Why do you foster dogs?

I just love dogs! Once I learned about fostering, I knew there was no way I could not try it. Once you do it a few times and you see how much you can literally save and change a life, it's hard to not keep doing it over and over. There are so many dogs in need and it requires so little of us, especially now that we have dogs of our own, that it seems like a no-brainer.

Why is fostering important?

On the micro level, it's saving that dog's life. It also saves the life of a dog who takes that open space in the shelter. It gives that dog a much happier place to wait for an adopter, and helps the adopter find the perfect dog because you can give much better information about how that dog is living in a home than if the dog were at the shelter.

On the macro level, the rate of euthanasia of dogs and cats in this country has gone way down. There are a lot of factors to that including increased spay and neuter, increased popularity of adoption, and the increase in private rescue groups. Those rescue groups rely on foster homes, so this movement has really changed the landscape of animal sheltering in general.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming a foster?

I would ask if they've ever babysat a friend's dog, or volunteered at a shelter, or walked dogs, etc. If you know what to expect from living with dogs in general, fostering should be easy. If not, I'd suggest asking a friend with a dog if you can babysit next time they need it.

There are some rescues that need short term fosters, and I'd suggest starting with that. There are TONS of resources, and I cannot suggest enough reading articles and blogs online, all of which you can find for free. There are also lots of people who want to help. Never feel embarrassed for reaching out to the foster coordinator at the rescue with a question! That's what they're there for. Just take everything slow, and remember you're doing something amazing.

How many dogs have you fostered?

Have you fallen in love with any you couldn't give up?

I believe that as of now we have fostered 81 dogs, including just overnight fosters. One of my favorites was a sassy 10-year-old toothless chihuahua named Parsnip who weighed 4 pounds and became best friends with my pit bull Penny. Another favorite was a puppy who looked just like Penny who we named Penny Jr. (or PJ). She was adopted by a friend of mine from high school and now lives in LA, but we get to see her all grown up on Instagram. There were also a few really shy Satos (Puerto Rican street dogs) who we helped come out of their shells and learn how to live as pets. Watching that transformation is always absolutely incredible and so rewarding.

My "one who got away" was a giant black three-legged flat coated retriever named Cannon. He now lives on the Upper East Side and goes summering upstate. There are a lot it's hard to give up, but you know when it's right. We have officially "foster failed" 3 times: once on Pigpen (#6), once on LooseSeal (#66, who was Penny's choice of sibling), and once on Gert (#74), our hospice adoption, who was the best dog ever.

What is it like when your foster gets adopted?

It's the best feeling. Especially if you get to meet the adopters and talk to them, and you get a sense of how much they will love that dog. It feels like giving a dog back to its owners after a long time babysitting; you miss the dog, but you know it wasn't really your dog to begin with. There's also a bit of a sense of relief, because that extra responsibility is gone.

How has fostering affected your home, your life, and your relationship?

I think it's made us more patient for sure. Our home is built around the dogs; we moved to Queens to have a yard for our dogs and fosters. We have crates set up in every room while we're fostering. Our entire storage unit and half our apartment is dog stuff. But we wouldn't trade it for anything because they just make us so happy. We feel like we found a way to volunteer and give back and make the world a better place, just by hanging out with dogs in our living room.

And I'm marrying that boyfriend who told me he wanted a dog in 2013. 😁

What is Baloo's story?

We don't know much honestly. He was labeled a stray at the shelter (Animal Care Centers of NYC) and they estimated he is 7-9 years old. He was loved by everyone on staff and he did really well in playgroups with other dogs. They told us he was "everyone's boyfriend" and he even won Staff Pick of the Week. Foster Dogs Inc. pulled him from the shelter in the middle of February 2019. He spent a night with us, but he had a cold, so he went to a foster without other dogs for 2 weeks. Then he went to a training camp to work on leash walking and basic manners. He had a temporary foster for a few days, and then he came back to our home.

Why did you step up to foster Baloo?

There wasn't really an option. He needed to move from his temporary foster home (he was barking when alone) in a day, and even though we were putting out a plea for fosters everywhere we could think of, we didn't get any hits. Eric and I were supposed to take in another foster over the coming weekend, but obviously Baloo was extremely urgent; so to keep him out of boarding, we volunteered. Because of that, the other rescue had to scramble to find a place for their dog. It wasn't ideal, but we felt a responsibility to step up for him.

That's something people don't talk about with fostering often: there can be a sense of responsibility that if you don't take the dog, who will? We've taken on bad fits because of this. But Baloo is a really good boy and we are glad we can be here for him. We hope that it shows people that it's ok to take things slowly and do slow dog introductions. Some dogs (like Penny) may not be good "right away" dogs, but that doesn't mean you can't be a foster, especially temporarily! 

What has Baloo been working on with you?

How does he get along with your dogs?

He's honestly already such a good dog. We're working on some basic obedience like "stay" (he wants to follow us everywhere) and keeping up his crate training (he now goes in there on his own to nap). The biggest obstacle for Baloo is that he has some separation anxiety. He gets really nervous about being alone so he cries and barks. But he has been getting more confident and comfortable everyday, and we're so proud of him! Otherwise he's really been a perfect houseguest.

We haven't done full introductions with Penny and LooseSeal yet because we like to take things slow. So far he has been very polite to them through the crate, even though they are crazy. We are hopeful we can do some on-leash and then off-leash intros in the coming week or two!  

How can others help support Baloo?

Share him! Share posts about him on social media and share his Foster Dogs page (bit.ly/adoptbaloo) or his Petfinder profile. The more people see him, the greater chance his family will find him. His rescue, Foster Dogs, is also taking donations for his food, training, and supplies. You can even become a Foster Champion to help Baloo and many other foster dogs all year round. 

His ideal home would have someone around most of the time, or have the ability to work with him on his separation anxiety/not mind if he barks when alone for a little while as he gets used to it and realizes his person will always come home. Separation anxiety is tough, but it's absolutely something that can be worked on and improves with time and stability. He just loves his people so much and he is sad without them, but he'll learn that they'll always return to him.