For The Animals - Ann E Dawg Rescue
Black Dog Ridge Sanctuary - Fairbanks, Alaska
Dog rescue, adoption and rehabilitation resources
Why can't you foster a homeless animal?
Year-round
now, not just during the annual summertime kitten and puppy season, my
email is full of pitiful messages about animals that will be
‘Euthanized tomorrow….please help!’ It’s frustrating to know that
with one change in our thinking, most homeless animals could be saved,
rather than euthanized in shelters. Nathan Winograd, a lawyer,
shelter administrator and animal advocate, believes that saving more
animals is ‘simply impossible’ without foster care programs for
homeless pets. For some animals in particular, having a foster
home available is a matter of life and death: those that are in
poor health, are pregnant or have puppies or kittens, or those that are
simply stressed by shelter life.
Yet, as
a foster parent myself, I’m aware that many people think that role is
beyond them. Let me share possible answers to
reasons people give me for NOT being a foster parent:
1. ‘I’d
get too attached to the animals.’ Good for you! You’re just who
we need. Companion animals need us to be attached
to them.
2. ‘I don’t have room in my
home.’ Think small….many dogs and
all cats are less than knee-high. A large dog
kennel can be a comfortable sanctuary for a dog or a mother cat and her
kitten family, if they are given regular opportunities for play and
exercise.
3. ‘Pets aren’t
allowed where I live.’ OK, you have
an excuse, but I’ll find another way you can help. How
about helping at adoption events, or walking dogs that live in a
shelter? You bet! While
you’re at it, start looking for a pet-friendly place to live!
4. ‘I’m
not home enough.’ If so, cats might
be a better match for your life than dogs. My
foster cats think I am best friends with Jay Leno, because late night is
when I spend time with them. But; if you had a
dog of your own, how would you take care of him? You
might have a friend or professional walk your dog every midday, and
that strategy would work for a foster dog, too.
5. ‘No, really, I travel
for work.’ You will need help,
then. I have two words for you: Pet
Sitter. Or three more: Bed
and Biscuit. And, the
best thing I ever did when my work travel increased….invest in an
automated litterbox.
6. ‘I can’t afford it.’ You’ll
want to work with a non-profit animal rescue group, and typically they
will provide the food and equipment you’ll need. If
you want to really help, though, see how many of your foster pet’s
needs you can cover yourself. These expenses are
tax-deductible in most cases—they are a different kind of donation to
the rescue group you’re working with. Giving in
this way allows the group to save even more animals.
7. ‘I don’t know anything
about taking care of cats or dogs!’ Your
new rescue friends will share what they have learned from their foster
pets, and there are lots of great books, like ‘Cats for Dummies,’ not to
mention all the websites on pet care. As a cat
foster, I ended up with a surprise foster dog in my home.
In the process of living with her for more than a year I learned
a LOT about dog health, dog training, dog parks….I almost became a ‘dog
person!’
8.
‘I’m terribly allergic to cats and dogs.’ Whoa….you get a ‘pass’
on the foster thing, then. But, how about website design, or
fundraising, or grantwriting? Pick one of these ‘fur-free’
volunteer jobs instead.
9. ‘I want to take them all home!’ Well,
you can’t. Just pick one, or two.
(Two well-acquainted cats or socialized dogs are easier than
one!) That’s your limit, for now!
10.
‘I would never want them to find a new home…I’d just want to keep
them.’ Well, OK, but that makes you a ‘foster failure!’
Don’t know why it’s a ‘failure,’ really, since yours will be a great
forever home. But then you will have to find another foster
parent to replace yourself!
Click here to contact For The Animals - Ann E Dawg Rescue. They will be overjoyed to know you’re
ready to help! Congratulations, and happy
fostering.
Yours for the homeless ones,
Donna Bloomer
Wilmington, NC
**Permission
is given for rescue groups to copy and adapt this page for their use in
web and print formats, with the following attribution:
'Adapted with
permission from www.frugalfurryfriends.weebly.com, copyright
2010.'