The Dog I Couldn't Save

In the world of Animal Welfare, when we say one of our foster animals was a “Foster Failure”, it’s tongue in cheek.  It usually means the foster parent couldn’t part with the animal they were fostering and ended up adopting them.  It’s usually a happy accident!  Usually.



One of my fosters, Rudy, who I fell totally in love with!

Buttercup was an adorable little Chihuahua mix that I fostered about a year ago.  She was my first Foster Failure, but it wasn’t the happy accident that usually defines “Foster Failures”.   This one was a true failure.  Buttercup turned out to be beyond my abilities.  I had to admit that I couldn’t help this one, I couldn’t save this one.

Could You Foster a Dog For One Day?

We hear it all the time, Fostering Saves Lives!  And it does, but not everyone can take a dog into their home for weeks, or even days at a time.  If you wish you could foster a dog but it just doesn't fit into your lifestyle, there's a solution. You can Day Foster!

A Pitbull puppy waits for someone to love him again

When a dog has been in a shelter for more than just a few days, it begins to take a toll on them. 

# They don't get enough fresh air or exercise.

# They don't get the attention and love they remember when they were in a home.

# Shelter life is so stressful; it's loud, frightening, confining, and it's not a home!

# Some dogs develop behavior issues if they're cooped up in a shelter for too long without a break.

These factors effect them both physically and emotionally, these dogs need a break!  Even if it's not a forever break from the shelter, the benefits of getting out of the shelter even just for a day can be significant.

Sweet Cascade loved getting out of the kennel for long walks!  She enjoyed several Day Foster days with volunteers before she was finally adopted!

Getting a dog out of the shelter for a day helps dogs calm down, get fresh air and exercise, get some socialization, feel like a loved pet again, and have some fun!!

Here are some things you can do with your Day Foster dog:

# Take him to a park and go for a long, leisurely walk.

# Take her to a dog friendly outdoor café.  While you enjoy your favorite beverage, give her a chew stick, a toy, or a couple of treats.

# Play some games!  A great thing to do is work on basic obedience.  Make it fun to learn or practice Sit, Down, Shake Paws.  A dog who knows a few basic obedience commands can make a big difference to an adopter!

#Take some great photos of her and give them to the shelter for their web site or Facebook page.  Post them on your social media sites too and spread the word that an awesome dog is looking for a loving home!

# Write a few notes for the shelter to include in the dog's bio.  When you can say she's friendly, loves to play fetch or go for a walk, or knows how to sit and lay down it goes a long way with potential adopters.  It eliminates some of the fear of adopting a new dog when you've told them how loving and sweet she is!

One of my fosters, Howdy, content in my husband's arms.  He had displayed some aggression at the shelter, but after 1 day with us he was calm, sweet, and social.  He just needed a break!

If you have just a few hours a month, contact local shelters to see if they have a Day Foster program.  If not, urge them to start one!


What do you think about fostering a dog for one day, giving them a break from the shelter?  Is this something you would be willing to do?  Please leave us a comment, we love when you share your thoughts with us!

COULD YOU FOSTER A DOG TO SAVE HIS LIFE?

Fostering saves lives.  We hear that statement a lot, but what does it really mean and what does it take to foster a dog and save his life?  How do you know if you have what it takes to be a good foster parent? 

COULD YOU FOSTER A DOG TO SAVE HIS LIFE?

WHY DOGS NEED TO BE FOSTERED

Most shelters are over-crowded.   There is only so much kennel space, staff, and funding to care for the never ending influx of animals that arrive at shelters day after day.  Over 3 million dogs enter U.S. animal shelters each year.  That is a devastating statistic. There are more homeless dogs and cats than there are available homes to adopt them.  Fostering plays a key role in saving the lives of these animals.

My sweet foster dog Dusty, continually passed over for adoption simply because he had cherry eye.  I had it corrected myself & he stayed with me for 2 weeks.  He was adopted days after returning to the shelter!