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What is Foothills Animal Rescue?
Foothills Animal Rescue is a nonprofit animal welfare organization based in Scottsdale, Arizona, focused on helping dogs and cats find homes through adoption, foster care and community programs. According to its site, it began in 1995 as a small foster-based rescue and now places more than 1,000 pets each year.
What it does
- Adoptions: Dogs and cats are matched with adopters; adoption fees range from $0–$300 depending on the animal and age, and include vaccinations, a microchip and spay/neuter.
- Foster care: Volunteers house animals in their own homes, which is how the organization started and remains central to its model.
- Community events: An events calendar lists adoption and fundraising gatherings.
- Resale shops: Two Daisy's Rescued Goods boutiques (Scottsdale and Carefree) sell donated goods, with 100% of proceeds supporting the rescue.
Who it's for Prospective adopters in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, people who want to foster rather than adopt permanently, donors, and shoppers who prefer secondhand goods where the money goes to animal care.
Trade-offs to weigh Adoption fees vary widely by animal, so budget-conscious adopters should check the adoption page rather than assume a flat cost. The shelter has staff and volunteers on site daily, but adoption hours differ from general operating hours, so confirm before visiting. If you're outside the Scottsdale area, a local shelter may be a more practical first stop.
Next step: If you're considering adopting, review the adoption page for current animals and hours, or attend an adoption event to meet animals and staff in person. To support without adopting, donating goods to or shopping at Daisy's Rescued Goods is a low-effort option.
How does the adoption process work at Foothills Animal Rescue?
Foothills Animal Rescue is a foster-based rescue in Scottsdale that has been operating since 1995, placing more than 1,000 dogs and cats into homes each year. Its adoption process is built around matching animals with households rather than first-come, first-served.
The short version: you browse available pets, submit an adoption application, talk with the rescue's team, meet the animal (often in a foster home), and if it's a good fit, pay the adoption fee and take your new pet home.
What the fee covers
Adoption fees run from $0 to $300 depending on the animal and its age. Every fee includes vaccinations, a microchip, and the spay/neuter procedure. That bundling matters practically: a "free" adoption still means the rescue has already covered those veterinary costs, and an older or harder-to-place animal often sits at the low end of the range.
A realistic timeline
- Application: same day, but review can take a few days if the rescue is busy.
- Conversation with staff or a foster: usually within a few days; this is where you describe your household, other pets, and daily schedule.
- Meet-and-greet: often at the shelter or a foster home, and sometimes a second visit is encouraged.
- Take-home: typically soon after approval, once the animal's medical care is complete.
Matching, not just picking
Because the organization is foster-based, many animals live with volunteer families who know their personalities, energy levels, and quirks. That means the conversation during the process is doing real work: a high-energy dog may be steered toward an active household, while a shy cat may be matched with a quiet one. Expect questions about your home, existing pets, and whether everyone in the household agrees.
How to start
Check the adoption page for current animals and posted adoption hours, since staff are on site daily from 8am to 6pm but adoption hours differ. If you want to meet a specific pet, ask whether it's in a foster home first, as that changes where the meeting happens.
For a broader look at how rescues structure this kind of process, Adopt a Pet and Petfinder explain common application and home-visit steps, and The Humane Society of the United States offers guidance on what to ask before adopting.
What are the adoption fees and what do they cover?
Adoption fees at Foothills Animal Rescue range from $0 to $300, depending on the animal and its age. The fee is not just a purchase price; it includes core veterinary care: vaccinations, a microchip, and the spay or neuter procedure. So a higher fee on an adult dog or a purebred-looking cat typically reflects the medical work already completed, while a $0 fee usually means a sponsored or specially promoted animal.
What to check before you go
- Confirm the current fee for the specific pet on the adoption page, since the range covers many animals and ages.
- Ask whether the spay/neuter is already done or scheduled, and who covers follow-up if it is not.
- Note that adoption hours differ from general shelter hours (staff and volunteers are present 8am–6pm daily, but adoption times are posted separately).
A practical example If you are comparing a $75 senior cat with a $300 young dog, the difference usually reflects age-related demand and the cost of care already provided, not a difference in what is covered. Both should arrive vaccinated, microchipped, and fixed.
If fee is the deciding factor, start with the adoption page for the exact animal, then visit during posted adoption hours. For broader context on how rescue fees work, see Foothills Animal Rescue.
Can I volunteer or foster with Foothills Animal Rescue?
Yes. Foothills Animal Rescue is built on both volunteering and fostering — its own history describes it as starting as a small foster-based rescue in 1995, and it now lists "Get Involved" alongside adoption and donation as a main way to participate.
Volunteering
- The organization says staff and volunteers are at the shelter daily between 8am and 6pm, so volunteer help is part of normal operations rather than an occasional event.
- Practical roles typically include animal care, walking and socializing dogs, assisting at adoption and community events, and helping at its resale boutiques. The events calendar (for example a rescued-beer launch party and a Whiskers and Wine fundraiser) is a realistic place to start if you want a low-commitment first shift.
- If you are local to Scottsdale or Carefree, Arizona, the two Daisy's Rescued Goods shops are another route in: they are non-consignment resale boutiques where 100% of proceeds support the rescue, and they need sorting, pricing and shop-floor help.
Fostering
- Fostering matters most here because the rescue began as foster-based and continues to rely on homes for animals that need space, recovery time or a quieter environment than a shelter kennel.
- Fostering suits you if you can handle a temporary commitment, are comfortable with the animal's medical or behavioral needs being explained to you, and can bring the pet to adoption events or vet appointments. It is a good fit for people who cannot adopt long-term but still want a hands-on role.
- Foster-to-adopt is worth asking about if you are unsure whether a particular dog or cat fits your household — the foster period doubles as a trial.
How to choose between them
| If you... | Better starting point |
|---|---|
| Want regular, scheduled time with many animals | Volunteer at the shelter |
| Have a spare room and can handle a temporary pet | Foster |
| Prefer retail or event work over animal handling | Volunteer at Daisy's Rescued Goods or events |
| Are considering adoption but unsure | Ask about fostering the specific animal first |
Next step: check the rescue's events calendar and adoption page for current openings, then contact the shelter directly during its 8am–6pm hours to ask what foster and volunteer roles are needed right now — needs change with the animals in care. For comparison, other Arizona organizations such as Arizona Humane Society and Almost Home Animal Rescue also run volunteer and foster programs, which can help you judge how much time a given role asks for.
Where are Daisy's Rescued Goods thrift stores located and what are their hours?
Daisy's Rescued Goods, the resale boutiques that fund Foothills Animal Rescue, has two Valley locations:
| Location | Address | Phone | Regular hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale | 23030 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85255 | (480) 585-5777 | Mon–Sat 10 AM–5 PM; closed Sunday |
| Carefree | 22 Easy Street, Carefree, AZ 85377 | (480) 712-1184 | Mon–Sat 10 AM–5 PM; closed Sunday |
Both shops run reduced summer hours in July and August: Tuesday–Saturday 10 AM–5 PM, closed Sunday and Monday.
If you're planning a drop-off rather than a shopping trip, call the location first. The published hours cover the storefront, but the rescue's shelter operates on a different schedule — staff and volunteers are on site 8 AM–6 PM daily, with adoption hours posted separately.
The practical draw for a shopper: these are non-consignment boutiques, and 100% of proceeds go to the rescue, which places over 1,000 pets a year. So a purchase doubles as a donation, and donating goods is straightforward since items are resold rather than held on consignment. If you're specifically hoping to meet adoptable animals, treat the thrift stores as a shopping stop and check the rescue's adoption page or event calendar — like its Rescued Beer Launch Party and Whiskers and Wine fundraiser — for where the animals actually are.
How can I donate to or support Foothills Animal Rescue?
You can support Foothills Animal Rescue through several channels, with the most direct being monetary donations, shopping at its resale boutiques, or volunteering and fostering.
Direct donations and adoption support. The site's main calls to action are "Adopt," "Donate," and "Get Involved." If you want your money to go straight to the rescue's work, use their Donate option. If you are considering adding a pet to your home, adopting is another form of support: adoption fees range from $0–$300 depending on the animal and age, and include vaccinations, a microchip, and the spay/neuter procedure. That makes adoption a practical option if you want to take home a pet while covering core veterinary costs.
Shop at Daisy's Rescued Goods. The rescue runs two non-consignment resale boutiques, and 100% of proceeds support Foothills Animal Rescue. That means donating items or buying secondhand goods both contribute. Locations and hours:
- Scottsdale: 23030 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85255; (480) 585-5777; Mon–Sat 10 AM–5 PM, Sunday closed.
- Carefree: 22 Easy Street, Carefree, AZ 85377; (480) 712-1184; Mon–Sat 10 AM–5 PM, Sunday closed. In July and August, hours change to Tues–Sat 10 AM–5 PM, with Sunday and Monday closed.
If you are local, donating gently used items is often the lowest-effort way to help; if you are not local, a cash donation is more useful because it lets the rescue direct funds where they are needed.
Events and community involvement. The rescue hosts adoption and community events, including a Rescued Beer Launch Party on September 26 at 3pm and a Whiskers and Wine event on October 21, 2026. Attending these is a low-commitment way to support the mission and learn about fostering or volunteering. The site also highlights foster care and community support as core parts of its work, so if you cannot adopt permanently, fostering is a meaningful alternative.
A practical next step. Decide what you can offer: money, time, items, or a home. Then use the corresponding option on the site—Donate, Get Involved, or the adoption page—rather than guessing. If you are nearby, check the Daisy's Rescued Goods hours before dropping off donations, especially during July and August when the Carefree store's schedule changes.
For broader context on evaluating animal rescues, you can compare practices with organizations such as ASPCA or The Humane Society of the United States, but the specific donation, shopping, and event details above come from Foothills Animal Rescue itself.
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