Fostering a dog is one of those rewarding experiences that often carries some misconceptions from those not in the know. To help educate those who are still new to dog fostering and help refresh those already fostering, here are some truths about the good, the bad, and the ugly of fostering a dog so you have all of the details and can make the right choice for yourself.
The Good
Fostering a dog is one of the best ways to help out at your local animal shelter. We know how hard it is to work regular volunteering hours at the local shelter. So providing a temporary loving home to a rescue dog helps both you and the companion animal. And it’s a great way to give back to your local animal shelter.
Think of it as a win-win situation for everyone involved. First, the shelter wins because they can help more animals in need. After all, you took home a dog, and that leaves that spot for another dog to be supported. Second, the dog you are fostering also wins as they get away from the noise and stress of being in the shelter. It helps them calm down and makes them feel more loved and cared for. Lastly, you also win because you get to have an adorable and cuddly friend at home.
The Bad
One of the potential wrong sides of fostering is you might fall in love once you get to know your foster dog friend, and your fostering relationship turns into one of commitment and forever. Most people that do animal rescue would, of course, say no, but once you adopt your new furry friend, you may not be available as a foster home for the shelter again.
Another negative side to fostering is you will lose your free time. In essence, volunteering in itself means you’re exchanging your free time to make something productive and in this case, helping animals in need is not only practical but also fulfilling. Not to mention that the free time you will be giving up will be spent with a cute and cuddly new friend.
The Ugly
The ugly side of fostering a dog is that you will embody the word “advocate.” You will most likely spend all of your free time socializing your dog and taking them out to meet potential adopters in the park, on walks, and in dog-friendly restaurants.
You’ll, of course, want to hold potential adopters to a higher standard that is worthy of the foster dog that you have cared for so lovingly over the weeks and months. So you will want to be a part of scrutinizing the application, grilling the adopter on “where were you last night” and demanding to know what brand of food they will feed your canine friend.
You will realize what it means to love another being more than yourself and cry when it’s time to part ways along your journey. But you will know your purpose has been served and that we will need your skills again soon to help the next foster dog find their forever match.
These are just some of the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of dog fostering. Now that we’ve made you consider the possible things you might encounter, what is left is to answer the call or not.
