How It Works

A family either reaches out or is referred to POP

A phone interview is conducted to ensure this is the right fit for the family, both timing wise and health wise for the child. The POP team then places the family on a list with open dates. A vetted breeder contacts POP once a litter of puppies becomes available. The POP experience is confirmed and the breeder, POP staff & family either meet at the family’s home or the breeder’s house depending on the arrangement.

Get in touch with us

A Mom’s Experience of a Pile of Puppies

Frequently Asked Questions

A majority of our POP experiences are from referrals from Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Candlelighters, Ronald McDonald House and Providence Hospital. We have a few slots open for people who hear about us through other outlets, though in order to keep a smooth process we mostly work with our partners.

If you live in the Portland Metro area (Oregon) please message us at www.facebook.com/pileofpuppies or shoot us an email at JT@pileofpuppies.org. In the subject please state "Family interest". Once we receive your email we will set up a phone interview to assess if your family qualifies.

Families who have children ages 2-20 years of age who have a physical health challenge may apply (i.e. born with a disability, has a chronic illness or is terminally ill)

POP is a very small organization so, please know that emails may not be responded to right away. For the safety of the puppies (also a vulnerable population), not all households will be eligible for puppy visits.

We use breeders because we are working with a sensitive population who have health risks and lower immune systems. We must know where the puppies have come from and know that the puppies are also healthy. It is important to POP that we site visit responsible breeders to verify the living conditions of the pups.

The humane society states, "You don't want to buy a puppy from a pet store or a website. Most of those puppies come from mass breeding facilities, better known as puppy mills. If you've decided to buy a dog from a breeder, you'll want to support one who has their dogs' best interests at heart."

We stick to their guidelines when interviewing responsible dog breeders. Link from quote: https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/stopping-puppy-mills

We interview all families prior to adding them to our wait list. There are restrictions and safety precautions taken if there is a dog in the house. A breeder will decide what they are and are not comfortable with. Every participant will always have clean clothes, no shoes, freshly washed hands & face. No animals in the area where the exercise pen is located (and for a few breeders it must be a “dog free” house).

Yes, this is a small part of how we fundraise. Though this opportunity is rare, as we keep majority of our POP's for our POP families.

If you are interested in having Pile of Puppies attend your business (i.e. team building event) or a family who would enjoy the POP experience, please send us an email: jt@pileofpuppies.org with the subject "Fundraiser POP". We provide a very limited number of paid POP visits for fundraising which allows for chronically and terminally ill children to receive their POP visit at no cost.