I grew up with pets and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, ducks; you name it and I probably had it as a kid. Once out of my parent’s home, I still wanted pets. I had birds, rats, cats, hamsters; the normal line up of easy to care for pets. I also had roommates, so the occasional dog would come through.
When I moved into my own trailer in 2013 one of the first things I did was get a cat. Not a kitten, because I just didn’t have the time to devote to a kitten. Dulce, my forever cat, is still with me today and I can’t imagine not having her around (and don’t really want to). I’ve also had a few rats and hamsters, although their life expediencies are much shorter. With the death of my most recent rat, I reached a point where I needed an emotional break and opted not to get anymore small, short lived pets.
Over the years though, I have made the decision that I will probably never adopt a forever pet again. Due to my lifestyle, regularly changing schedule, and love of traveling, committing 15-20 years to an animal at this point in my life does not feel fair to either them or me. Yet every time I see a puppy or a kitten, there is a part of me that really misses having tons of four-legged friends.
I found the solution to my problem in the fall of 2014. All the love, snuggles, and enjoyment of a forever animal, without the time commitment or cost. Fostering became my life saver. I could sign up to take care of animals for awhile, and then when I needed a break or was going to go on vacation, I would just say no.
I fostered my first dog, Foxy, in October of 2014. Since then, I have fostered an average of 12-15 animals per year. I primarily foster through rescue organizations, but a lot of animal shelters in my area also have foster programs set up. Other than a little bit of driving and regular meet and greets to help get them adopted, I don’t have to do anything special for fostering. All of the animal’s expenses are paid for by the organization, including food, vaccinations, surgeries, and grooming.
I won’t say fostering is always the easiest. We get animals from all over the country who have come from every walk of life. They often need to be taught basic social skills, potty training, and leash walking. I had one group of dogs that had spent their entire lives in a crate, so getting them to come out of the crate, even just to go potty, was a week’s worth of work in and of itself.
I think the concern that I hear the most often is that people think they would fall in love with their foster pet and adopt them. I admit I have come close on occasion, but I just remind myself why I don’t want to commit to another forever animal. Plus, there is a lot of reward for me in helping an animal find their perfect forever home.
I won’t pretend fostering is right for everyone. I think it is an option that people should consider though. The more foster parents there are, the more animals we can rescue.
I almost kept Curli.