Life as a Foster Mom, Foster Dog Mom, Foster Family

Recently we brought you the story of Home For Good dog rescue.? In that story we learned that dogs who are rescued are placed in foster homes while they await permanent placement in a forever home.? This sounded like a great idea to us, at least in theory, but then the more we thought about it, the more questions we had about what it would actually be like to foster a dog in your home.

So, we went in search of a real live foster dog Mom, or foster Mom or dog foster Mom, or well, we don?t know what to call her, so we?ll just call her Kathy.

Welcome Kathy!

Is that your real name?

Yes, Kathy is my real name.

Before you tell us about your fostering experience, let us first get to know you.

Well, I live in Northern New Jersey and work as a real estate agent.? I live with my 17 year old twins (a boy and a girl), an 8 year old Black Lab named Lucy, and a 5 year old Yellow Lab named George.

My son and daughter are high school seniors who will be leaving at the end of the summer for college.? I have an older daughter who has already graduated from college, who lives in New York City.? My dog George is somewhat of a Facebook celebrity, perhaps you?ve heard of him?? My dog Lucy prefers to live her life out of the spotlight.

Hmm, sounds interesting, we?ll have to look your dog George up on Facebook one of these days.

"Famous" erm, tired George

I understand that you?re new to the business of fostering dogs.? When did you get started?

I just started fostering about a month ago.? I had wanted to do it, and I finally submitted an application to Home For Good Dog Rescue.? I chose Home For Good because my neighbor fosters with them and so I knew a little bit about them.? Also, a dog that was adopted from HFG was lost in my neighborhood in the fall, and they sent a team of volunteers to scour the neighborhood every day until the dog was found, two weeks later. ?It was obvious that they really, really care about the dogs they rescue.

When did you first learn of fostering dogs? And what made you consider doing it in your own home?

I would have to say that I really became aware of it through George?s Facebook friends, as I saw how many families had opened their homes to foster dogs, sometimes multiple foster dogs at the same time. ?I thought to myself, ?why am I not doing that? Surely I can handle another dog??? I was very saddened by how many dogs are euthanized each year unnecessarily, and I know that fostering was part of the solution to that problem.

What did you need to do to be approved as a foster home for dogs?

I submitted an application to HFG, and their Volunteer Foster Coordinator called me almost immediately.? They love getting new fosters, because it means that they can save more dogs.? I had a telephone interview, and then a home visit so that they could meet my other dogs and evaluate the environment that the dogs would be living in.

Did you have any concerns or hesitations?

I absolutely did!

Both my dogs had been to ?doggie day care?, and so I knew that they got along with other dogs, but we never had another dog living with us before.? I didn?t know how they would react to that.? I also remembered that when George came to live with us as a puppy, he and Lucy needed to ?work things out? every once in a while, and I was worried that there would be skirmishes between the dogs.

Also, I knew that HFG brings up a sizable amount of puppies, and I wondered if they would have accidents in the house or if I would be standing outside in the cold at 4 am.? I knew my own dogs? routine, and of course it was very easy for me, and now I was adding in a great ?unknown factor?.? I wasn?t sure what would happen or if I would be able to handle it.

Foster Dog Cooper (yep, he's still a puppy)

What was it like when the first foster dogs arrived?

Well, I have to say, we started off with a bang.? When you foster with Home For Good dog rescue, you find out on Wednesday which dog (or dogs) you will be getting on Friday when the transport arrives from Georgia (and sometimes other places, but mostly Georgia).? So I found out on Wednesday that I was getting two (yes 2!) puppies that Friday!

They were the last two of a large litter of nine puppies.? The previous 7 had come up in prior weeks and had all been adopted already.? The Foster Coordinator assured me that these were easy puppies and that every one of them from this litter had been just wonderful.? Okay, I thought, two puppies, I can handle that.

My kids happened to be away that week because it was school vacation, and they were on a church mission trip in Jamaica.? They were returning on Saturday night, so I would be all alone with the pups, and Lucy and George, until then.? Still, I thought, I can handle two puppies. ?I was ready, I had a large crate, feeding bowls, leashes, puppy food, and a large bottle of Advil.

I volunteered also to be part of the team that meets the transport in the morning, and helps to bathe, groom, feed and walk the dogs in order to help them adjust a little bit before their foster families pick them up.? When the transport arrives, the dogs have completed a 14-hour drive, they are scared, dirty, and some of them have some mild medical issues that need to be attended to.? Still, it is a great experience to meet these frightened ?Little Orphan Annies?, and begin the process of letting them know that they are safe, loved, and on their way to a much better life.

Now, back to my ?puppies?.? Because these were the last two pups to come up, they were of course the oldest and, ahem, the largest.? They were a mix of Boxer and Anatolian Shepherd.? Look up Anatolian Shepherd (Turkish Mountain Dog) on the Internet and see how large they are!? These two were enormous!? Where were the tiny puppies that I was going to be able to carry around, one in each arm? I could barely lift ONE puppy and carry it, these weren?t little dogs, these were two mooses!

In the two crates on either side of my pups were two tiny little Lab puppies.? ?Maybe I should take those instead?? I asked the Foster Coordinator.? Turns out they were each going to different foster homes.? I was taking home two mooses, and other fosters were each taking home one actual puppy that would fit in a teacup.? And this was my first time.? Now, why did I think this was a good idea?

Tired puppies

My Foster Coordinator assured me that I would be fine that these were wonderful, easy pups.? So I ?rolled with it?, as they say.? I gave them each a bath and, honestly, fell in love with them both immediately.? I was all in.? The problem, however, was logistics.? I needed to be able to get them both in my house, to two unsuspecting Labradors, each weighing in at about 80 pounds, and introduce them in the proper way (let them see them in the crate first, then take them out and let them sniff their butts, etc.).? I was sweating.

And so it was finally time to take them home.? Turns out they didn?t both fit in the crate that I had brought (did I mention they were moose-sized), so I laid a towel in the back seat and let them just lie down.? I was worried that when I got home, I would open the car door and they would both bolt out, each running in opposite directions.? That fear ended up being unfounded, these were two moose-sized lumps.? They just laid there; mellow as two hippies from the 60?s.

Without going into the logistical nightmare, I did get them both in the house, butts first, and got everyone into a semi-adjusted state.? The poor puppies were so frightened by everything at first, they both hid under my dining room table.? They had never had the experience of being able to walk all around, and not be confined to a crate.? They walked through the house as if they were Siamese twins, they rarely left each other?s side.? It was pretty adorable.

Long story short, they came to me on Friday, one was adopted on Saturday and the other one was adopted on Sunday.? In two short days, I had become so attached to those little buggers that I cried for three hours straight when the second one was adopted.

Lucy and George

How did your dogs, famous George, and Low-key Lucy react?

My dogs, meanwhile, acted kindly, but as if two aliens had just landed from Mars.? They were very curious about these two newcomers, who had the nerve after about an hour to install themselves on Lucy and George?s dog bed and take over the toy basket.?? Luckily, there was no sign of any aggression whatsoever, no jealousy that the pups were getting so much attention, no problem at feeding time, it really went just about as well as could be expected.? I was actually so proud of my two big dogs that they showed so much kindness to these two little interlopers who were chewing on their favorite toys and lounging in their favorite nap spot.

Is the line up for the buffet?

How do you know what to feed the foster dog(s)?? Do they just eat what your dogs are eating?

Home For Good sends foster dogs home with food, so there?s no need to buy anything.? Because I?m a little nutty, I have my own stash of alternative dog foods to try if the original ones are not popular, since I believe that eating well and getting proper nutrition is an immediate need for these dogs.? I have also cooked home-made chicken and rice for my latest foster, a skinny guy whose ribs are sticking out.? He seems to appreciate my cooking much more than my human family.

George helping foster dog Puddin in the fine art of relaxing

What are the sleeping arrangements?

Well, when the puppies were with me, they slept together in their crate.? Now that I have an adult dog, he sleeps with the rest of us.? I never know who will be next to me when I wake up in the middle of the night.? It?s a carousel of bed, dog bed, chair, floor for all three of them.

Do your dogs get jealous?

No, luckily I have not had that experience.? I do sometimes get ?moo moo eyes? from Lucy when I am petting my foster dog.? I do make it a point to make sure that my dogs get as much attention, belly rubs, etc. when there is a foster here as when there?s not.

How long could a potential foster dog stay with you?

That?s a good question.? A foster dog stays with you until he or she gets adopted.? Home For Good is very, very successful at placing dogs, so it?s usually a one or two week commitment.? Theoretically, though, it could be longer.

Grateful smile from Puddin' rescued from a life of neglect

Do you have any specific responsibilities while they are in your care?? Are you yourself actively looking for homes for them or does the organization handle that part?

The organization has a website, they post the dogs on Petfinder.com, and they also have a waitlist of adoption applications that they work with.? Sometimes, people will put an adoption application in to get ?approved?, so that if a particular kind of dog comes in that they are looking for, like a Golden Retriever, or a black Lab puppy, the dog can be put ?on hold? for them and they have the first option of adopting.

The dogs that come up from the south through Home For Good Rescue get adopted so quickly that many people like to fill out their paperwork ahead of time so that they can then just focus on finding the right dog for them.? Foster volunteers do not have any responsibilities beyond giving their foster pup all the love, comfort and kindness that it deserves and so badly needs.

Do the dogs have any particular problems, i.e. are they taking medication or require special treatment?

That?s a very good question.? Many of the dogs come up with mild conditions that must be treated.? Remember, they are living in filthy, deplorable conditions before they come to New Jersey, so in addition to bathing them, clipping their nails and giving them a little ?spa treatment?, they also get their ears cleaned, get medication for ear infections if necessary, and they are also checked for worms.? Foster families are provided with all of the meds that are necessary.

Some dogs that are rescued by Home For Good Dog Rescue have larger issues.? One dog that was rescued, Lucky, was a poor soul who?s leg was caught in a coyote trap. ?The only way for him to get it free was for him to chew it off, which he did.? He then lay in the woods, weakened and starving, until an angel came along and brought him to the shelter in Georgia. ?The shelter administrator who works with Home For Good called and HFG committed to paying for Lucky?s surgery (his leg was amputated), his rehabilitation, and his transport to New Jersey.? This brave and wonderful soul came to New Jersey after he had healed and was just adopted by an awesome man with two other dogs. ?A very, very, happy ending.

Another dog who is still recovering in Georgia and awaiting her trip to New Jersey is Leah, whose family in Georgia kicked her and poured hot oil on her. Her neighbors came and brought her to the shelter after her family threatened to burn her again.? HFG is paying her medical bills, and when she has healed, they will transport her up to New Jersey where she will no doubt find a wonderful, loving family.

George and Puddin on duty at the window

How much notice do you get if a home has been found for one of your foster dogs?

When I had the puppies, they came to me on Friday and I was instructed to bring them to a scheduled adoption event on Saturday.? Home For Good holds pre-planned adoption events which are publicized, usually as a pet supply store such as Petsmart.? Many people show up to meet the dogs.? On Saturday, as I was coming back to pick up my pups at the end of the event, one of them was in the process of being adopted! ?I was very happy that I was able to meet his forever family, a wonderful young couple with another dog. ?The next day, Sunday, my remaining foster dog was adopted during the day and I did not get to say goodbye to him.? That was difficult.

Sometimes, people will see dogs on Petfinder.com and will request a ?Meet and Greet?.? In that case, the foster family brings the dog to the HFG office.? If the dog is adopted, you get to say goodbye.? If not, you get to bring your pup back home with you.

How difficult is it to say goodbye to your foster dog(s)?

It is extremely difficult for me to say goodbye.? When the second of my ?moose? puppies was adopted, I cried for hours.? I didn?t sit down and cry, I went about my normal activities, laundry, making dinner, but I had tears streaming down my face.? I was not expecting that I would get so attached in such a short time.? I make a point to remind myself that I am only babysitting these sweet souls until they can find their loving, forever homes.

Now, what advice do you have for someone who may be considering fostering a dog in their home?

I would encourage anyone who is considering fostering to try it.? More fosters means more lives saved! It?s not for everyone, however.? There are many ?foster failures?, which are dogs that come to a foster family and end up being adopted by the family because they can?t say goodbye. ?That?s still a happy ending!

In order to be a successful foster of many dogs over a long period of time, you will need to be prepared to basically ?fall in love? and ?break up? over and over.? And we all know how pleasant that is!

I will say that, when you dry your tears, you realize that you have played a very small part in not only saving an innocent life, but assisting in the transition from a neglected, sometimes abusive existence to a treasured one. ?Some dogs have never had a toy, felt a warm bed, or enjoyed the feel of human love and kindness.? That is a great gift to be able to bestow, and it is incredibly rewarding.

As I write this, a skinny Lab ?mix? is laying at my feet.? In his previous life, he lived at the end of chain, in his own filth.? He lived outside in the rain and the cold, and was only fed sporadically. Tonight, he snores softly, his belly full of nutritious food, laying comfortably on a nice warm Snoozy.?? And once again, I?m in love.

Thank- you for sharing your story and educating us all about what it is like to open your home to a foster dog(s).? We look forward to connecting with George on Facebook and following your fostering journey!

A side note:? Our dog Holly was found on the streets and had many aggression/fear issues.? She wasn?t in a foster home but a kind (and courageous) shelter volunteer had started taking her home at night to help to socialize her and to get her out of the noisy shelter environment.? Shelters can be especially frightening and intimidating for rescue dogs and being able to live in a safe family home gets them started on their road to recovery and adoptability.

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Source: http://www.westcoastdogs.com/life-as-a-foster-mom-foster-dog-mom-foster-family/

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