FAQs

Why am I doing this? 

You mean why am I writing this blog? Because I was asked to. No, really. As a long-time foster for a local rescue group, I take in animals others leave behind or give up on, so I am privy to some hard to believe stories of their past and present.

Also, I grew up with several dogs with what folks describe as personality, so I am not afraid to get bitten or growled at. Most of them are just scared out of their minds in ways most of us will never experience. And lastly, my friends and other fosters have been asking me for tips on all kinds of dog related situations, so sharing them here is easy and fun.

What makes me qualified as a foster?

I have my own dogs thanks to several foster failure experiences, where I ended up keeping those I fostered, which made me a proud owner of a small "dog pack". A good, stable pack is better than any human at calming and rehabilitating newcomers. Learning from them has been a blast.

I thought being a foster is to experience heartbreak of having to give up a dog, over and over again?

In the beginning I thought that too, but most fosters have their own animals, be they cats, fish, birds, etc., so bringing a dog into your home becomes more of a dog-sitting experience than a full on drama of bonding forever to then parting in tears. (That said, after over four years I still resent the day my foster leaves me, um forever.)

Does a rescue organization you foster for (HART) pay for all your dog related expenses?

They pay for all the medical stuff, whereas I pay for everything else. From time to time, HART receives new dog toys, food and bedding as donations from kind-hearted individuals. That means Christmas to my dogs. As for paying for food, it's just one more mouth to feed, and since I foster smaller size dogs with smaller mouths - it all has been more than manageable so far. :)