Why Should You Foster A Dog?
The most obvious benefit of fostering is the emotional reward.
It turns out doing good makes you feel good. Many dogs in foster homes come from a history of neglect or abuse. The people who foster these dogs feel a great sense of accomplishment seeing their personalities bloom as their fear melts away.
Fostering is important.
It helps reduce overcrowding in shelters and opens up space for another animal to be saved. It also helps prepare animals for adoption by giving them a chance to live in a home where they can fully express their personality, work to overcome fears, or recover from trauma.
Foster homes help adopters see pets at their best.
Some animals can handle a shelter environment better than others. Many get overly excited or too anxious to let their true personality shine when they’re in a kennel. In a foster home, pets can relax, so that potential adopters can get a good sense of how they’d be in a home.
Foster homes are especially ideal for animals with special needs who might require a little extra attention after surgery or senior pets needing a comfortable place to take it easy.
Fostering pets is fun.
Taking a walk in the park is fun, but it’s a whole lot more fun strolling with a foster dog at your side. Playing with your foster dog is a great way to unwind and provide the attention he or she craves.
You could be a pet matchmaker.
Every time you take your foster dog on a walk, or out to a dog-friendly establishment, it’s a chance to connect with potential adopters.
Put your Social Media to good use to help animals.
Many pets adopted find homes after a foster parent shares a post on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Fostering to know if you’re ready to adopt.
Adopting a pet is a big decision. If you’re not sure you’re ready to take that next step, fostering is a great way to test the waters. You’ll gain experience caring for a pet, so that when it’s time for you to adopt, you’ll do so with confidence.
Fostering is a temporary commitment with permanent rewards.
If you’re unable to adopt a dog right now but want to open your space (and heart) to a shelter animal, look no further than being a foster parent. Most shelters and rescue organizations offer a variety of foster opportunities that include taking care of a pet short-term or for the weekend.
You’ll be saving more than one life.
Every time a shelter animal is able to leave the shelter for a foster home, space is created for another deserving homeless pet who needs a second chance — until eventually, we save them all.
