It’s no secret that there is an astounding number of dogs in shelters and rescues waiting for their fur-ever homes. In the United States alone, 3.1 million dogs enter shelters on yearly basis. And it’s understandable that not everyone is capable of taking on another member of the family. But sometimes it’s the short commitments — a week, a month, half a year — that can end up making a real difference.
When Fosters Are the Backbone of a Rescue Group
Rescue One, a no-kill rescue group based out of Springfield, Missouri, recently put out a call for new fosters to join the organization. The number of animals at the organization varies. At the time of writing, Rescue One has over 400 dogs in their care. That’s not to mention the cats and kittens the organization also helps. There’s a good reason why fostering is so crucial to Rescue One: it is completely based on volunteer foster families. They have no central location or building to hold animals in. This means that the number of foster dog parents willing to help directly correlates with how many animals Rescue One can save.
Are You Ready To Be a Doggie Foster Parent?
While fostering a pup is rewarding, it’s not a small responsibility. Like an adopted animal, a foster dog still relies on you for food, training, playtime, walks, and grooming. Typically, foster programs do cover the costs, or a large portion of them, associated with fostering, so you don’t need to worry about breaking the bank. This can be especially rewarding for those who want to help but aren’t in a financial position to permanently commit to a new furry family member. However, not everyone can handle eventually saying goodbye. Be sure you’re ready. Or, on the other hand, accept you might end up a foster failure, which isn’t always a bad thing.
