Change their Future, become a Foster Parent.

We are so happy to report that a recent dog we fostered, Dubie, is now happy in a home of his very own. When fostering the Dubes, we took him along to a couple of public events, bopped around town with him, he even went up Snow King! This little guy had stamina and was just so happy to be out and about, EVERYTHING was exciting to him.

While showing Dubie off around town in his sporty petite Adopt Me vest, people often stopped us to learn more about the little fella. Mid-way through our spiel, inquiring humans would chime in with, “I could never foster, I would feel so bad bringing him back.” Typically, we answer this question the same way, “we get to be the first part of a positive change for them,” or “fostering does such a service to these little guys,” but neither of these classic responses encompasses why we foster. Recently we saw a quote on Facebook that hit the nail right on the proverbial adoptable head.

Foster homes aid the adoption process by providing a plan of introduction into their new future homes, a “What to expect, when you’re adopting this dog,” if you will. Last winter we fostered a young gal from the J/TC Shelter who had been returned 3 times while out on adoption trials! We volunteered to take her home to see this Jekel and Hyde in action. One minute she was laying on the kitchen floor and then the next she was standing proudly on top of the fridge. Knowing ahead of time that she needed to be kept on leash in the house to teach appropriate house manners was an incredibly useful tool for her future home. Most people are not looking for a fridge surfing dog. We’re happy to report she has never summited a refrigerator in her new home.

Within Jackson, there are two organizations that have Foster Programs: the Jackson/Teton County Animal Shelter and the Animal Adoption Center. Each of these organizations will send you home with everything you need to make your doggie sleepover successful. To inquire about joining their foster programs, give them a call at 307-733-2139 (J/TC Shelter) or 307-739-1881 (AAC). Both offer foster to adopt opportunities as well if you are in the market for a new fur-clad family member.

5 Self Indulgent Reasons to Foster:

1) Teach your kids what it takes to own and respect a pet.

2) It’s like speed dating for dogs- not ready for a full-time commitment? Fostering gives you the doggie-fix without the 24/7, 365-day commitment.

3) A fun night for your own pet. Can only own one pup, but have a social pupper-fly on your hands? Make their night and entertain a local adoptable for a sleepover.

4) It’s the perfect volunteer opportunity for the non-people person. If crowds, customer service, and manual labor are not for you, fostering dogs is a great way to give back to your community.

5) The heart explosion YOU feel when you see past foster dogs enjoying life with their new families. There is no better feeling, we promise you that!