Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Last Friday we brought a puppy into our home to foster. She is a ten week old Papillon with the energy of a nuclear reactor. She weighs only two pounds, so she resembles a  hummingbird with sharp teeth and nails.

She is as soft as a rabbit and her little paws and belly are pink like cotton candy.  We have named her Madeline. We were not looking for a puppy but nevertheless, she found us and here we are fostering a pet.

Sandy is the PR spokeswoman for our local animal shelter so she is constantly at the shelter. She knows the cats and dogs in their care,  their stories and their names. Because we have not been ready to adopt another dog, Sandy has become a pro at maintaining her emotional distance from the adoptables and their uncanny ability to suck you in.  She has  remained steadfast as their advocate and voice.

Until……Thursday night when she sheepishly mentioned, “You know, a baby Papillon came into the shelter this week. It was emaciated and covered in urine. You should see how cute she is.”  I gave her a look of crazed confusion, then said, “What??” Twenty four hours later there was the most beautiful, deranged puppy in our living room.

For the past year, ever since our best canine friend Sparky passed away, we have been going back and forth about adopting another sibling for Chloe our Chihuahua. Does she need a sibling…does she like being an only dog?? I don’t know. We have not been sure, so we let it go and decided that when it was time, everything would fall into place. Enter…puppy mayhem.

For now, until we can determine whether or not Madeline will be a good fit for our family,  we are fostering her. Because she is too little to adopt out, this is a loving way to help her become a great companion for any family…not just ours.

There are well over one hundred cats and dogs in foster care through our animal shelter alone. This type of arrangement extends the reach of the shelter  beyond what their walls can hold.  When you agree to foster a homeless pet, our shelter provides you with everything you  need to be successful including a crate, food, toys, wee-wee pads (for dogs) and blankets.

You then get to adore the cat or dog, teach it how to be an upstanding family member, then either decide to adopt it yourself (which is called foster failure…isn’t that funny) or lovingly release them to their new adoptive family.  Foster families allow the shelter to help significantly more homeless animals than it would be able to otherwise.

There are tons of foster families everywhere who are just that….temporary homes for cats and dogs where they love and teach them until their forever human parents come along.

Many shelters across the country have similar arrangements.  Maybe your family is ready to be a foster family?  What a great way to determine if your family is ready to take on the responsibility of another  member while helping a homeless animal.

If you have love to give and a bit of extra time, consider fostering a cat or a dog. Their socialization comes so much faster and easier in a home, than it ever could in a cage. You will be saving a life while  enriching your own.  This is the link to learn more about Fostering a pet on our Shelter’s website:  Foster.  Check your local Shelter and see if they have this option too, it may be found under the Volunteer opportunities.

Have a delicious weekend.

Tags: animal shelter fostering, foster a homeless pet, foster a pet, foster an animal, vegan wannabe