Introducing
Why We Created Furry Foster Foundation
After more than 20 years of running Dirty Dog, we realized something important: while we may not have endless dollars to donate, we do have meaningful services, space, and community. And we kept hearing the same thing from fosters again and again, caring for foster dogs is deeply rewarding, but it also adds real, ongoing costs.
Baths, daycare, boarding, enrichment, grooming. These are often the “extra” things that make life easier for foster families and help foster dogs stay healthy, relaxed, and more adoptable, but they are rarely covered.
Furry Foster Foundation was created to help fill that gap.
When fostering costs less, compassion can do more.
What Furry Foster Foundation Does
Furry Foster Foundation exists to make fostering more feasible for more people by reducing the day-to-day care burden that foster families carry.
Through the foundation, we:
Provide free and discounted Dirty Dog services to approved foster families
Partner directly with Austin-area rescue groups to ensure services are offered responsibly and equitably
Create fundraising events, memberships, and programs that turn everyday dog care into direct support for foster dogs
Our goal is simple: help foster dogs live more normal, joyful, dog-like lives while they wait for their forever homes.
How It Works (Right Now)
We’re building this thoughtfully and sustainably, starting with what we can offer today and growing from there.
Currently, Furry Foster Foundation provides:
Free self-serve baths for foster dogs through approved rescue partners
Discounted daycare, boarding, grooming, and enrichment, depending on each rescue group’s guidelines
A clear, rescue-approved redemption process to keep everything simple for fosters and staff
Each rescue partner chooses which services their foster dogs are approved to use. This ensures we stay aligned with each group’s policies while still offering meaningful support.
How We’re Building Toward the Future
This is just the beginning.
As the foundation grows, our long-term vision includes:
Expanding toward free or fully subsidized services for foster families
Covering more enrichment-based care that supports dogs emotionally and behaviorally
Creating community-driven fundraising that allows customers to directly support foster dogs through everyday purchases
Every bath, every visit, every event helps us take another step toward that goal.
Why This Matters
Fostering saves lives.
But it also asks a lot of the people who say yes.
By helping foster dogs get out of the shelter, decompress, play, learn, and be dogs again, we’re supporting both ends of the leash. Dogs present differently in homes than they do in kennels. They’re calmer, happier, and easier to place when they’ve had time to just be dogs.
Furry Foster Foundation exists to support that journey.
Want to Get Involved?
Whether you’re a foster, a rescue partner, or someone who wants to help make fostering more accessible, we’d love to have you involved.
Foster families can check which rescue partners are currently enrolled
Rescue groups can apply to become partners
Community members can support the mission through Dirty Dog services, events, and programs
Together, we can make fostering more sustainable, more joyful, and more possible.