Why did you get into fostering?
I always knew I wanted to foster dogs since I was in my teens
living with my parents. I had heard about fostering in the local
newspaper and being an animal lover I couldn't believe that
somebody would give you a dog, let you love and care for it,
provide all the food, medical care and support you would need for
free! I thought it was the greatest deal ever! So I thought for
sure my parents would feel the same way about this. Sadly they
didn't! But I always held on to the idea of fostering and when I
moved out on my own I contacted hart.
Which hart dogs have you fostered?
Sonny, Cher, Baxter, Delta Blue, Terra, Bonnie, Sammy, Sully (I
adopted), Bella, Boots, Hazel, Andy, Nala, Teeka, Jupiter, Pepper
(baby-sat)... I may have missed a few and the list will continue to
grow!
What has been the most rewarding aspect to
fostering?
I love when a dog gets adopted into a new home. I have had the
opportunity to follow up on some of my fosters and seeing them
healthy and happy is the best feeling in the world!
When individuals think it will be too much work or too
emotionally taxing, what feedback do you have for
them?
Everytime I tell people I foster they always tell me they couldn't
do it because they would get too attached. I have to admit the
first few are heart-wrenching to let go of, but once you do and you
keep in touch with that family via email a couple times, you
realize that they are OK without you and they have moved on. The
dogs don't hold on to things like we do. Now that I have had
successful adoptions and have seen many of them very happy in there
furever homes, I trust the hart adoption process and I have learnt
that when I get that sudden unrational "feeling" that no home will
be good enough I have to put it in the back of my mind move
forward. Having a dog adopted into a good home and then being able
to help another dog is the ultimate reward. If I can do it, you can
do it!
If your foster dog(s) could speak, what do you think
they would say to you?
I hope they would say, "I Love you too!" because I say that to
them all the time!