This is an amazing article that captures the essence of fostering. It’s not just a gift for the dog you save, it’s a gift for yourself.
Everyday Heros: Foster Families
By Jessica Dolce
They don’t have room, but somehow they find the space. When a dog is stressed from kennel life, or in need of a quiet place to heal or a family to teach them the ropes or a rescue can’t take him unless a foster home is available – these families say, “We can take him home.”
They open their houses and hearts to fall in love with a dog that they know isn’t theirs for keeps. They go to work providing crate and leash training, socialization, medication, and extra meals as needed. They separate resident pets from foster dogs if they have to, scoop extra poop, write blogs, take photos, and spent their weekends at adoption events.
They take on all of the work that comes along with bringing home a new dog, and then some.
They do their best to balance holding tight and letting go. It is a tricky dance to care so deeply for a guest since dogs stay forever in our hearts. But when people tell them, “I couldn’t foster because it would be too hard to give the dog up.” They say, “How can it be harder than knowing a dog died because no foster home stepped up?” And that is why they do it time and again.
And while they worry they might not be strong enough to let this one go, something special happens: The right adoption application arrives!
They lifted a single soul up, out of the crowd, and floating on their hands, their foster dog arrived in the arms of the family that has been searching for him. It was all worthwhile.
They are the specialists, the deep-sea divers, working the details of a dog’s life until he’s ready for prime time.
They bridge the gap to a new life.
And sometimes, they are the bridge to somewhere deeper, a place to rest. They understand that the troubled souls, the weak-bodied, the ancient, are having a tough go of this world. And so they step up to the loneliest plate and say, “We can take her home until it’s time. We will be her final family.”
