WCRAS Foster Care Program

06/05/2026

We’re navigating an upper respiratory virus moving through our shelter right now, and we’re working hard to keep every dog as comfortable and healthy as possible.

One of the best ways we can slow the spread is by creating more space to isolate the sick pups—and that means we need help getting our healthy dogs into short-term foster homes.

A 1–2 week foster stay makes a huge difference. When dogs are crowded together, illness spreads quickly—just like in a kindergarten classroom. Right now, about 33 of our dogs are dealing with kennel cough, and they’d benefit enormously from having quieter space and less exposure to other pets.

By fostering a healthy dog, you’re directly helping our sick dogs rest and recover.
If you have:
• A spare room
• A calm environment
• A little time
• A loving heart
…you can help a dog feel better simply by giving them a place to breathe and relax.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this—and an even bigger thank you to our fosters who step up again and again. We couldn’t do this without you.

If you’re ready to help, please reach out—we’ll match you with a dog who fits your home and schedule.

05/30/2026

🚨 Foster Needed ASAP for Elsa! 🚨

Miss Elsa is looking for a new foster home right away, and this lovable house hippo has so much to offer!

💜 Extremely people-friendly
💜 Loves both kids and adults
💜 Calm, low-key, and happy to lounge on the couch
💜 Great manners in the home
💜 Crate trained
💜 Excellent in the car
💜 Can be left loose in the house for up to 9 hours with no accidents or destruction
💜 Perfect companion for families, singles, or seniors

Elsa is the definition of a couch potato. She enjoys short walks, although she can be a little stubborn when she decides she'd rather go her own way! Most of the time, though, she's perfectly content relaxing by your side and soaking up affection.

⚠️ Elsa needs to be the only pet in the home, as she is not dog-friendly.

If you're looking for a calm, easygoing companion who asks for little more than a comfy spot on the couch and some love, Elsa may be your perfect match.

Please help us find this sweet, chonky girl a safe place to land. ❤️

05/28/2026

FOSTER NEEDED FOR ALMA

Alma is struggling in the shelter environment, and we truly believe it is the shelter itself — not Alma. This sweet little 28 lb girl is experiencing kennel stress and spends much of her day spinning in her kennel trying to cope with the environment around her.

But everyone who knows Alma knows the real her: a loving, petite girl with a heart full of affection. She has never met a stranger, walks nicely on leash, and absolutely lights up when she gets attention from people. She is happiest simply being near her humans and soaking up love.

Alma desperately needs a calm place to decompress and feel safe again. We are hopeful that a foster home could help remind her that the world is not as overwhelming as the shelter feels right now.

If you have pets at home, we encourage you to come meet Alma in person and bring the whole family so we can set up a proper meet and greet.

Alma currently has an upper respiratory infection (URI), so dog meet and greets cannot be facilitated at this time. However, we have wonderful staff members available who can counsel you on Alma and everything that comes with her.

Please help us give Alma the break she so desperately needs. She is such a special girl and deserves the chance to relax, heal, and be loved.

If interested in fostering Alma, please email: [email protected] and [email protected].

05/01/2026

𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: Foster Found

Dolores is back at the Red Poppy Adoptique
Her foster had such great things to say
Dolores just spent 4 days with my husband and myself. She is an amazing houseguest.
This girl is all kinds of wonderful and bouncing back from a number of issues that came up when she was abandoned.
Her skin is coming back to normal and her boney self is back to eating well. We introduced her to plain hamburger patties and she loves them.
All this healing requires deep long sleeps. She had two beds to choose from and would trade off to relieve the boney pressure points.
Dolores does have the congestive heart failure cough that can take you by surprise, but she isn't afraid. That said, those spells usually bring on enough adrenaline to want to walk her outside immediately.
She doesn't rush you for feeding. In fact, she needs to take a minute or two to approach her food bowl.
No fighting the pills; she downs those pill pockets readily.
Dolores stays out of the kitchen while you are cooking.
She does not beg at the table where people are dining.
There is no issue of garbage invasion.
When she needs to go outside, she will stand at the door. If she gives a howl, consider it a high level alarm.
After going outside, this girl really enjoys just standing and watching. If there's a breeze, her nose is in it.
Dolores is a perfect little car passenger. In a minute or two, she's settled. With her heart issues, it's recommended the car be pre-chilled.
Dolores wants to get better and, other than those coughing fits, she doesn't act at all sickly.
She cannot be a running partner, but there's a bounce in her step and a glide in her stride.
Her sleeping respiration went from 26/28 and is now down to 16 breaths per minute.
As she perked up, she did more normal doggy things like bathing her legs and looking for an available hand giving pets.
By the third morning we saw a genuine tail wag!
To help with the heart and help her put a bit of meat back on her bones, we provided many meals throughout the day. A little dairy cream on the dry food helped it go down.
We saw many improvements and would like to believe that, with the right drugs, she has the will to go for a while.
Hoping she finds her person very soon. Plenty of love on both sides!
We are looking for a new foster, please reach out is you can foster Dolores she is listed as hospice so we would love for her to get out of the shelter ASAP

04/18/2026

We are so happy to say that Dolores has left the shelter and is now in foster care

This sweet senior lady is Dolores 💕
At 11 years old, Dolores is looking for a hospice foster where she can be surrounded by comfort, kindness, and love. She has a grade 4–5/6 heart murmur, but she’s doing better now that she’s on medication and being cared for.
What Dolores needs most isn’t much—just a quiet, loving home where she can spend her remaining time feeling safe and cherished. She deserves soft places to rest, gentle affection, and someone who will remind her every day that she matters.
If you have room in your heart and home to give this precious girl the love she deserves, Dolores will be forever grateful. 🐾
If you are interested in fostering Dolores, please stop by WCRAS or email [email protected]

04/01/2026

Foster Home Plea for Huck!🐾❤️

Huck is a sweet boy, and is the total package—gentle, affectionate, and ready to settle right into your home. He has excellent manners, is fully house trained, and walks beautifully on a leash, making him an easy companion whether you're out for a stroll or relaxing at home.

Huck has been a little stressed in this shelter environment so he's looking for a place to decompress and be the playful pup he is!
Huck has done well with other dogs in the past although, we always recommend a meet and greet to make sure everyone gets along.

He also enjoys chewing on bones, playing with his favorite toys, and, most of all, curling up on the couch for some quality cuddle time.

He’s crate trained and settles in nicely, and while he may give a little whine at first, he quickly relaxes. He’s already off to a great start with his training and is currently working on keeping all four paws on the ground when he gets excited.

If you're looking for a fun-loving pup to add to your family, Huck will be the perfect addition!

03/25/2026

FOSTER REQUEST: Marlene needs a quiet place to land while she heals. ❤️‍🩹🐾

This sweet, resilient girl is ready to leave the hospital behind after receiving treatment for suspected rat poison exposure that caused serious bleeding issues. She has responded very well to care and is on the mend, but she needs a calm, low-activity environment for the next 2–3 weeks to fully recover. Short, gentle walks and lots of rest will be key as she continues healing.

Marlene’s story started when she wandered onto a kind stranger’s porch, where she stayed for over a week, showing her friendly and gentle nature even as she began to feel unwell. She walks nicely on leash, enjoys car rides, and despite everything she’s been through, continues to greet people with warmth.

We are looking for a foster or rescue placement where Marlene can rest, recover, and receive a little extra love during this time. If you can open your home to her, you’ll be giving her exactly what she needs most right now—a safe, peaceful space to heal.

03/13/2026

03/12/2026

🐾 Foster Needed for Jackson! 🐾

Jackson had surgery today and is looking for a cozy place to rest and recover while he heals. He recently had the tip of his toe (the distal P3 bone) amputated after it didn’t respond to medical treatment. Right now he just needs a quiet, comfortable place to relax and heal over the next couple of weeks.

Jackson is dog-friendly and has been paired with another pup in the past. As always, we recommend slow introductions with any new pets in the home.

Recovery details:
• Activity restrictions for the next 2 weeks
• Short walks only (5–10 minutes) to keep his bandage clean and protected
• Foot bandage for the next few days with a recheck appointment next week
• On oral medications and decompression meds to help keep him comfortable and calm

There is a chance he could need the entire toe amputated depending on how this surgery heals, but we are hopeful that with proper rest and care he will recover well.

Keeping his kennel floor clean is important for healing, but a foster home would greatly increase his chances of a smooth recovery. A quiet space where he can rest would make a huge difference for him right now.

If you’re able to foster Jackson during his recovery period, please reach out. Even a short-term foster would help him heal comfortably.

Let’s help Jackson get the peaceful recovery he deserves. 🐶💙

03/07/2026

Foster takeover for Tony
Hi all - we are still looking for a foster takeover for Tony as he doesn’t get along with our resident dog, Bronx. Note that Bronx was also thought to be an only-dog-dog and has only really been introduced to Piper, who was extremely docile due to kidney failure, and my in-laws’ small female dog. This was a test on both Tony and Bronx, and while they walk together very well, they’re not a good fit to coexist.
Because of this, Tony is mostly kept alone in a spare bedroom. We bring him out for small visits, and he does wonderfully in his room, we would love him to be in a home where he can be integrated fully.
Tony would do best in a home as the only dog or potentially with a well-matched dog. In shelter, he struggled greatly with the loud noises, and initially he was very sensitive to sound here. He has been gaining confidence in foster and is doing great! He is a happy dog, VERY food motivated (literally wags his entire body when it’s food time), loves chew toys and the occasional stuffy, belly rubs, and greatly enjoys his walks with our resident dog. He loves being in the backyard — instantly smiles when we are out 🙂 He is great on leash but does have very high prey drive.
We do not want to bring him back to the shelter, but I work mostly out of town, and I just know how special this boy is and how deserving he is of a family! Please help.