My foster experience

That's awesome, Stacy! We've never fostered kitties before. I bet they are sooo fun! Our new little guy, Johan is a hoot. I can't even imagine how fun 8 little kitties would be!

We started fostering in Feb or March and we love it. It's an awesome feeling and I know the dogs appreciate it! And it's fun, too. Our dogs get a new playmate every now and then! We are going to bring home our new foster next Saturday. We wanted to wait a couple weeks to let Olivia fully recover from her spay. I think we are going to foster Sandy. (http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10737174) She's a GSD mix and such a sweetheart.

I'm so glad that you've enjoyed your little fuzzies! We loved fostering our kittens and, of course, ended up keeing little Pearlie. The only hard part was giving them up. I mean, I thought I wasn't going to make it home. Several times I thought about turning around and adopting them all! I cried sooo hard. Knowing we had Pearlie made things a bit easier but I worried about them for a long time. I emailed them to check on their status a week later and found out that they were all adopted! *whew!* Fostered animals do get adopted quicker becuse they are so socialized. It's a very rewarding experience.

That's why I don't know if I can. I fall in love so hard and fast. Even just transporting from point A to point B there's always one I just want to keep in my car and bring home. I've got Leo right now and I'm really stressing myself out trying to figure out if he'd be better off if I let him go.

Well, I have to admit, there is one I thought about keeping. I had the girls in their crates and took Ariel, the kitten in there to see how they would do. Well, Minnie started barking and didn't seemed too thrilled so I really CAN'T keep any of them. Makes it a little easier! I know when I take them back to the shelter, they will find good homes. I don't think I could foster if I wasn't sure they were going to make it out of the shelter.

I try and pick dog breeds that I am not overly fond of. I do not want to foster German Shepherds or terriers as those are my favorites. I know it would be hard to give them up. I'm not so thrilled with short coated dogs, so I try and stick with those. When it all works out it is truly a rewarding experience.

I was soooo afraid of this and it kept me from fostering for years. Finally after hearing multiple crys for help here on IP, my husband and I decided to take the "plunge". We actually started with a breed that we both LOVE. I find it much easier to foster for a rescue than I do working with our local shelter. When fostering for a rescue, you KNOW they are leaving your house and going to a loving home. This helped me with Bogie, our first ever foster dog. Although I already loved him, I knew he was going to a wonderful new family and it made me fel good that I helped him. I know Jake is going to be a little tougher to let go, he is SUCH a goof. But I know when the right family comes along, Jake will be happy to get a family of his own.

We have fostered several letters of kittens for our local shelter and it has gotten easier for me to take them back when it is time. I'll admit, I cried the first time I had to take our foster litter back to the shelter. I always feel much better when I go back and find out they have been adopted.

Thanks for sharing your story Stacy!

Good for you! That is wonderful. Rescues and shelters need all the fosters they can get! I did a litter of pups last fall and just fell in love with each and every one!

My latest foster Opie just got adopted yesterday! Hooray for Opie but a sad night for me. Usually I am just thrilled to have them get a wonderful home and to get the normal routine back in my house, but I had a harder time with Opie. But if you work with a rescue, you can keep in touch with the adopter, which makes it easier for me. Many rescues will even let you do your own home visits and have a hand in approving the family interested in adopting your foster. It makes it easier for me to know that the adoptive family will be an even better fit for my foster than mine is!

Way to go Stacy!