Ever wondered what goes into an interstate rescue operation?

At The Haus of Dogs, rescue work begins long before a dog arrives in Washington. Every shelter or rescue partnership goes through a vetting process to ensure our organization’s values, standards, and practices align with theirs, and that theirs align with ours. This may include exchanging tax documents, veterinary contacts, references, mission statements, and reviewing each other’s public platforms.

Once a partnership is established, we receive information on dogs available for transfer, including medical records, behavioral notes, foster journals, photos, and videos of the dogs interacting with people, other dogs, and when possible, children or cats. We review this information carefully before selecting dogs and reaching out to our foster network to secure appropriate placements.

Before transport, each dog must be examined by a veterinarian within the required travel window and receive a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Dogs must also be current on core vaccines and test negative for Heartworm before crossing state lines. Transport is coordinated through trusted rescue routes with scheduled stops along the way. Volunteers help potty, water, and feed the dogs, while drivers rotate to keep the transport moving safely.

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​On arrival day, fosters receive ETA updates and supplies before dogs are transferred to their care. If a foster has resident dogs, we conduct a meet and greet first. If the match is not appropriate, the dog stays with us while we secure a better placement.

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We do not adopt dogs directly off transport. Each dog is given time to decompress, settle into their foster home, and show us their temperament, needs, and personality before being matched with an adopter. We also require an in-person meet and greet before adoption.

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We intentionally keep our rescue numbers manageable so we can stay closely involved in each dog’s journey, avoid foster burnout, and prevent unnecessary transitions. For this same reason, we do not offer trial adoptions.

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As certified professional dog trainers, we provide qualified support, practical training guidance, canine education, and after-hours emergency support to help each dog settle in safely and successfully.

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Our fosters follow clear safety and care guidelines, keep foster logs, and provide regular photo and video updates.

These foster observations help us promote each dog honestly and give adopters a more accurate picture of the dog they are welcoming home.

Interested in joining our foster family? Click here to submit your application.