Helping Foster Dogs Find Forever Homes in New York City

By our friends at Muddy Paws Rescue

For a New York City foster-based dog rescue like ours, finding new foster families can be tough. Though there are tons of dog-friendly parks and activities in the city, transportation is tricky, apartment life can be noisy and crowded, and long commutes can stretch an eight-hour workday into ten hours or more away from home.

Ten hours at home alone is a long day for any pup, but especially so for dogs who have just traded shelter life for the structure and socialization of a home environment. To help support our incredible foster families in socializing their pups and getting them ready for their forever families, Muddy Paws Rescue teamed up with Wag! two years ago to offer discounted walks for foster dogs — and what a difference it has made!

Over the years, Wag! walkers have helped countless Muddy Paws dogs get comfortable with the sights and sounds of the city. Because our dogs are recent shelter graduates, many of them are nervous outside of the crate and can be wary of strangers. Having patient and confident Wag! walkers helps them learn that not all strangers are scary — and some of them even offer yummy treats!

One of our senior superstars is seven-year-old black lab mix Dee Ann. That's her, above left, along with a few other Muddy Paws pups. Dee Ann was so loved by her Wag! walker that he began sharing her photo with other walkers and families looking to adopt. Soon after, her foster mom got stopped on the street by someone who recognized Dee Ann from her Wag! walker’s posts!

It often takes a village to help find a home for large senior pups, and by bonding with Dee Ann and sharing her story, Dee Ann’s walker helped get her the exposure she needed to find her perfect forever home.

Muddy Paws Rescue was also honored to receive one of Wag!’s first community impact grants earlier this year. This grant helped us purchase extra foster supplies such as crates, food, toys, and treats for our biggest rescue mission ever. With Wag!’s help, we were able to welcome 62 new pups into the Muddy Paws pack and give them a second chance to find their forever homes.

Our Muddy Paws pups often come from circumstances where they have been abandoned or surrendered to local shelters. Having Wag! walkers as a part of their extended foster families helps welcome them to their new lives with love, patience, and style.