassion while in our care, we cannot undo the trauma these early experiences may have caused. Puppies may also be stressed from traveling to their foster home – while we do everything possible to ensure a safe and low stress trip, some puppies are more resilient than others. What we do know is that the life they will have in their foster homes and eventual adopted homes are far better than they would have had on the streets of Antigua.

During the decompression period, your puppy may be shy, scared, or withdrawn. They may be loud and nippy. They may cling to you or hide under a couch. While we do our best to socialize puppies during their time with us, we cannot predict what they will be like in their foster homes. We ask that you be patient with your foster and establish a routine and healthy boundaries to help them adjust. If you have any questions or concerns about their behavior, just reach out and we can help you help them!