Found a Dog in the RGV? How Howlback Will Pay You Back

Coming soon to the Rio Grande Valley. Join the list at howlback.app.

You did the right thing. Now you're paying for it.

If you live in Brownsville or anywhere in the RGV, you've seen it: a dog on the side of the road, thin, scared, maybe hurt. Someone stops. Often that someone isn't part of a rescue. It's a neighbor, a coworker, a mom on the way home from work.

Then the costs start. A bag of food. Flea treatment. A vet visit. Vaccines. A crate. It adds up fast, and it all comes out of one person's pocket.

Howlback is built for that person. Our foster feature, Fosterback, lets local supporters pay you back for what you've already spent, one verified receipt at a time.

How it works

1. Take in the dog. You don't need to be with a rescue. Finders and independent fosters are welcome.

2. Snap your receipts. Food, vet care, supplies. Upload a photo of each receipt in the app.

3. We verify each one. Every receipt is checked before it can be funded. That way supporters know their money covers real costs for a real dog.

Add a receipt screen in the Howlback app, with a receipt photo and the store, date, and total read from it

4. Neighbors pay you back. People near you chip in toward your approved receipts. In return, they get photos and updates on the dog they're helping.

Receipts, not promises

Howlback is reimbursement only. Nothing is paid out before money is spent. A dog's goal is simply the total of its approved receipts that haven't been covered yet, and donations can't go past that goal.

We think that rule matters. Plenty of people want to help, but they've been burned by fundraisers where they never knew where the money went. With Howlback, every dollar is tied to a receipt you can point to.

Can't foster? You can still help

Not everyone has room for a dog. Maybe you rent, work long hours, or already have a full house. You can still make a difference. As a supporter, you can back a real dog in your own neighborhood and watch its progress: the first bath, the vet check, the day it finds a home.

Chip in screen in the Howlback app with amount options of 5, 10, and 25 dollars

That's where the name comes from. You help, and the dog howls back.

Near you screen in the Howlback app with nearby foster dogs and a help board

Starting at home

We're starting in Brownsville, then expanding across the Rio Grande Valley, with McAllen and Harlingen next. We're local, and we want this to work for the people already doing the hard work here.

While the app gets ready, howlback.app already has a lost and found board, low-cost vaccine clinics and events, and a map of dog-friendly places. A help board for rides and supplies is coming soon.

Join the list

Howlback is coming soon to the RGV. If you're a finder, a foster, or someone who wants to help a dog near you, join the list at howlback.app and be first to know when we open.

Questions? Email hello@howlback.app.

Can’t foster? Check out Chip In by Howlback, or sign up below to hear when it launches.