You can't change a dog's past, but you can rewrite his or her future.

You can't change a dog's past, but you can rewrite his or her future.

We grow with our foster families ...

We are always searching for more foster families to help with our dogs in need!

Being a Foster Based Rescue, we are depending on our ohanas and can only take in as many dogs as we find foster homes for them.

If you have the room to take in a dog in need of love please send us a message. The dogs are all very loving and some are a little shy but they just need some patient and gentle care.

We provide food, a kennel for training, a leash and collar and other dog supplies. We ask that fosters help work with the dogs in training and we have an amazing trainer from Sunshine Dogs Hawaii who can assist if needed.

If you have the ability to help these dogs please message us via facebook or email us at foster@pawsofhawaii.org

Our Ohana

Wet nose, warm heart, love them more ..

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We have been fostering pups through PAWS for over three years and have had almost 20 pups pass through our doors.  My boys and I started this journey when we were quarantined during the pandemic and suddenly had a bunch of free time.  I found PAWS through a friend of a friend that had adopted from them.  The process is simple and only requires your time and various levels of love and attention.
 
We completed an application and as soon as PAWS needed help, they texted to see if we were available.  They really try to make sure that the fosters will work in your situation and account for your individual circumstances (e.g. do you have kids or another dog) and comfort level (e.g. are you willing and able to take a dog with medical or social needs).  They can provide the food, medications, kennels, and wire play pens.  You provide the love and attention these animals deserve, trips to vet appointments and care after being spayed or neutered, sometimes a name, plus meet-ups with the potential forever families that are coordinated through PAWS. 
 
We have had one dog or three dogs; big dogs or little dogs; puppy dogs or adult dogs; easy dogs or in-need-of-lots-of-love dogs; Chow dogs or Husky dogs or Chihuahua dogs or who-knows-what-they-are dogs.   This has been such an incredible and rewarding journey.  The forever families have been incredible to meet and we stay in touch with most of them to get updates from the pups that we fostered. 
We have fallen in love with every single one of these fosters and along the way have only kept one as OUR forever pup.
 

Thanks to Kini (Beanie), Keahi, Butter (Marvin), Big (Apollo), Little (Izzo), Wednesday, Victor (Friday), Mike (came for the day!), Rae (came and stayed forever!), Sonny, Sky, Theo, Pablo, Bo, Summer, Max, Buster (Lupin) and Rue for helping us as much as we helped you. And thanks to PAWS for letting us love all these furry babies!

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Let me start by saying, they don’t have to be yours to leave a mark on your heart. 

Fostering has given our family so much gratitude. We have not only met so many wonderful people thru fostering but have witnessed such a selfless community within this rescue organization. Their willingness to help exceeds the dogs they foster, and spill onto everyday life. A true testament of the kindness of this rescue community. 
 
In caring for our fosters, patience, consistency and empathy have been emphasized the most for our kiddos who help with cuddles, bottle feeding, mess cleanup, potty breaks and building trust with a foster. Personalities of a foster dog/pup come out after they shed all their fears and anxieties about their new environment with us. It’s hard on them sometimes having to adjust and understand the expectation of our space that they now share. We have become really good at making them feel right at home – I have to credit the kids for this.  
 
Every foster that comes our way is different. It’s not by any means always easy but providing a safe space for them to blossom feels like the least we can do. 
If we have fostered for you and you happen upon this… know we miss your dog, please tell him/her we said hi. And also, playdate soon? Our dogs also miss yours! 
 
If by chance you happened upon this wondering if fostering is for you, believe me, it is for everyone. Go into it knowing they need you, and be prepared to adjust to their needs a little – could be as small as putting up a gate or a walk schedule. Know that it is so very temporary, enjoy the ride.
 

Again, it is not always easy, but it is always worth it. You have a community of fosters here ready to help out where you need. Even if it is just to hold the tissues while you say goodbye to your first foster pup!