PREVENTING LOST FOSTERS:

All fully vaccinated (two (2) vaccines after 4 months of age) puppies, teens, and adult fosters may only walk using the Double-Leash System at all times. This is non-negotiable and is the key to avoiding escaped dogs.

The Double-Leash System involves a heavy, rope slip-style leash tightened to the neck and a harness and clip leash. One should be around your wrist and one held in your hand.

If you are taking a teenager or adult dog into foster, it is imperative that you protect them from being able to escape. This includes: 

• Never leaving the animal in a yard unattended, regardless of fence height
• Being careful when entering and exiting your home 
• Using a leash (slip lead and clip leash) and a harness when walking the animal
• Practicing with a harness and leash in the home before venturing outside
• Starting slow with walks 
• If you take home a shy dog please also have the dog wear an AirTag (provided by the shelter) on their collar 

As noted above, rez dogs are not used to the sights and sounds of a home or a busier neighborhood, so any number of things may be startling to them. In the past we have had dogs escape by finding tiny holes in fences and/or jumping fences much taller than them. 

We have had a recently fostered dog taken on a hike too early. He became so scared when a mountain bike went past him that the foster dropped the leash and the dog ran away in an open space. Another dog only wearing a leash and collar was so startled by a garbage truck that she slipped her collar and bolted away. While both stories ended with the dog being recovered, they easily could have resulted in being hit by a car, being killed by a wild animal, or simply never being found. We cannot stipulate enough: Start slow, have multiple attachments on the dog (leash, harness, slip lead) and do not push your fosters limits. 

IF YOUR FOSTER DOES GO MISSING...

Immediately notify the shelter by emailing foster@souldog.org and texting Shelby at 720-939-2221. The sooner you tell us the better. We will want to know the cross streets that the animal was last seen as well as the direction that they were headed. Once you have notified the shelter you can post on social media and search on your own. Typically many other volunteers come out to join the search to bring the animal home.