Whenever I tell someone that I’m a foster carer for rescue greyhounds, whether they’re a dog person or not, I get inundated with a flood of questions. How long do you have the dogs for? Are you sad when they leave? How does it all work? To be honest, I NEVER get sick of talking about being a foster parent, because it’s probably the best thing I ever did! Nothing has ever filled our humble home with more joy (except maybe Archie, our resident greyhound who couldn’t be more loved!).
At Rainy Day Pets, you’ll always find us singing from the rooftops about what an amazing experience it is to be a foster carer. Have a read of the three things I wish I knew before fostering rescued greyhounds... and who knows, this might inspire you to consider jumping on the ride with us, too!
1. Fostering is addictive
Once you start, it’s hard to stop! You’ll fall in love with the process of meeting a new dog, helping them through their struggles and watching them truly blossom into the happy hound you always knew they could be. When they start showing off their personality, you feel an immense sense of pride, not just in them but for yourself too! I mean, if it weren’t for you, this gorgeous doggo may not have had the chance to find themselves. And once this one finds their forever home, you get to do the whole process again with another dog in need. I get the warm and fuzzies just thinking about it!
2. You’ll make a *lot* of new friends
Welcoming a foster snoot into your home also means that you welcome an amazing community of like-minded folk who are equally as passionate as you are about making a difference for our furry best friends! Being part of this community also means that you always have a safe space to seek advice when things aren’t going to plan. I have formed some of the strongest bonds with the most beautiful people in rescue – and I consider myself to be a mega introvert! So prepare yourself for doggy play-dates and *finally* having someone to share your camera roll full of foster pup’s happy snaps.
3. Saying goodbye is hard, but it’s worth it
This is the question I get asked about most and understandably so. You have this magnificent dog live with you for a while, you see their hidden personality shine, you bond with them and then comes the inevitable goodbye. Heck, I even got a little teary writing that line! It’s a bittersweet moment dropping your foster off at their forever home and just walking away. I’d be lying if I said it was easy – far from it! Just know that you’ve done an amazing job getting that dog where they needed to be. The solution to homeless dogs is not to adopt them all. It’s to find homes for them, yes, but you personally cannot adopt them all. Fostering is the best way to alleviate rescues and get as many dogs out of potentially dangerous situations. The good that you do in fostering certainly outweighs the moments of heartache when you say goodbye.
So there you have it. As you can probably tell, fostering is so much more than just having a dog live with you. Often, it is the difference between life and death for that greyhound. Yes, it is impossible to foster without the rollercoaster of emotions that inevitably come with it, but I promise it’s worth it.
If you have any questions at all about fostering and how you can get involved, please contact your local animal rescue or feel free to contact us!