A few weeks ago I was arranging with a fellow volunteer to bring down a new intake (new foster) dog to meet me part way to my area (I live more than a little out of town). As I was mentioning things he might want to think about for transporting the dog, (a seat cover as she’d not been feeling well, and since she didn’t have a collar yet a leash wrapped through the handle would do), the entire email exchange abruptly took me into the past.
My first shelter pick up was August, 2013. Not knowing what to expect, except for a few pieces of advice; she won’t have a collar, so bring a collar/leash, or a slip lead, a slip lead is more ideal as it’s much easier to get it on the dog and get the dog out of the shelter area and later put a collar on her. The difference between that first time, that first and now…it doesn’t feel “old hat” to me, but it does feel like riding a bike. And that bike ride isn’t cheap on the heart. You can read more about our personal experiences fostering here.
Sometimes it's the owner surrender itself that breaks my heart. A typical person hears "owner surrender" and they get upset with the party surrendering their dog, but it's not that cut and dry. Often we'll get an owner surrender where the circumstances just suddenly changed and the person surrendering has done everything in their power to keep their dog, but it seems life is just working against them. Or the puppy grew up and their personality is now such that they're not getting along with the other dogs in their home. The last thing the owner wants to do is give up their dog, but they contact us and we're a support system in place for them. We're there to show them resources to help them keep their dog. However, when all else fails, we're there to also help ease the transition, if we have room at the time (we work with an amazing rescue, but one of our limitations is the number of foster homes we have). We help give the surrendering owner peace of mind, knowing we will find their dog a fantastic new home.
All of our dogs *are* rescues, whether we pull them from a shelter or the dog is owner surrendered. Like any dog, our dogs will have at least some minor quirks. Lack of training, separation anxiety, bullying, resource guarding, not socialized well, and more. Even if the dog was "perfect" - trained well, loved well, but the owner suddenly passed away; the dog will have some issues, even if simple short term separation anxiety or depression. We do get in special dogs, puppies really, who were living outside in the backyard in winter, likely because the owners wanted a "cute" puppy, but then when it came to housebreaking, didn't know what to do, so they threw the dog outside. Yet, despite everything, the dog is still the happiest dog in the world once he has a full belly and is snuggled up in a warm blanket. This is the dog you want to protect forever and make sure nothing bad ever happens to this dog to change them. On the flip side you can get a dog scared of her own shadow, won't hardly eat, cringes every time someone says something to her, barks when new people enter the room. Ever so slowly you help her build up her confidence and trust in the world around her. By the time she's adopted she's very nearly a different dog. She's another rescue you want to shelter from the world and protect forever. This is why our foster homes are so integral to our success, they are the people without whom we could not rescue our dogs AND give our dogs hope for a new family.
We rely on our fosters to help our dogs gain a sense of confidence; they'll be fed and comfortable and well loved. Overall our foster homes teach our dogs a sense of family. The number of volunteer foster homes is constantly fluctuating. New volunteers add to our numbers, and we lose some fosters to moves out of state or other changes. We have homes that welcome in a new dog and give that girl a home for just over four months and within those four months take in a second foster, and subsequently adopt him and four days after their first foster is adopted, they're taking in another foster, and now two weeks after their third foster was adopted, they're bringing in a new foster. We also have foster homes that are fosters for a few years, but then after 10+ fosters, run into one that they can't let go of and so adopt. This bumps up their number of resident dogs to the limit and takes them out of the fostering pool.
There comes a day when it seems everything is under control. Adoptions are finally finalized that have been waiting due to one medical reason or another. Even the two new dogs who came in last week out of nowhere have been placed with fosters. Just maybe a deep sigh of relief is in order. But as the last few emails of the day arrive, so too does the epiphany. From across the state - three more dogs in need of homes, three more foster homes needed....so once again the net is cast for foster homes among our existing volunteers and the unceasing recruitment. The need for fosters will never end.
All of our volunteers are important. Volunteers who handle our phone interviews and home visits are incredibly important to make sure our applicants are who they say they are. They also help gauge personalities and expectations of applicants and their resident dogs, for which dog we place with whom. Underneath it all there's fostering, without which we couldn't exist. Once I didn't understand how important fostering was, we fostered, but it was a small piece of the puzzle to me. Slowly I realized it is one piece of the puzzle, which also happens to be the keystone or linchpin, as it were.
If you don’t volunteer, think about it, research, ask questions. Find something you’re comfortable with, it’s not all fostering; there are many things that are needed that aren't even animal related, things as simple as designing layouts, running fundraisers and more. And if you do volunteer, awesome, and thank you!
Katherine always a good read. Nancy
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