Why Foster?… Why Not?

by John Flores

May 28, 2014

in Amber, Charlie, Elvis, Fester, Kurtis, Lucy, Main, Penny Lane, Pepper, Shadow

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Today’s blog is about WHY you should consider fostering a dog. In the very short amount of time I’ve been fostering for Priceless Pets, I’m always getting asked why I do this. Well, here a few reasons why YOU should:

YOU FREE UP ROOM AND PROVIDE A “HOME” ENVORINMENT FOR A HOMELESS DOG:

Fostering an animal means you free up room for another dog to be taken in. Essentially, you’re saving two lives! And while a rescue is stressful for just about all dogs, some dogs just don’t do well at all in a shelter environment. Some dogs just “shut down” and become so stressed they never get a chance to show anyone just how great of a dog they can be. I’ve taken in some dogs that were a mess before coming to my house. It’s amazing what a calm and quiet environment will do for a dog! By fostering a dog you increase a dog’s chance of getting adopted by putting them in a “home” setting!

IT’S FREE!

If your foster needs medical care, it is the rescue’s responsibility to handle those expenses. In most cases, the rescue will also provide food and other supplies. All you need to do is provide the housing!

IT’S A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY:

I’ve learned so much about different breeds and their behavior from fostering. It’s also helped me become a better pack leader to Penny and Elvis. It has also taught Penny and Elvis how to act around certain types of dogs. Though I do keep socialization with them and my fosters to a minimum (Kurtis doesn’t count! Lol) but that’s whole other blog!

YOU GET TO PLAY MATCHMAKER:

While you may not get to go through the adoption applications, you definitely get to assist where your foster goes. You can relay to the rescue about their behavior, their activity level, their strong points as well as the areas they may need work on!

GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE KIDS:

Even if you already have dogs in your home, this is a GREAT way to teach your kids about responsible pet ownership. You can educate your kids on how these dogs ended up homeless and what can be done to prevent more dogs from being homeless and euthanized.

BE PART OF SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR COMMUNITY:

There are few better feelings than seeing a dog go from being depressed and scared to happy. Sometimes all a dog needs is a change of environment and a little TLC. YOU are responsible for this dog’s rehabilitation and happiness. And the main reason this dog will do great for a future family. You will be providing the foundation for this dog to be as comfortable as possible in their transition from being a foster to being part of a family.

Be the example in your community. In the short amount of time I’ve been volunteering with Priceless Pets, I’ve seen the amazing work they’ve done and I’ve also seen the community grow closer and come together for a common goal….to save lives.

And while letting go of a foster can be bittersweet. Just know that YOU are responsible for this animal’s rehab! There will always be more adopters than fosters and who knows, maybe YOU will inspire someone else to foster. Fostering is necessary and essential to animal rescue so I urge you to consider fostering.

I’ve heard people say time and again, “There’s no way I could foster an animal, I wouldn’t want to let them go and I would keep them all.” But look at it like this; are your own personal and maybe selfish feelings worth keeping a dog homeless because of how it would make YOU feel? Trust me; I struggle with it, too. And as most of you know, Elvis WAS a foster but even after I adopted Elvis I promised myself I would foster when possible and it has added a positive element in my life that I did not think was possible.