Articles About Fostering

I’m a Licensed Foster Pet Parent. Here’s What I’ve Learned From This Life-Changing Experience - cheatsheet.com

 I hear it all the time: “Oh, you foster? I’d love to do that, but I don’t think I could.” The reasons vary. People note the time commitment, difficult animals, or that they wouldn’t be able to send the animal back to the humane society to find its forever home. And they’re right. I’ve struggled with all three of those points, but it’s absolutely worth it. Here are the invaluable things I’ve learned from my years of being a foster pet parent.
 

Everyday Heroes: Foster Families - StubbyDog pays tribute to foster families. By Jessica Dolce

They don’t have room, but somehow they find the space. When a dog is stressed from kennel life, or in need a quiet place to heal or a family to teach them the ropes, or a rescue can’t take him unless a foster home is available – these families say, “We can take him home....”

Puppy Mill Survivors: Caring for Unsocialized Mill Dogs - Michelle Crean and Eilene Ribbens, with special thanks to rescue and shelter workers who have contributed their experiences and knowledge.

Except in some sad, rare circumstance where they originally came from companion homes, most puppy mill breeder dogs have never been treated as pets. They are considered livestock -- the puppies, a cash crop -- and rescued mill dogs are suffering, in a very real sense, from some degree of post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Melinda Merck, in a November 2005 article for Critter Chatter, states: "Just like in humans, symptoms of PTSD in animals can be triggered by visual cues, smells, sounds, or objects associated with the trauma. Symptoms of PTSD that animals can exhibit include: submissive urination or defecation; unusual or fearful reactions to certain people, garments, hats, or other reminders of the trauma; shaking; flinching when someone tries to pet their head; snapping at your hand; and some animals can even seizure with extreme fear...."