Donate

Raise a Puppy

Transform the lives of those living with disabilities by welcoming a future working dog into your home. No experience needed—just a big heart!

Two fluffy brown Labradoodle puppies sitting on a wooden floor, posing against a plain white background.
Adorable golden retriever puppy in training vest sitting indoors, looking cheerful.

No Training Experience? No Problem!

As a volunteer foster puppy raiser, you play a vital role in our mission by providing future working dogs with a loving home, dedicated care, and foundational obedience training. Foster puppies will live with you until the pup is old enough to begin formal working dog training.

You do not need training experience to raise a PAWS puppy! Our staff and our community of foster puppy raisers will be here to support you every step of the way.

Service dog in training rests beside a person at a desk, wearing a green vest labeled Future Working Dog.
Your Role as Foster Parent
  • Provide a loving home for the puppy
  • Meet the puppy’s daily exercise and nutrition needs
  • Attend training classes provided by PAWS HQ or your local PAWS Puppy Club
  • Work on training and basic cues at home
  • Keep the puppy’s vaccinations and heart worm medications up to date
What PAWS Provides You
  • A crate, collar, leash, and dragline
  • Online training curriculum for at-home training
  • Quarterly puppy outings to expose foster puppies to new environments
  • Flea and tick and heartworm preventatives, at cost
  • No-cost veterinary care at our headquarters and a partner location in Southeast Michigan

Foster Puppy Raising Options

Our foster puppies need homes for the first year of the puppies life. We know this can be quite a long volunteer commitment for some people, so we have a few foster puppy volunteer options that will enable you to raise a puppy in a way that fits your lifestyle!

Option 1

One Household

This is the traditional approach, where the puppy stays in the one home during the first year of its life. The majority of our foster puppy raisers follow this model.

Option 2

Start or Finish

Prefer young puppies or older, more mature ones? The start or finish option lets you choose.

  • Starter Home: Raise a puppy from eight weeks to about eight months.
  • Finishing Home: Take over from eight months until turn-in, when the puppy is about one year old. We'll pair you with a partner and coordinate transfers.

Option 3

Co-Raising

Share puppy-raising duties with another home, alternating responsibility until turn-in, when the puppy is about one year old. It’s ideal to partner with someone nearby, and you’ll set a schedule that works for both of you. If you don’t have a co-raiser in mind, we can help match you.

Ready to Make a Difference?

Join our community of dedicated foster puppy families who are helping to shape tomorrow’s working dogs. Fill out the interest form below to kickstart the process.

Step 1: Submit an Interest Form

Step 2: Fill Out an Application

Step 3: Attend a Virtual Orientation

Step 4: Background Check & Virtual Home Visit

Ready to raise a PAWS puppy? Jump to the application!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name(Required)

Have questions?

Get the answers you need to take the next step. Our comprehensive FAQ page addresses common questions about raising a puppy, the application process, and how we support you from start to finish.

Raise A Puppy FAQs
Women smiling with a yellow labrador during a pet therapy session indoors.
Donate