How to run your foster program on Pawster Home
Everything you need to set up your page, add dogs, review applications, place fosters, and keep your program moving.
Set up your shelter page
Create your organization, add your logo, brand color and website. Pawster Home will pull your colors automatically from your site, or you can set them manually in Settings.
Your public page lives at a direct link like /your-shelter — share it on social media and with your foster list.
Add dogs to your roster
From the Dogs tab, add each dog with photos, videos, breed, weight, energy, compatibility and behavioral flags. Mark medical isolation or special care needs so matches stay safe.
The more details you add, the better the automatic matching works.
Customize your foster application
Use the modular application builder to choose which questions every applicant answers. You can reorder sections, add your own agreement text, and require a signature.
Rescues can also set intake criteria so other partners know what dogs you can take.
Review applications
Applications arrive in a sortable table. Click any row to see the full application, approve or decline the foster, and email the applicant directly from the detail view.
Approved fosters become available in the Assign foster dropdown when you place a dog.
Match dogs to fosters
Pawster Home scores every dog against each approved foster's home: kids, cats, other dogs, yard, energy, weight limits and medical needs. The best fits appear at the top.
Use the Board view to drag dogs between columns, or the Matches tab to see algorithmic suggestions.
Add staff members
Invite other team members from Settings > Staff. Shelter staff can approve applications, assign fosters, update dogs and manage rescue referrals.
Only the original shelter admin can change billing and delete the organization.
Manage coverage requests
When a foster needs temporary cover, they submit dates and a reason. Other approved fosters see the request in their hub and can claim it. Admins track everything in the Takeovers tab.
Coverage requests that fit another foster's profile also appear in their Matches tab.
Use the Rescue directory
If a dog isn't the right fit for your foster pool, refer it to a rescue partner. Each partner shows their readiness score and intake criteria so you know who can say yes.
Rescues appear in the directory based on their intake settings and verified profile.
Notify fosters automatically
When you publish a new dog or move a dog to a new board column, eligible fosters get an in-app alert. Fosters can also enable phone push alerts from their Foster hub.
Every alert explains why the dog is a match, so fosters actually read them.
Privacy & permissions
Each shelter only sees its own dogs, applications and fosters. Super admins can see every organization for platform support, but regular shelter staff and fosters are scoped to their shelter.
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