For most of my life I had looked at fostering a dog as something I could never do.
It was a responsibility that would require not getting too attached or emotionally invested. I am someone who tends to lean on the all or nothing side of things. So the thought of fostering a dog seemed impossible to me.
How could I let them go?
I grew up with dogs (and cats) and loved them fiercely. When I was old enough to be in the working world, my first job was in an animal hospital. Helping others runs deep in my blood, especially when it comes to animals. But when my little family hit a challenging situation, I began to doubt my abilities.
Six years ago, we adopted a senior dog under misguided information. After nearly two years of trying to make it work, we made the very difficult decision to rehome her.
She ended up in a perfect place to thrive during her final moments. But I still felt like a failure. I felt like I didn’t try hard enough.
We went on to spend two years without a dog in the house. It was because I held onto that negative belief about myself. I feared bringing another one into our lives. If you’re an animal lover, then you can probably relate to that empty feeling. It’s that missing piece to your heart and home when they’re not around. I wasn’t ready yet to take the dive to adopt again. I felt a gravitational pull towards fostering.
Fostering a dog was a way to bring a dog into our home without committing to being their forever parent. Little did I know that the benefits would be twofold.
It’s like matchmaking for dogs!
I have always had this huge need to help and to save all of the animals. I may not be able to rescue every dog or adopt them. But I can certainly open my home and heart to those in need of a safe space to decompress from being in the shelter.
Being a part of this process has helped me. I’ve realized that I wasn’t a failure when I had to rehome our rescue dog. I just wasn’t a good fit for that certain dog. I’ve learned to hone in on their individual quirks, needs, likes and dislikes. Honing in helps them find the very best home possible. It’s like matchmaking for dogs!
Setting up rescue dogs for success
Fostering a dog allows you to recognize the type of human and environment that would set them up for the most success.
Helping to find their forever home has been such a rewarding and heartwarming experience. It’s not one to be rushed. We’ve had fosters for as little as a couple of nights to as long as six weeks. Each one of these fosters landed in the perfect place with a happy ending.
Has it been difficult to say goodbye? Absolutely. But this has taught me that I can still give them all my love and let someone else take them home forever. Not only that, but then we have room to take in a new foster and repeat the cycle!
Fostering a dog has a human benefit
At first thought, it seemed like fostering had a very obvious one-sided winner. But these dogs have helped me more than I could ever convey. And I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that they have saved me.
As someone who has battled depression and anxiety, they have helped me to get out of my head. They have helped me focus on the present moment. Nothing but resilience shines through in these dogs.
Some of the dogs that have stayed with us came from horrific situations. My favorite part of the fostering journey was watching them come out of their shell. The fact that they can learn to trust again is nothing short of amazing.
We are all just looking for unconditional love
They have taught me that no matter your history or how you were mistreated — unconditional love and acceptance is really what we’re all looking for.
With a lot of patience and compassion, anything is possible.
We may not be able to save every single dog, but knowing that we’re helping to get a few off of the streets and giving them a second chance at life has done wonders for my heart.
Author: Mandy Bradley
Mandy resides in Bend with her husband, daughter, two cats, and rescue dog. Her passion for animal advocacy started as a young girl, and has since then become a big part of her life. Whether it's exploring the great outdoors or curling up with a book, you can be sure there's an animal by her side.