I started fostering dogs shortly after adopting my first English pointer, Darby. She was a beautiful dog, only 8 months old, but afraid of a mile-long list of things, the most notable being fear aggression towards dogs and people. Her condition was not born out of abuse. Some dogs, like people, are genetically predisposed to being more introverted than others, plus she missed out on the early environmental socialization that developing puppies require. I started by inviting friends and neighbors to monthly “Soup Socials” and instructing guests to ignore her and let her approach them on her own. Similarly, I began fostering for three local rescues, which allowed me to introduce her to other dogs in a slow, controlled way and gave her (and me) exposure to a wide variety of breed types and temperaments.  It often felt like one step forward, two steps back, but it really wasn’t that long before she blossomed into an amazingly confident, smart, and sassy companion. 

I continued to foster because I became aware of the enormous pet overpopulation problem and I wanted to do what I could to help. Each year, roughly 6 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters and about half are euthanized. Any dog (or cat) that makes it out of a shelter into a foster home or adoptive home is a very lucky animal indeed. Unfortunately, there are always more dogs in need of foster placement than available homes for them to go to.

When Darby passed away three years ago, I started fostering with PRO as a way of “paying forward” the gift of the rescue dog that blessed my life and instilled my love of pointers.  Through fostering, I hope to create wider awareness of this amazing breed. Pointers are wonderful fosters because they are highly adoptable.  By and large, they get along well with other dogs, kids, men, and even cats. They tend to shrug off any prior abuse and neglect more easily than other breeds and remain happy-go-lucky, sweet, silly, and loving. The main “challenge” to fostering and adopting them is helping prospective people understand their high energy level and exercise requirements. Thankfully, once inside, they are also champion couch potatoes.  

I foster because there is nothing more satisfying than helping dogs grow into the dogs they were always meant to be.  One of the most important jobs we have as fosters is to make the dogs in our care healthy and whole. Seeing them overcome their medical and behavioral obstacles is a constant reminder that our influence has made all the difference in the life of that dog. But the dogs aren’t the only ones that benefit from this experience. Dogs give back so much more than they ask for in return! Fostering has also made me a much more knowledgeable dog owner. Every dog is different and has something to teach, if you’re patient enough and willing to learn. Fostering involves a lot of trial and error. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I try to learn from them and to teach others, too. My resident dogs also benefit socially, physically and mentally from their interactions with each new foster. It’s like having my own doggie daycare and dog park. My dogs have become a valuable asset to my fostering. They actually do most of the work since they are able to read dog body language and behavior and “speak” to dogs in ways that I cannot. They serve as ambassadors to each new dog, set the tone, and are quick to establish ground rules and routines.  

Fostering is not just about dogs, it’s also about people. An unexpected benefit of fostering for PRO has been the friendships I’ve made along the way. For a group as large and widespread as PRO is, I am blown away by how well everyone works together and supports each other in accomplishing the goal of successfully matching dogs to adopters. That’s been another delightful surprise in working with PRO. Each adopted dog is a special and selfless gift that we give to virtual strangers, who often become lifelong friends and fellow supporters of PRO. Yes… it’s incredibly hard to let a foster go after they’ve stolen your heart as well as your spot in the bed. I take comfort in seeing our PRO alumni sharing new adventures and creating new memories with people that love them just as much as we do and knowing that each adopted dog makes space for another deserving dog to be saved. Are you ready to help?