What is Broward Buddies?
Broward Buddies is a fun activity that falls under our Foster program. Volunteers sign up to help improve the lives of our shelter animals and increase their likelihood of adoption by giving them opportunities to interact within the community at parks, restaurants, and other locations. The program also allows Broward County Animal Care to create awareness about our facility, volunteers to develop meaningful interactions with our dogs, and an opportunity for dogs to enjoy a few hours outside of the kennels.
Where can I take a Broward Buddies dog?
See this document for pet-friendly accommodations that are perfect for a Broward Buddies outing. Some locations even offer discounts.
How do I get Involved?
Email Foster@Broward.org for more information. Schedule a Broward Buddies outing here.
Each Volunteer Should Follow These Rules:
- Please do not take your Broward Buddies dog to a dog park or walk them on a flexi-leash.
- Do not leave your Broward Buddies dog unattended in your fenced yard.
- In the event of an emergency, the fosters should call 911.
- If a foster finds himself/herself in any danerous situation while handling a shelter dog off-site such as:
- Dog is sick or injured
- A dog gets injured due to an altercation with a shelter dog
- A person is bitten by a shelter dog, he or should immediately call teh Foster Coordinator at: (954) 359-1313 ext. 7093 or (954) 299-7224.
- If a foster finds someone who is interested in adopting the dog, give them a Broward Buddies business card with all the dog’s information and appropriate contact information.
- If the foster wishes to keep dog overnight or over a weekend for a sleepover, it is at the discretion of the Foster Coordinator to approve it and make arrangements for return. Please contact the Foster Coordinator at (954) 359-1313 ext. 7093 or (954) 299-7224 for sleepover/weekend arrangements or longer.
Off-Site Specific Protocols
Fosters who would like to request to take a dog off site [Broward Buddies Program] shall schedule themselves
in our acuity scheduler system or, if needed, contact the Foster Coordinator beforehand to request the scheduler link or to arrange a date and time if necessary.
Dogs being handled on a Broward Buddies outing should be “Green Dot” dogs only and be fully vetted, unless approved by the Foster Coordinator or Kennel Supervisors.
The Foster Coordinator will select a dog and ensure that they have relevant behavior and, if necessary, the medical information for the dog which will be given to the fosters.
Dogs should be walked on a short leash (kept close to the handler) to maintain control and for safety.
Before taking a dog off-site, the Foster Coordinator will ensure that the dog will wear a properly fitted martingale collar, and an optional harness. Both should be snug-fitting as two fingers should be able to fit between the collar or harness and the dog’s body with a securely attached leash.
Each dog will also be wearing an “Adopt Me” vest or scarf.
Each Foster will be given the following supplies, and important contact numbers:
A cell phone programmed with emergency numbers:
- (954) 299-7224 - Foster Coordinator’s cell phone number
- (954) 359-1313 Ext. 7093 - Foster Coordinator’s office line
- (954) 359-1313 (option 2) – Animal Control Officer
- (954) 831-4000 or 311 - Broward County Call Center
Broward Buddies Messenger Bag with:
List of Pet Friendly Places in Broward County
Small version of Foster Dog Handling S.O.P.
- Dog waste bags
- A bottle of water
- A bowl for water
- A bowl for food (sleepover or weekend buddies)
- Bag of dry kibble (sleepover or weekend buddies)
- Bag of treats
- Individualized Broward Buddies business cards
- Dog Toy
- Broward Buddies Program Flyers
Off-Site Dog Handling
- Once the fosters are handed the dog, the fosters are now responsible for checking their surroundings, and must be prepared for approaching other dogs or human beings.
- It is the responsibility of each foster dog handler to closely monitor the safety and comfort of his or her dog to include:
Monitoring the dog for anxiety, overheating, fatigue, and thirst. - Maintaining awareness of other animals and people.
- Maintaining awareness of traffic, including bikers and walkers/runners.
- Practicing traffic safety, including using crosswalks, yielding the right-of-way to bikers, runners, and looking both ways before crossing any street.
- Managing interactions between his or her dog, other dogs, and human beings.
- Fosters should not use headphones or cell phones while handling a dog and should be vigilant of their surroundings.
- Dogs chosen for the Broward Buddies Program should not interact with other dogs while out on their date unless approved by the Foster Coordinator beforehand. This is the best way to avoid a possible violent interaction between two dogs or more.
- Fosters are responsible for picking up and properly disposing of dog waste.
- Foster dog handlers should always maintain control of their dog, and the dog should never be let off the leash.
- Notes about behavior should be sent in an email to the Foster Coordinator at Foster@Broward.org along with the questionnaire that will be emailed the next day to the fosters, and as soon as possible (if urgent) so the animal behavior notes can be updated in the dog’s shelter profile.
- Medical concerns should be reported to the Foster Coordinator so that the medical team can be alerted to potential problems.
