FYI this was written ages ago, but somehow we missed publishing it. This Friday, May 20th is National Rescue Dog so naturally this is the perfect time to fill you in on our first fostering experience. Whiskey still lives in the hood and our paths cross on the regular. Always a thrill to see this good boy thriving and happy. A foster story WIN! Read on to learn more about our experience with Whiskey!! Cheers! Linda
Ha. Gotcha. Catchy tagline eh?
One of my guiding life principles is to collect experiences over things. That is what this group is about and is a central ethic of our parenting style. Covid makes experience collecting a challenge which is exactly why I said YES when asked if we wanted to foster Whiskey, a Boston Terrier who was in need of a temporary home. Yes was the perfect answer because the whole family loved the experience of taking care of the voiceless Whiskey and the quest to connect him to his new and perfect forever home.
To do right by your foster animal you are pretty much setting yourself up for a broken heart or a fractured one anyway. As a family you welcome this needy creature into your home. Do everything in your power to make him feel safe, at ease, loved and happy. Change your routines to make sure you are present. Bring him with you everywhere such that the whole neighborhood is saying hey Whiskey How are you today? Feed him. Clean him. Cuddle him. And tuck him in with your daughter each night.
Then after all of that, you let this animal go on his way for the rest of his life. Sad right? Right. Worth the misty eyes? Heck yes and gratifying to know we made a difference in the trajectory of this exceptional dog’s life and the life of his new family. Covid has absolutely crushed most of our favorite experiences – thanks to Whiskey we found a Covid workaround that this whole family will forever be grateful for (and we plan to foster more pups in need). And that group is our experience with Whiskey. 🙂
Perhaps you are now interested in fostering? So many places can use your help. Just put fostering dogs into your browser and find an organization that is the right fit for you. Be warned the term “foster failure” gets tossed around A LOT in the fostering world. The definition of said term: “You can’t possibly part with your foster after having known him/her for hours, days or even weeks so you officially adopt.” If we were allowed more then two dogs in the building we totally would have been foster fails. The best kind of failing!
For tips on how to celebrate National Rescue Dog Day click HERE. Looking forward to seeing all your rescue dog pics on Friday! #NationalRescueDogDay