I'd thought it'd be nice to have a forum for fostering: stories and support for current foster homes, or a source of information for people who are considering becoming foster homes. I have seen some profiles of people who are fostering. We currently have our third foster dog for a Maltese rescue group. It is such a rewarding experience. It is a nice alternative for animals waiting for their forever homes.

We currently have an adorable foster with us.  Pete is a two year old English Pointer.  He had lived his entire life outside in a dog run. 

He had never learned to do steps, didn't know what treats or toys were.  Holy smokes was he a spaz at first.  But he has come so far and it is such a pleasure to watch him blossom.

Fostering is a commitment to love one like your own, but knowing your are going to let them go (well, most the time that is!)  You never know what you are gonna get because mostly you have no background on the dog.  But fostering is important work which is priceless in finding a great forever home for all the animals so deserving a second chance.

Pete is my 5th foster dog for PointerRescue.   I've only adopted one of my fosters.  You can see Pete on our website www.pointerrescue.com .

Please consider fostering if you can.  If you have the space, can provide food, love and discipline you have what it takes.  Most breed rescues are always in need of good foster homes. 

Fostering is like the Peace Corps...the toughest job you'll ever love

It's HARD though!!!...I've done it and it is absolutely gut-wrenching to let them go at the end...even when you know they're getting a great home...

We have been fostering since Oct of 07,  had a few come through and find homes, a few puppies also.  We adopted one of our fosters, she came to us VERY sick and weak and sooo skinny, we had to hand feed her and give her water, she got better and now is the perfect family member. We still foster and right now we are waiting on the arrival of a beautiful Lab girl, she is underweight and depressed.. she had been stuck in the pound not once but twice, the second time for a month.. she had been returned because she simply had kennel cough, all taken care of now. I seen her picture and had to save this beauty. My Black Lab Jack is very good at getting the fosters to play and brings them out of their shell, and our newest (ex-foster) just loves to play..lol.. 

I love fostering, it can be heart breaking when they leave but also a good feeling because they have a forever home and we can then save another one.

I love the lady I foster for and she is so caring and has been very easy to volunteer for.. 

Letting them go is difficult.  But I'd rather love them back to health and adoptability than have them put down in a shelter. 

I do have to keep telling myself that Pete is a temporary and what a terrific pet he will make for some lucky family. 

I fostered a 2 week old  kitten who needed to be bottle fed, when he started to eat on his own was when he needed to go back to the animal adoption clinic,  but i kept putting it off until he ended being my new pet. I think if i had gave him back as soon as he started eating it would have been easier. How do you do it! I want to  foster its so rewarding. Im very week when it comes time for them to go, does anyone have any advice  on how to cope ??

Thank you.

The weak hearted

Advice on fostering, I am sure there are people with more experience and better advise. I think the first is to make sure you are fostering for a reputable organization who is committed to finding good homes. The group I foster for does back ground checks and a home visit before introducing potential adopters to fostered pets. The foster parent makes arrangements to meet the adopter, and if the foster doesn't think it is a good fit for this particular animal, s/he can nix that adoption. Different pets have different needs and it is not a reflection on the potential adopter.

It also helps to have support from other people who have fostered, they understand the bitter-sweet emotion that goes along with fostering. It is OK to cry and it helps to have people who tell you that and mean it. There are pets that you foster that you become more attached to, and some maybe less so. But bottom line, at the end of the day, I'd rather do something than nothing. Find supportive people who understand, so if you want a shoulder to cry on, you'll have it. You can also take some private time to grieve alittle.

Realize that it is a good and selfless thing you are doing. And by giving them a second chance, you'll have room for the next little one in need.

That being said, my third and current foster is going to be devastating to give up. I've already cried at the prospect, and we don't have a home for him yet. Let's see if I can take my own advise...

It's always hard when it's time to have a foster move on even though we know they will going into the fostering process.  I try to maintain some distance by reminding myself the foster is a temporary resident in our home, but a permanent one in our heart.  If I let myself think in terms of "always" then I'd adopt them all. 

Fosters don't get all the privileges our forever dogs do either.  Fosters don't get Master Bed access - only our forever dogs get that.   It is a small way to differeniate, but it helps some.

This is the first foster of mine that I've gotten to do the home visit for.  That visit is  coming up and I want to really scrutinize the adopter.  Now, I know I need to (and will) maintain an open head and heart towards this adopter.  It's just very personal this time so a bit of a new experience.  All my other fosters found homes out of state, so other people did the home visit and I trusted their judgement. 

And yes, you grieve when they go to their new home.  And you beam when the home takes time to update you on the animals progress. 

In the end, it's so worth it to love them enough to give them a second chance, and to let them go.  Not easy, but worth it.

You bring up a good point.  Foster homes need to take breaks from time-to-time.  We want to save them all, but it's not humanly possible.  Those periodic breaks refresh us, sustain us and make it possible for us to open our hearts again.

May I just say wow!!  Nine is a lot!  Three resident's and one foster is our max.  Knowing your max (for the good of you and your family situation) is important to respect too!

I was a foster mom for a cairn terrier rescue group and it was very rewarding to know I was helping the littles ones out. The hardest part is when they go to their new home I have my favorite of the foster dogs on the pet photo contest this month. He is the little cutie with the tilted head. I cried like a baby when I took him to the airport to go to Colorado to his new family. His new mom sent me pictures of him in his new surroundings and the dog park where they take him to play. I know he has a wonderful new family and I am so happy that I was able to help him on his journey. If you have room in your heart and your home for a foster please do it. You won't regret it!

Laura-bowwowmeowlady

Fostering is a wonderful experience. Even though I am saddened to see them go, I know they are going to good homes. Having said that, I now have some heart-breaking news about one of my fosters. I have posted about this on the Rainbow Bridge, but I wanted to talk a little more about what a special dog Rebel really was.

I foster animals for the local shelters. I have a big place, and have a rather unique environment. We live in a rural area, and we have a rather large forever pack. They are a diverse mix, and it seems to help the foster dogs learn to cope with a variety of things.

Rebel came to me as an abandoned pup. He was underweight, riddled with worms and mange. He had several scars, and according to the shelter, had come from a property where they had confiscated several pit bulls, all with evidence of fighting. Rebel himself was a pit mix, and was a little on the small side. I think maybe they were training him to fight, because of the scars.

We had to isolate him at first, so as not to infect our pack. My children spent hours with him, after his mange cleared up. They played with him, and loved him, even read to him! As soon as he was healthy, we slowly introduced him to the pack. I wasn't sure what to expect, since he had been in training to fight. He took to my pack right away. He was listed for adoption, and settled right in to the routine at our home.

Weeks went by, people came to see him, he even spent three nights with an adoptive family. But the 'pit bull' aspect of him scared people around here. I also had to be very careful. One man wanted to take him, but a background check showed that he had a conviction for dog fighting.

I ended up with another pit bull mix, this one a wee pup of about three weeks. This little fella had been thrown from a pick-up window. He had a broken leg, a dislocated hip, and head trauma. Once well enough to leave the vet's office, he came to me. I kept him separate from the bigger dogs, so he wouldn't get hurt. Rebel went nuts! He constantly paced outside the door to the room where we kept Chance, till he finally manged to slip past my son and got inside. I feared the worst, but was so surprised to see that big mutt curl himself around that little puppy!  He spent the rest of his time at our home at Chance's side. If you didn't know Rebel was a male, you'd have thought Chance was his pup. He practically mothered the little guy! He bathed him, and Chance slept between Rebel's paws. Rebel would wait until Chance had finished before he would eat. He would 'stand guard' until Chance was done, so the other dogs wouldn't get his food. I was amazed at the gentleness this dog possessed! It was Rebel's love for Chance that got him adopted. Unfortunately, the family couldn't take them both, so Chance remained with us.

It's been two years since Rebel went to live with his new family. I was at the vet today with one of my forever dogs, when I ran into the lady that adopted Rebel. She was in tears. She told me that Rebel had gotten out of the fence while she and her husband were at work. A man down the road had shot him, because he was a pit bull, and the man was afraid. Rebel did not survive. I cried all the way home, for both my dog Ginger, and sweet soul who graced my life for just a few months.

I have one foster pup at my home now, who runs with my 9 forever dogs. I cry every time I look at him. He doesn't even look like Rebel. Maybe it's because I know that someday he'll leave too, and I won't be able to protect him anymore. I don't know. But tonight I'm going to wrap my arms around Chance, bury my face in his fur, and say a prayer for all those that have passed through my doors, that God may watch over them, and for all those that have gone on, for Him to keep them by his side until I make it to the Bridge.

I'm sorry this is such a long post. I needed to get this out, someone to talk to about it. I haven't told my sons about Rebel, and I don't know if I should. It's going to be so hard for them to say good-bye to Ginger. What do you think?

Don't tell your sons about Rebel.  It would serve no purpose and only hurt them.  

Awwwww, I'm so sorry for your pain over this.  Fosters always hold a piece of our hearts don't they? 

You gave Rebel a second chance in life with you, and then for the two years he had with his forever family.  That is no doubt more loving than he had ever had before.  That is a priceless gift.

How devestating his life ended this way. 

I'm not sure about telling your kids.  What is to be gained by telling them?  If they are very young I probably wouldn't.  If they are older then I think I would share that information.  We can't always shelter our kids from the sadness life sometimes brings us, but we can share the information appropriately according to their age. 

Thank you for the advice, and kind thoughts. I think you're right. My oldest son, who is 18, knows about Rebel, since he was with me at the vet's office. My two other boys, ages 8 and 10, have their hands full grieving for our dog Ginger, who is suffering from cancer.  I want them to remember Rebel in a positive light, and I don't want them to feel adverse to fostering animals in the future, so I've decided not to tell them.