We were your average mid-20's couple. Our lives revolved around our dog Hayden, being with friends, work and a little bit of fitness. We aren't swimming in money but have enough to cover the essentials and then a little bit of fun with proper planning and budgeting. With this in mind my wife started looking into options to help animal organizations that didn't include the donating money. She reached out to our local SPCA and humane society and learned how desperate many of them are for foster parents. She quickly signed us up!
Our first foster
Our first was a shepard cross named Nala. She was brought to us a few days after we had a home check from the shelter to ensure we had ample space and time to give these animals the care they deserve. It was a hectic evening as we introduced her to our dog and slowly brought in her nine three day old puppies. It was bitter sweet meeting her because she was so malnourished and emaciated from trying to produce enough milk for her puppies. She was very trusting from the start and allowed us to handle her puppies.
over the next few weeks she became more comfortable with us and our family. she would come with us on walks, over to family's house and even sneak into our bed for some cuddles. Her puppies turned from little guinea pigs into rambunctious little dogs and we became very popular with our friends because of the "puppy room". It was not all fun and games... puppies poop A LOT! and they produce a lot of laundry. After some time you get into a routine of your daily work and it becomes less noticeable.
Adoption!
after her three month stint at our home and some vet visits to ensure they were healthy, it was time for her and her puppies to go to their forever home. This was very challenging for us because of the bond that had formed during their stay with us. We dropped them off at the shelter and with-in 48 hours all of them had found their new parents.
Since this initial foster experience we have had three more litters of puppies. For a total of 35 dogs that have been raised in our home. We have had the pleasure of naming them, taking a million photos, helping to choose who can adopt them and even becoming foster-failures by keeping one of them (he was sooo cute!). I can say that we have learned a lot more about ourselves and how the animal organizations work inside and out by donating our time instead of money. While we do not take on as many animals now since our son was born and is getting attached to the animals we still stay involved and help if they ever have emergency situations.
Without foster families many of these organizations cannot operate because of the expense of owning or renting land and buildings along with their upkeep.
Some more info about fostering
-Our local organizations provide all of the food, medication and vet visits for the puppies while they are in our care. I think this is common practice but if you are thinking about looking into fostering it is a good question to ask.
-It is extremely rewarding!
-While we choose to foster puppies there are many adult dogs and seniors that need to find homes too
-You can foster dogs, cats, reptiles, rodents, birds and many other types of animals.
-It is a great way to experience pet ownership without the long term commitment
I hope my experience encourages some of you to reach out to your local animal shelter and see how you can get involved.
Photos
our dog Hayden
