We Urgently Need Foster Families In Munster & Dublin To Help Raise Puppies As Future Superheroes For Children With Autism

Can you help us by fostering one of our life-changing puppies?

Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland is growing FAST and we urgently need foster families to help care for our puppies. Every puppy is reared and socialised by a loving volunteer puppy foster family for the first 12 - 15 months of their training journey. This is a vital role to our service providing a solid foundation for our puppies before their formal training. Every puppy we train works hard to change the world for a child with autism.

Each qualified assistance dog is trained to keep their child companion safe when out and about. The child is attached to the dog via a belt and can hold the handle on the dog's jacket. The dog will hold position if the child attempts to bolt or elope. They can also help reduce anxiety by easing transition into place that the child would otherwise find stressful. They really are superheroes!

Puppy Foster Carer Criteria

No experience is needed but you must meet the following criteria:

Do you have time to care for, feed and train a puppy under the guidance of our Puppy Foster Care Supervisor?
Are you at home for the majority of the day? Puppies can’t be left alone for more than 2 hours
Do you have time to spend on different activities, taking the puppy into different environments? The puppies wear a jacket and have access to public places
Do you have a secure enclosed garden?
You must be allowed to have a dog in your home – we will need written permission if it is rented accommodation
Do you drive or have access to a car and are willing to get the dog to a vet in a case of emergency?
It is fine if you have other dogs but they would have to be walked separately from the puppy.

We cover all costs including veterinary fees, and food and equipment are provided.

We are hosting a webinar for potential puppy fosterers to ask questions and meet our puppy supervisors on Friday 28th January at 3pm and Thursday 24th February at 3pm. Check out our Facebook page for more details or email info@aadi.ie

Meet Michelle and her and hear about her experience of fostering Norris:

“Together with my family we have been fostering puppies for Autism Assistance Dogs for the last five and a half years. We have always loved fostering the puppies and watching them progress through the training, guiding them along the way. To see a dog we fostered with his/her child and family just fills us with pride and love for these incredible superheroes. It drives you on as a fosterer to try and help get more incredible dogs out to children waiting for their superheroes. We as a family love being fosterers for AADI as we see first hand the difference the dogs make to a child’s life and that of their family.”

Michelle McCaffrey Limerick