Sometimes Fostering is Hard on the Heart

Fostering is often a lot of work, and always rewarding, but sometimes it’s also just plain heartbreaking.

Every time we welcome foster dogs or puppies, they are a mystery. They are most often strays, and lately, most have been pulled from the euthanasia list at an overcrowded shelter.

We don’t know their medical histories before the day of their intake at the shelter, but we do know they have often been subjected to neglect and rarely have had good nutrition, medical attention, or even basic care. They suffer physically, but emotionally as well.

I always do my best to be sure my animals have a safe, calm place. I want nothing more than for them to be here long enough to catch their breath, regain their health, and lighten their spirits so they can move to forever homes as soon as possible.

That’s the happy ending we work for.

But it doesn’t always happen.

We lost one of the puppies this week. And I can’t tell you why because I don’t truly know.

I came into the cottage, and she was gone. I’d been in the cottage not long before, so I know whatever happened, happened quickly. There was no sign of sickness. All of the remaining puppies are healthy and fat and waddling around, exploring their new world. I will continue to watch them way too closely, vigilant that whatever happened to Kidney Bean will not happen to them.

But in the end, all I can do is the best I can do. These puppies, like all my foster dogs, are some of the lucky ones. Having made more than 175 visits to shelters now, I know that to my core. I’ve seen the unlucky ones.

I buried Kidney Bean in our garden, so she will always be a reminder of all the puppies I am able to save, and the ones that have no one to save them. I’m still struggling with this one, maybe it’s that it’s (thankfully) been a long while since I’ve lost a puppy, maybe it’s that it was so unexpected. My heart simply aches for what could have been. And I wish so badly that I could have prevented her loss.

The afternoon of her death, I came back into the house and heard a loud thump on my front porch. It was the UPS man leaving seven boxes. They were all gifts from the Another Good Dog wishlist for my fosters. They couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

They were more than the (many) bags of treats, bottles of vitamins, benebones, dewormers, and dog beds, it was the notes inside the boxes thanking me for taking care of these dogs. It was a much-needed reminder that I am not alone. There are many people who support the work we do and who are rooting for these precious souls crowding my foster cottage.

While my heart is heavy, it will not keep me from loving these dogs and giving them the very best of me. It will not cause me to let up on the urgency I feel right now amidst a shelter crisis that is worse than ever. I know we can save more. But it will take more, not just from me but from everyone.

Sorry this was a heavy post, there are fun and happy things happening in this cottage too – like Hazel enjoying the many boxes, Wishbone flourishing into a fat and happy boy, Dani who is smart and athletic and maybe the perfect pup, and Lima Bean who has such a grateful heart and melts into me at every touch.

And, of course, three happy, healthy, growing puppies who get cuter by the day.

I’m headed off on another shelter June 4. If you’d like to support the work we do, make a donation here.

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

For information on my writing and books, visit CaraWrites.com.

My newest book, Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues is a primer for those new to the cause, an invitation to get involved, and a source of inspiration for those already working tirelessly to save lives. With stories of successful shelters, innovative strategies, and the key ingredients for success—strong leadership, veterinary access, and community engagement—it’s a celebration of what’s working and a call to scale those solutions nationwide. Learn more and get your copy and/or send one to a shelter or rescue on our website. Also available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.

If you’d like regular updates of all our foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, and occasional foster cat updates (!) be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog.

And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds.

If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs. Or it’s a follow-up that takes you to the shelters in the south, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.

I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.

If you’d like to support the work we do (and save the rescue and me some money), shop our Amazon wishlist. We are currently in need of

• probiotics
• Dyne (for putting on weight)
• bully sticks
• Indestructible toys
• Laundry detergent (non scented)
• Paper towels

If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visit BringDogs.com to learn more.