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 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!