Our First Foster

     I am really excited about starting this blog and continuing my own family's rescue and foster journey.


   We adopted our first dog, Bowser, last year (2014) in November, just a few weeks after buying our first home. As we were signing our paperwork, crossing our T's and dotting our I's, I took notice of our shelter's announcement board and the corner marked "Ask about becoming a foster!" After a brief description about the relatively new program, we left with the promise to return and fill out an application to start fostering. It would be almost a month later before we began.

   I got the call late in the evening from Beth the fostering coordinator. The shelter was at it's capacity and she asked if we would like to come down and pick up a dog to foster. It was a brief conversation and afterwards we packed up our 2 girls and Bowser and headed over.

   Ruby was one of the first dogs Beth showed us. She said she was a sweetheart, a gentle girl. After doing a meet & greet with 2 other long time residents, they brought out Ruby. She and Bowser went at it a bit, lots of "talk" but no bite, rough playing. She calmed down and cuddled up to my husband and our girls however, and we were sold. She was a long time resident of the shelter as well so we packed everyone up and took her home.

   She settled into our home and family with ease, like she belonged there. She was a gentle giant who loved rough housing with Bowser then settling down for a cuddle with our girls. She was our first experience with a Pit Bull and we were in love. How she had spent so much time at the shelter was a mystery.

   3 days later I received a call that there was a couple who wanted to do a meet & greet with her.

   Wait, wait, wait, what?!

   I'm not ready, that happened so quick, we haven't had time to work with her...

    She's not yours, you have to.

   We showed up to the shelter right on time that Saturday morning. As we walked her to the outside kennels I heard the woman gasp "Oh, she's beautiful!". I knew we were done.

   And it hurt.

   As they let both dogs get closer outside the kennel and finished up the details, I turned away from everyone to try and calm myself. I heard the wife thank the shelter volunteer and then thank my husband and I. By this time I was a mess and couldn't speak. As everyone moved inside, my husband followed to say good bye while I stayed outside. I admit, by now I was ugly crying and didn't want anyone else to see.

   It was tough that day for the next few after. I didn't realize how much it would be, even though I had been trying to prepare myself for it since before we even went to pick her up. Bowser and I cuddled up on the couch together and moped through it while my husband chuckled at how depressed we both looked.

  
   Since then we have fostered 4 other dogs and are waiting for the next call very soon since we recently heard our shelter is at capacity again. And though with each dog there is a little tug at my heart and a few tears I wipe away, each time it has gotten easier, especially seeing the difference from when they come into our home to when they leave. Our girls are still young and while they do get a bit sad when a dog leaves, my husband and I always explain that we still have Bowser (and as of just recently our pit bull Becca) who will be with us forever and need lots of love and hugs. We also explain how much they help the foster dogs by loving them, playing with them and getting them ready for their forever homes. By now, they're pros.  :) 

   My hope with this blog is to be a place to come to read and journey along with us while also being a resource for other foster families. From training tips to stories to commiserate with and PLENTY of pictures along the way, please, pull up a chair, lay a blanket on the floor for your furry friend and stay a while.  :)