The public knows about foster parenting for children, but did you know you could also be a foster parent to an animal? I had no idea until we started looking for a pup of our own. We weren’t 100% sure we were ready to adopt a dog. Fostering sounded like the perfect solution. But what about the food cost, vet bills and everything else a furry companion needs? I started to get overwhelmed just thinking about it.
As it turns out, I didn’t need to worry about a thing, said Christina Roberts, volunteer coordinator for Barks of Love, which provides veterinary care, food, toys, treats, collars, leashes, a crate and just about anything else the dog may require. With that bit of knowledge, the deal was sealed and I brought our first foster dog into our home.
Roberts has fostered over 20 dogs in the last two years. “Fostering through a rescue is nice because you have the support of their staff, other fosters and sometimes trainers. That way if you’re unsure about something, you can go to your team and seek advice,” she said.
She says that it’s nice to know that you can help the community even if you can’t commit to the dog full-time.
There is a definite risk of becoming attached and wanting to keep them all. Long-time rescuer Carrie Mallernee explains, “I love animals and it breaks my heart that so many are in the shelters and spend their last days alone. If it were up to me, I’d foster as many as I was allowed, but I have a more practical fiancée.”
Many people get a dog by being a “foster failure.” That’s how we got Gabby. Sometimes the foster pup just fits with your family – or you simply fall in love. Many people foster to adopt. They have already made the decision to adopt an animal and will foster to make sure the dog or cat is right for them. Yvette Stahr, a BADRAP volunteer, fell in love with Frida. “I wasn’t sure how she and our dog Nick would get along. When she needed a foster home, it seemed like the perfect opportunity,” she said.
Stahr credits Donna Reynolds, one of BADRAP’s founders, as being very supportive, saying that she “helped us map out a slow introduction plan for the two of them that kept us feeling in control of the situation. It worked like a charm and Frida is home to stay.”
There is another, very special kind of doggie foster parent. These caring individuals participate in the Compassion Hold Program. Many dogs are dumped at the shelter because they are old. Kerry O’Connor, a volunteer with BADRAP, brought 15-year-old Gemma into her home when the shelter believed she only had a few weeks left to live due to her age and poor health.
O’Connor couldn’t imagine the sweet senior dying alone in a shelter after living with a family her whole life. So she made the decision to give her a warm place to live her last few days. “When she rallied, I decided that she was home,” she said. It seems all Gemma needed was a little love. Against all odds, she is now 16, happy and loved. Another foster failure.
Some folks, like Crystal Christensen, just want to help a dog become a wonderful pet for someone. “Fostering has been the most rewarding experience. My foster puppy was shy and tentative when I first picked her up. After just a couple weeks, she is so much more confident and acts like a normal curious puppy. All she needed was a little patience and love and she has really blossomed.”
Christensen says that she has had such a wonderful experience helping stray dogs that she recently joined the Barks of Love team as its foster program coordinator.
There are many reasons to foster a dog, or cat or bird, for that matter. Mallernee says that it’s “life-changing for both the person and the dog. Don’t go into fostering thinking the dog is the only one being saved. My foster dog saved me every day.”
Lori Fusaro has been voted the best portrait photographer by FoxTV two years in a row. She lives in Culver City with her husband, four cats and a dog. Contact: Lori@
FusaroPhotography.com, www.FusaroPhotography.com.
Lori Fusaro Says:
Wed, Jan 05 2011 10:27 AMSadly, Gemma passed away on Christmas Eve 2010. Thank you Kerry for making the end of her life so happy.
Ellie DeSilva Says:
Fri, Oct 01 2010 08:09 PMI love the topics of your articles, Lori. They are inviting and pleasant to read. Have you ever thought about writing a book?
Looking forward to reading more of your stories.
Carrie Says:
Fri, Sep 10 2010 11:09 AMjust a little update on that foster pup that 'saved' me daily with his love for life... as of Tuesday he found his forever family <3 as sad as I was to see him go... the happiness I felt to see him with HIS family trumped ALL of my selfish sadness! Now he's off to live the life in Santa Cruz :D and share that joy and unconditional love with 2 super cool people!!! I truly encourage everyone to open their hearts and home to a foster animal! You won't be sorry! xoxo
Lori Fusaro Says:
Thu, Sep 09 2010 08:53 PMKerry- I'm so glad you updated on Gemma. What a special girl you have there. :)
And thank you all for fostering! I'm sure you know what a difference you make.
LORI
Kerry (Gemma's person) Says:
Thu, Sep 09 2010 06:25 PMGemma wakes up happy every morning. She wags her tail constantly, enjoys every meal, and follows me around like a shadow. She still loves rolling on her back on the lawn, and taking short walks around the neighborhood. Although she's almost completely deaf, Gemma's eyesight is excellent. She's always on the lookout for squirrels, and finds every crumb I drop on the kitchen floor. I sometimes joke that Gemma is like a piece of furniture with fur, but I wouldn't trade the time I've had with my wonderful senior girl for anything! Senior dogs are great!
Laura L Says:
Thu, Sep 09 2010 01:38 PMI love fostering! It is a great way to have an impact on a lot of lives and to grow as a person. Every animal has a different personality and somthing to teach you. I usually foster adult dogs and puppies, but I am currently taking care of a lone kitten on a bottle. It has been so much fun. She is so much cleaner than the puppies! I have only been a "foster failure" once and that was with my beloved pitty bull, Madeleine. The best prt is getting pictures of your foster pet living the life in a new home. One of the pitties I took care of now gets weekly massages.
Eileen McFall Says:
Thu, Sep 09 2010 01:22 PMThanks for this story. I have fostered for a couple of organizations and it's a very gratifying experience. I encourage anyone who loves animals to give it a try!
Amber Luttrell Says:
Thu, Sep 09 2010 11:59 AMI love being a foster parent! Each dog I foster is a life saved. Without me, another dog would have died at the shelter. How much better can a reward be?