Fostering Saves Lives

1. Unconditional and many times overly enthusiastic love.

And this can’t be overstated. Time and again, I’ve been overwhelmed by the affection and devotion my foster dogs shower on me often within hours of their arrival. It does seem they are grateful even if the experts might dispute that dogs understand the concept of gratitude. If you’ve been looking for some love in your life – here’s your chance.

Not only will you save a dog’s life, but in the process you will make a difference in the lives of the people who adopt that dog. If you’re reading this right now, then obviously your life has been changed by a dog. Wouldn’t it be cool to help make that magic happen for someone else? I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve received emails and notes of thanks from adopters because their new dog has changed their lives for the better. Fostering dogs offers plenty of opportunity to touch the lives of others – both canine and human.

3. Exercise!

If you’ve been contemplating a gym membership or are plagued with guilt because you can’t get your butt off the couch, fostering can help! No matter the weather or your mood, that foster dog needs exercise and it’ll help you get some in the process. Fostering is a great fitness plan for anyone.

4. Family Fun and Entertainment!

Welcoming new dogs into your home on a regular basis means you’ll have a steady stream of entertainment. The antics, quirks, silliness, and fun vary with every dog. It’s also something you can do as a family which will create memories and a legacy that will last a lifetime. Saving dogs together is seriously bonding. It’s not just fun, but it will teach your children not only how to care for a dog, but how to make a difference in the world.

5. A whole new network of friends who quickly become like family.

This was one benefit I hadn’t expected, but working with others to rescue dogs quickly builds a community and a commraderie that is comforting in today’s world. The people I’ve met through the rescue– other fosters, administrators, volunteers, and adopters have quickly become friends and even family to me.

True, you don’t. But you’ll learn soon enough. Caring for a foster dog is just like caring for your own dog– and you’ve been doing that just fine, right? Only now, instead of it just being you, you’ve got an entire organization behind you that has resources, people, and training to help you do the best job you can do. And bottom line- none of us really know what we’re doing, do we? We do the best we can with what we know and when we know better we do better. You just might be a dog’s only chance. Don’t miss the opportunity simply because you’re scared.

2) What if I get a difficult dog?

Most rescues and shelters have experts who screen dogs before placing them in foster care. Before you take any dog, be sure to ask how the dogs are screened. In over 100 dogs now, I’ve yet to get a dog I truly couldn’t handle. I’ve never been bitten (knock on wood) or scared, and the only thing that has overwhelmed me is pee on my carpet. But really, it’s just carpet, right? And here’s your out – a foster dog is not your dog – you can give it back. How nice is that?

3) I might get stuck with a dog long term.

We’ve been more than amazed that all of our dogs have been adopted pretty quickly. That’s the beauty of the foster system, you’re able to paint a clear picture of what the foster dog would be like in a real house thereby attracting the right kind of adopter.
Dogs in shelters are many times overwhelmed and reactive – think how you might feel if you were suddenly placed in a prison-like environment foreign to everything you know. You’d be freaked out too, right? You probably wouldn’t be acting like yourself.

When we step up to foster a dog, we commit to keeping that dog as long as it takes, but another question you might want to ask a shelter or rescue you are considering fostering for is how long is the average stay in a foster home? Also, does the rescue/shelter have a system in place for when a foster caregiver goes on vacation or needs a break?

It’s unlikely that you’ll be involuntarily stuck with a dog unless you choose to foster-fail and that will all be on you. I’ve learned it’s a very common thing amongst fosters, but I would encourage you to be realistic about how many dogs you can properly care for in addition to fostering.

4) It will cost money.

I will tell you that it won’t, but then it might. We’ve spent plenty of our own money, but we’ve done so willingly. Most shelters/rescues are tight on cash but most also get plenty of donated food and supplies and will likely pass those along to you. If you do spend your own money – be sure to keep a record and reciepts because it’s all tax-deductible!
In the end, sure, we spend some money. But who doesn’t spend money on something they love?

5) I work full-time and the dog will be alone all day.

I’m lucky because I work from home and many of my fosters can hang out with me as I work. Their company is welcome. But most fosters work out of their home and crate their foster dog during the hours they are away. On average dogs sleep up to 20 hours a day, and sleep is an excellent activity while crated! Plus, most adopters have jobs and will need to crate their new dog a portion of the day. By crate-training a dog you are helping make it even more adoptable and more likely that an adoption will stick.

6. It’ll be too hard to give the dog away.

This is the most common excuse for not fostering. I get it. I do. I’m not gonna lie and say it isn’t sometimes very hard because sometimes it’s serious hurt. BUT (and this is such a huge but), are you prepared to not foster because it’ll make you sad while dogs are being euthanized in shelters all over our country simply because there isn’t room? That should hurt a lot more than the pain you may experience saying good-bye to a foster dog.
Nothing worthwhile is easy. Plain and simple. You can save lives. And to do that you have to give up a little piece of your heart. It’s worth it. Promise.