Q & A: Fostering

Have you ever considered fostering? Or learning more about it? Today I have a special guest, foster parent and pit bull advocate: Christina, who was kind enough to answer some questions for me on the topic of fostering. Check out the Q & A below.

Ducky and Flynn

TCC: What inspired you to foster?

Christina: "Josh and I wanted to foster because we knew we eventually wanted a dog and we wanted to test out the situation before adopting one. Little did we know our first dog would be our forever dog."

TCC: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in fostering?

Christina: "Everyone has a different experience when fostering because just like babies/kids, every dog is different. You will need patience and know that if it's hard at first, it will get easier as the     dog(s) settles into the home. Be sure your foster dog is a good fit for your home and has had a proper meet and greet with any current family dog(s) to make sure they get along. If you've had a bad experience with a different rescue, try with another one. No one rescue is the same and it's ok to open your options up."

Ducky

TCC: What's your response to: "I can't foster because it will hurt too much when they get adopted"

Christina: "I love/hate when people tell me this. Yes, it is sad, but what's worse is knowing that they died because you didn't step up. Do you want to be sad because you had to say "see you later" or sad because you didn't even give it a chance before the dog was put to sleep?"

TCC: What's the most rewarding part about fostering?

Christina: "When the dogs start trusting you and really starting to relax, that's the best feeling. They feel safe and they don't have a single worry in the world. They can sleep knowing they are warm, safe and that food and water are readily available."

TCC: How many fosters have you had?

Christina: "We have temporarily fostered a handful of dogs here and there and have long term fostered three dogs."

Grandpa Gus, Ducky and Flynn

TCC: How many fosters have you adopted into your family?

Christina: "We officially adopted all three. Ducky was our first foster failure, Flynn is our second and we adopted our last foster dog, Grandpa Gus because while we were fostering him, we had no intention of keeping him, but circumstances out of our control led to him becoming our hospice dog. We wanted Gus to leave us having a forever family before he went to Doggy Heaven."

TCC: Do you foster a specific breed? Why?

Christina: "We foster pit bulls. They are the number one most euthanized dog breed in the U.S. and are the underdog. We like to advocate for pit bulls and educate people on how amazing they are."

Flynn

TCC: Why do you foster?

Christina: "Fostering saves lives. You save the life of the dog that was at the shelter and because you end up emptying that cage, you allow space for another dog to enter the facility to be given the same chance. Other than that, we find it fulfilling in our hearts. It's great socialization for our dogs and we want our daughter growing up advocating for pit bulls and respecting animals. There is no better feeling knowing what terrible situation your foster was in before they met you and how you gave them complete security and love."

TCC: What does fostering entail?

Christina: "Fostering entails patience and love. Most rescues will supply you with everything you need like food, crate, supplies, training, etc. All you need is to supply the home and the love. Some rescues will even offer dog walking services to those who work all day and boarding options if you have to leave town for a bit. It is important not to let your foster dog learn bad manners while in your care so that he/she has the best chance of getting adopted and can transition into a forever home nicely."

Grandpa Gus

TCC: What lesson did your most recent foster teach you?

Christina: "I saw this question when I was skimming the entire list and I got to this one and my heart stopped. I didn't know if I could find the words or fight the tears back as my fingers hit the keyboard. Grandpa Gus taught Josh and me how resilient animals are. How after so many years of being mistreated that when given the right opportunity, they still trust and can give you infinite amounts of love. He taught me to be patient because he suffered from severe separation anxiety and could not be left home alone to which I couldn't blame him. He was old, left alone to fend for himself and basically starved to near death. He taught me how it's ok when you have to say goodbye and send them off where they won't ever feel pain again. He taught me that it's ok to cry when you remember them or when something reminds you of them. He taught me to appreciate my dogs more every day and to make the most of my time with them. He taught me that I need to keep doing what I'm doing to make sure I give the same opportunity to more dogs like him who deserve to be safe, warm, in a home with people who love them with full bellies. He taught me that love is something that is so easy to give out and to never forget that."

TCC: Anything else you'd like to share about the topic that you feel is important?

Christina: "Although our family fosters pit bulls, there is every breed imaginable through rescue groups. There are shelters in every county and without foster homes, rescue groups cannot pull dogs off death row. If you're looking to adopt, but want to make sure the dog is a good fit for your home, there are options like fostering to adopt. Even if you can only do a short term foster, it's still a life saving act. When you foster, you truly make a difference. Lastly, chalk it up to one of the best experiences you'll have."

Ducky and Flynn

I personally have no experience in fostering a dog (yet) and after having Christina answer these questions it definitely opened up a different perspective that I didn't see before. Hopefully these answers inspired you to take the leap and foster. There really can't be anything better than knowing your saving a life and showing that animal that life isn't always scary and hard but fun and loving. Thank you again Christina for answering our questions and being an inspiration.

We'd like to dedicate this post to Grandpa Gus Gus, who got to experience what true love is.

"Adopt. If you can't adopt, foster. If you can't foster, sponsor. If you can't sponsor, donate. If you can't donate, educate."

"When you adopt a shelter pet, you save 2 lives. The one you adopt, and the one that takes its place."

Share your thoughts/comments/questions below!

Taryn and Zoey

Carol and Charlee

www.thecaninecabin.com