Become a Foster Pawrent
Diamond's Friends is an entirely foster-based rescue. We can only save as many animals as we have foster homes for. By becoming a foster pawrent, you help us save lives. We cannot do this work without YOU!
Fostering is FREE, and we provide everything you need. You just provide a safe place for an animal in need to stay until an adoptive home can be found.
To become a foster,
Fostering FAQs
1. What supplies do fosters receive?
We give you everything you need! This includes:
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Crate, bed, and crate bowl
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Leash, collar, ID, and Airtag
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Food, food bowls, water bowls,
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Treats
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Toys and chew bones
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Shampoo
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- Nature's Miracle Cleaner
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Probiotics (if requested)
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Baby gate or puppy pen (if requested)
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Potty pads (if requested
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Harness (if requested)
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Anything else you request!​
2. What support do fosters receive?
At Diamond's Friends, we are committed to supporting our fosters throughout their foster journey. We never want them to feel like they are on their own! Fosters receive daily check-ins from the foster coordinator. Training and behavioral assistance is provided as needed. They also have access to 24/7 support via phone if needed.
3. Do you have a foster manual?
4. Where can fosters be located?
Because of the level of support we provide our fosters, we do restrict fostering locations to Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Huntington. We will occasionally consider fosters around the UCI area as well. Unfortunately, we cannot provide adequate support to fosters who live outside of those areas.
5. How long do I have to foster for?
We prefer fosters who can commit to fostering until their pup is adopted. Our average length of stay for our adoptable dogs is around 40 days because we prioritize finding the right home for a dog as opposed to moving them along quickly. Some dogs get adopted faster, others take longer. However, sometimes we will accept temporary foster homes if we have long-term fosters who are traveling and need someone to take their foster dog temporarily.
6. Will I have to transport my foster dog to the vet, adoption events, or meet and greets?
While it is extremely helpful to us when we have fosters who can help transport their pups to and from appointments, this is not a requirement to foster for us.
7. Do I get to choose my foster dog?
We will only match you with a foster dog we think will be a good fit for your home, family, schedule, lifestyle, and other pets. That said, we do make sure you are ok with the dog we are placing in your home prior to drop off.
8. Who pays for my foster dog's supplies and medical needs?
We do! Diamond's Friends covers the cost of whatever your foster dog needs.
9. How do I know my foster dog doesn't have an illness my current dog could get?
Sadly, we cannot make any guarantees that a foster dog is completely healthy.
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That said, most of the ailments we see in dogs coming from our local shelter (i.e. kennel cough, giardia, and worms) are treatable and have manageable risk levels if you don't let dogs eat/drink from the same bowls, play with the same toys, and you pick up poop quickly.
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We can also mitigate the risk to your dog by matching you with a pup from a partner that tends to send us fewer pups with highly communicable illnesses (these dogs primarily come from the Hawaiian islands, so they can't fly if they have any type of URI).
10. Can I foster a dog who is already trained?
We cannot make any guarantees about the level of training any dog has had. Most of our dogs come from shelter environments and will likely need at least some training when they enter a new home.
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However, we will occasionally take in owner surrenders that we have a better idea of their level of training. We'd be happy to try to match you with an owner surrendered pup, but we don't take these pups in as often as we take in dogs from kill shelters.
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11. I have a question not answered here. Where can I ask it?
You can contact us here!