8 Reasons Why Fostering A Dog Will Enrich Your Life

Fostering a dog is hands down one of the most selfless acts you can commit, which will ultimately enrich the lives of the dog(s) you take in.

By fostering a dog, you are not only giving them a safe place to sleep at night; you are giving them a chance at a new life. In your care, they will adopt the habits and knowledge they have been lacking, having regular meals, health maintenance checkups, and most importantly, be given the love they have been missing.

Let's face it, dogs who need fostering come from shelters and rescue organizations. They come from unfortunate situations that landed them in the care of a temporary guardian. They may have been mistreated and abused, surrendered, lost, abandoned, or just never had a home or a family to call their own.

As a foster parent, it will be your duty to love and treat them as if they were yours. To teach and take care of them, love and guide them, and prepare them for their future forever home. It is a selfless love that will impact the direction their future takes; you would be saving a life.

In case the above statement isn't convincing enough, here are 8 reasons why you should foster a dog:

By fostering a dog, you are taking them out of a shelter. This, in turn, will free up space to welcome another dog in need, which ultimately brings down the rate of euthanization.

Another plus being, when you take in a shelter dog, you are giving them a chance to show their true potential. In a shelter, it's known that dogs can get quite depressed, unmaintained, and lose their passion to play and enjoy their time. When you bring them into a happy/positive environment, they have the chance to flourish, ultimately giving them a much better chance for adoption.

As mentioned above, foster dogs come from unfortunate circumstances, and many of them have never been shown the love that a dog needs. Dogs live to love; when they aren't shown the same, they can become quite timid, insecure, and even depressed. By fostering a dog, you have the opportunity to show them the love they seek and need.

Let's face it, many of us would love to have a dog at home but just don't have the time, or maybe even the money for it. Life gets busy, finances add up, so we just push the thought of having a companion to 'later in our lives.' But why? When you foster a dog, you don't have that life-long commitment. You will foster that dog until he/she gets adopted, which is not often too long of a time span. And the perk? You still gain the companionship.

Shelters and rescue organizations will cover medical expenses. All the vet checkups, vaccinations, and neuter/spaying that the dog will need before the adoption is covered. And most organizations will also cover the cost of food and any other necessities they may need; beds, toys, treats, leash, harness, poop bags, etc...

Perhaps you haven't previously owned a dog, and you're not sure how well one would integrate into your daily routine or your family life. By fostering a dog, you have that short-term commitment that allows you to see if your life can adapt to a new family member.

When you make the decision to foster, you determine what sized dog you can take in and at what stage of life they are at. Perhaps you love puppies and want to watch them grow and partake in their training, or maybe you prefer an older dog who is already house trained; the choice is yours. Some dogs are larger than others, and perhaps your space isn't suitable, all of these factors are considered before welcoming a dog into your home.

Shelter dogs, unfortunately, don't always get to shine when families come by looking for a dog to adopt. They spend many hours confined to a cage and don't get the love, attention, and exercise that ultimately makes them happy. They get used to seeing families come in to adopt, hoping it will be their turn.

When a dog is in foster care, they receive the love and attention that boosts their mood. They will also get the proper diet to keep them healthy, the play time and walks that will keep them active, and the grooming that will allow them to look and feel presentable. Overall, their self-esteem and attitude will blossom, making them more desirable for adoption.

The hardest part of fostering is, of course, getting attached. You bring a dog into your home and love him/her as if they were your own. How can you not get attached?! But at the end of the day, you need to realize that you did it all for the greater good. You have helped to enrich a dog's life for the better until they found a loving, trustworthy family whom you know will love them just the same, if not more over the years.

When the organizations determine if a family is eligible to adopt, they don't just pick anyone willing, they do their homework to ensure it's a good fit. They take pride in placing dogs with good parents, and you certainly have a say in that. After all, you have come to learn the dogs likes and dislikes, their energy level, habits, and temperament. You are their voice.

If you find your connection to the dog undeniable, and the thought of never seeing them again is devastating, you could always ask the family for pictures and updates. In many cases, they will love their dog so much that they are happy and proud to share.