Considering Fostering: What to Consider

    So you're an animal lover, and feel you could do more to help homeless pets, and want to do more. Then fostering pets could be for you but I must warn you my friend, the sense of pride you'll get in  knowing you're saving a life and fulfilling a deep-seated philanthropic calling, can become addictive!

    Before you know it you may eagerly be taking on a litter of puppies or kittens, or a hard-to-place pet, or once your 1st foster is gone you'll feel the nagging urge to 'do it again,' despite the promise you made to yourself to take a break in between foster pets. Reason being, simple: doing something good feels good and good feelings are ones we want to experience over and over. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with this, it's far better than say, wanting to having another 1 or 2 or 3 glasses of wine or wanting to fall in love over and over and over again since it feels good too. So, off the bat, let's get that straight- fostering pets is a good thing, a rewarding and positive life activity... even if you do become addicted to it! -And with shelters across the country bursting at the seams, over-crowded with unwanted pets and most still euthanizing for space, there's clearly far more demand than supply when it comes to qualified foster parents.

    There are, however, some critical considerations to keep in mind when considering fostering:

Do you have room for a foster pet? 

This question is relative since everyone has a different perception of how much space is enough. I have a foster parent now that shares her Miami Beach 1 bedroom with her own small-breed dog, along with a nursing litter of 4 pups, the mommy dog and another foster puppy- and she's comfortable and happy with that arrangement. Get this... she even manages to transport her fosters to and from the shelter on a scooter since she doesn't have a car! It may sound crazy but, for this fearless foster mom, it works. Another full time foster mom that has fostered well over 450 dogs over the years has 3 different rooms strategically set up in her home to have multiple litters in her care at any given time. She's willing and able to 'foster in volume' and has her game so organized it'd make the finest of assembly lines envious! Myself on the other, I prefer to foster one dog at a time and always have. On the rare occasion you could catch me with 2. Since we have 4 dogs of our own (before I was 'married' I just had my 2) and live in a 1 bdrm that's what's feasible for us. I also personally prefer fostering adult, medium-sized dogs. They're typically house-broken and far lower maintenance than puppies. They pull at my heartstrings more since I know they 'had a life' before being abandoned. That's just such a sad thought and I want to give them a chance to start a new life through fostering.

Do you have the time for a foster pet? 

Time is not as relative a concept as is space. Foster pets will require time invested. That being said, I work and have pretty much always worked full time (40 hrs./week) when fostering and have never felt my foster pets were neglected due to my work schedule. Many of our foster families work full time. You will need to get your foster pet on a schedule, your schedule, as soon as you bring it home. It's a good idea to bring a foster home when you're getting ready to have a day or two off (weekends) so you can get the pet adjusted to your home schedule before heading right back to work. When speaking of time for your foster you also must consider the time it will take you to get the pet adopted (unless you're fostering a pet slated for transport or an organized adoption). After-all the pet can't get online and post its own depiction or go out for a walk and find its own new owner... it needs your help! You must plan on being able to attend adoption events (most orgs have regular adoption events you'll be invited to attend with your foster), post a nice depiction with pictures on sites like petfinder.com, rescueme.org. etc. Worth mentioning too- if you're very busy or very cramped for space felines can be a great option to foster, we all know cats are less demanding than dogs!

Are you emotionally prepared to foster (and let the foster go)? 

This is a hard one. I never want to discourage people from fostering but sometimes I have to simply say, "No, you cannot foster this pet becasue I know you really want to adopt this pet." I can spot the foster failures a mile away now... of course sometimes I'm wrong but, typically, once I explain how I know prospective fosters are really prospective adopters they admit I'm right and go ahead and adopt the pet on the spot. Foster failures are not necessarily a bad thing. As an Adoption Counselor I'm never going to be mad or upset when a foster decides to adopt. But, it's not ideal for the following reasons: when a pet is being fostered it's basically in 'limbo,' not fully 'outcome' from the system, lingering somewhere in the middle of being homed and homeless, it's a nightmare for record-keeping and creating accurate shelter statistics when pets are in long-term foster care (more than 3 months), it's not fair to the foster coordinators since 'on the fence' fosters can lead to a large backlog of work, it's really not fair to the pet to go into a fostering scenario with the idea of  "I might keep you." Again, it happens, and I'd rather someone take a pet under these circumstances than not take one at all but- if you're considering adopting the pet before you even get it into your car... make it easier on all of us and go ahead and adopt! -Enough with the mind games, you're the only playing.

Do you have the money to foster?

Unless you're taking on a pet with serious medical issues or taking on many at once, fostering really doesn't require much money. I for one make $14.00/hr. and have never felt strapped to pay the rent due to a foster pet. Now if you're taking home an entire litter or something with a skin condition for example, you'll be spending some money. If you're not willing or able to invest much in a foster take only one at a time and choose a pet without (serious) medical issues. Some shelters or rescues can even lend you a crate, provide food, etc., however it's more common for foster parents to provide food and toys on their own. Regarding 'chip ins' for foster pets, I'm personally not a fan. I wouldn't feel right asking for donations for something that I willingly took on. If you want to raise money for rescued pets then do the grit work- start a 501-C3 to make it all legit. That being said, I do not judge anyone that feels comfortable requesting donations to cover the care of foster pets, every situation is unique and, 'to each his own'. 

Are you putting your own pet's health at risk by fostering? 

If a yes or no answer must be given here then I'd have to say yes, technically you are. However, over the 7 years I've been fostering I've cared for dozens of dogs with upper respiratory, a.k.a., kennel cough, and mine have never caught it (most dogs leaving traditional shelters do have kennel cough). I've also had a foster puppy break with parvo (heartbreaking) and my dogs never caught it, as was the case with a distemper puppy. I would never knowingly take home a dog with distemper or parvo, nor should any dog owner, unless you have a serious isolation area and extensive knowledge on these diseases. General rules on health risks: the younger the pet the more likely it could be incubating a serious illness, the longer it has spent in the shelter the more likely it's sickly, if it's a pet that has been in the shelter system before and was returned to shelter (for whatever reason) it should have better immunity to common shelter diseases (unless it's still very young), if your own pet is from a shelter or adoption center it should have better immunity to disease common in shelters, and regular, annual vaccinations increase your pet's odds of staying healthy though they don't offer a guarantee. You could compare the risks to that of babysitting a child that goes to daycare every day with your baby at home... sure there's a chance your child will catch that 'daycare icky cold,' but he or she will survive.  I am not a veterinarian and these opinions are based on my own extensive experience fostering, that of other fosters and years spent working and volunteering in high-volume shelters.

    In a country that still euthanizes an estimated 3.4 million shelter pets per year, an average of 1 every 11 seconds (humanesociety.org), much room for improvement remains. Pet overpopulation and unwanted pets are community problems that require community solutions. 

By fostering you can become an immediate and intricate part of the solution. 

    Hopefully this information has been helpful to those of you considering fostering, and prompted others that weren't considering it to do just that! 

One of Jeanne Dykstra's foster pups being bottle fed. Check out Jeanne's facebook page, fostering dogs in Miami

Posted 22nd August by Jessica Pita

Labels: animal welfare ASPCA Cesar Millan fostering humane society Humane Society of the US metro animal services miami dade animal services SHARE rescue shelter petsSOS 4 Paws rescue

"Do Gooder"

From time to time I've been called (to my face) a 'do-gooder.'
 I've heard things like, "Oh, you're one of those," or "So you're a tree-hugger, crazy animal person, etc.'
Dozens of people have said these things to me over the years.
Maybe you've heard similar comments a time or two yourself.
When I hear these words from someone's mouth I'm always a bit taken aback, surprised and caught off guard.
Why am I so shocked to hear these comments? What's the big deal?
Perhaps I find it offensive when someone treats issues I view as important, even fundamental to life as we know it, as if they're silly or meaningless. I guess this shocks me and catches me completely off guard every  time it happens.
Maybe I'm so taken aback when these terms are used because they reveal a complete void, a complete lack of empathy on the other person's side.
And I don't mean empathy for me, I mean empathy relating to the issues, whether it's drilling for oil in some of our country's last sacred places, or the fact that we euthanize millions ofpets every year (as a country), or knowing that most major cosmetic and cleaning companies still test on animals, or the fact that most of our waterways are severely contaminated with mercury (what would Marvin Gaye say nowadays?!).
When discussing these types of issues there are many people who are in fact not capable of empathizing with those suffering (the land, the dog, the cat, the air, the neighboring communities, the rabbit, the water, our very planet, etc.).
There, I figured it out. Now I understand why it shocks me, catches me so off guard, when people use nonchalant, dismissive terms to 'sum me up' when I speak of issues of importance to me.
-It's the painful lack of empathy.
If you're a 'do-gooder' like me, whether your cause be: raising awareness about poverty, children's cancer, women's rights, abortion, the pivotal increase in rhino and elephant poaching over the past year, the manatee, the Tibetan regime, etc., I'm sure you've experienced similar frustration when discussing 'your cause,' 'your passion' with certain individuals.
It's almost as if we ('do-gooders') are predisposition-ed in our DNA to be empathetic whereas others are not.
And you know, oftentimes I envy those who are not cursed with this blessing of extreme empathy and sensitivity.
They have an invisible boundary line where sensitive material stops, a natural censor on disturbing sights, sounds or facts that surround us. They often live in a pleasant, dumb state of denial... must be nice. Many of these people are very successful, bothersome emotions don't get in the way of them climbing the ladder. Many of them are happy. And, they're not necessarily bad people. In complete sincerity I say I envy this disconnect many humans enjoy.
It begs the question- why bother caring?
Why should I care when my neighbors, 3 doors down, surrender their two, cute puppies at the shelter where I work?
They're not losing sleep over these innocent, now-confused, 3 month old girls sitting in a cold, lonely, small cage that are used to being able to pee and poop outside, so why should I?
Or the couple that turned in their adult American Bulldog yesterday because it was too big for their condo association and proceeded to adopt a 5 week old lab mix right after turning in their family pet of 2 years.
 I talked to this couple. I told them what they were doing was unfair.
 "A pet is for life, no one can 'make you' get rid of your dog. You always have a choice... to move... to be homeless for a while if necessary. The fact you're adopting another puppy, that will grow, the same day you turn in your own dog is very worrisome and is not o.k.," I said.
They stared at me, went to the front and proceeded to adopt the 5 week old puppy. Why should I feel sorry for their adult bulldog dumped at the shelter. They certainly weren't shedding tears over him.
I spoke with my neighbors this morning on the walk with my dogs.
 "I saw your puppies at the shelter where I work. That really should have been your absolute last option. The pups could easily get sick in the shelter and be put to sleep. Are you going to get the mother dog spayed now so she doesn't have more puppies you're unable to care for?"
They also stared at me and said, "Um I don't know, maybe."
These are a couple of examples of situations I deal with daily.
Does it take a toll?
Of course.
What do I do about it?
I'm figuring that out.
I know how to be centered, enlightened, content, peaceful, happy. I've achieved it time and time again but it takes work. I have my moments of sheer enlightenment, they typically come through meditation, reading the works of enlightened authors, prayer, being still.
A few days ago I said to my boyfriend, "I live on a spiritual plane now. None of this here matters. It's the spiritual, energetic field that matters. I am aligned with that." And I meant it. I looked and felt better.
I suppose I should write only when I'm in that state and all my blogs will be positive, profound, enlightening. But, that's not how life is lived for most of us. It's a series of ups and downs, sadness and joy, confusion and confidence. We experience periods of knowing, connection, insight just as we experience periods of fear, disconnect and depression. My goal is to learn to live in a peaceful, mostly happy state most of the time. We are here to learn.
As Deepak says (not verbatim), "If we were all already enlightened we wouldn't be here."
Related Affirmation:

I feel God/Universal Light and Energy. There is a limitless source of divine intelligence and love surrounding me at all times, waiting for me to tap into it. It's there for all of us. This powerful energy and force is infinite, eternal therefore there's no need to be stingy with it... everyone can tap it, drink from this fountain of eternal knowledge. It lives in me and you. I now allow divine light and intelligence to work with and through me. Love radiates from me. I only see the good in life and have loving thoughts and words to share.

Psalm 46: Be still, and know that I am God.

Unable to get your important message through?

Some will relate to this. Some will not.
As Adoption Coordinator at Miami's municipal animal shelter it often seems important messages I try to relay are falling on deaf ears. They are.
Daily I encounter people turning in their pets because, "they're moving, they've had a new baby, they've lost their job, the pet was never really theirs and they were just watching it- for a few months or years, and so on and so on."
Time and time again I respond saying things such as, "Your pet should be a part of your family. A pet is not disposable, it's a living, breathing,sentient being. This should be your absolute last option. Have you weighed your other options? I moved here from Kentucky and brought my 2 dogs, cat and bird along with me- moving is not a reason to surrender a pet, and so on and so forth."
Time and time again I hear great ideas from shelter volunteers. They say things like, "Why doesn't the shelter do follow up calls for adopters? Why doesn't the shelter have a race where everyone can run with a shelter pet? Why doesn't the shelter put bandannas on all the dogs? and so on and so forth."
I challenge these volunteers to DO IT! Make it happen. I say things like, "I love your idea. That would be amazing, now why don't you get it going? Make it your special project and when you're making some progress with the overall plan let's touch base and move forward."
I explain to volunteers that as one person I can only do so much (foster program, helping adopters daily, pet of the week, pet depictions online, training adoption counselor volunteers, etc., etc) and that I/the shelter need them to breathe life into their ideas and projects, making them happen.
Of the people with whom I've had this conversation none of them have followed through. We have EXCELLENT volunteers and this is not to knock them but to make the point: in life you will inevitably feel an important message or purpose you're devoting your time, breathe and energy too is, at times, falling on deaf ears and being seen by blind eyes. That is, if you are devoting some portion of your life to some purpose greater than yourself.
I encounter this frustration daily on a very intimate, personal level, on various levels. Animal Welfare is my life's passion. Daily I meet people who refuse to spay and neuter their pets when I know it's the right thing to do. I see innocent dogs and cats losing the fragile battle of life daily due to pet overpopulation. I see mammary tumors develop on unaltered females, countless unaltered males end up at the shelter because they were out, following instinct, 'roaming,' looking to mate. Yet I hear at least 1-3 people a day refusing to sterilize their pets. This can become draining, overwhelming, exhausting and depressing. But...
I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I know this through my own life experience (that's really how we learn everything we know when you break it all down, through our own personal experiences).
Let me backtrack and give examples of when I was on the receiving end of people trying to get an important message through to me and I wouldn't listen.
As a very young person (14-22 yrs. old) I abused alcohol and drugs. I had zero self esteem or self worth. I was careless with my own life and that of others. I would constantly drink and drive, would take shameful risks when under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and basically didn't give a damn whether I lived or died. I paid the price for my careless way in more ways than you can likely imagine. (Note: during these 'crazy years' I still had respect and awe for nature and animals- my passion for environmental and animal welfare has never escaped me but clearly I couldn't effectively advocate as an addict). During these 'crazy' years many people tried to get through to me. When I was 18 years old a police woman at an Indiana jail told me, "You're too pretty, too young to be here. What are you doing to yourself?"
My father sobbed, begging me to change my ways at the age of 17. My mother could barely look at me for a while to preserve her own sanity and feelings. My grandmother... I can't even go there. She's well... my grandmother.
Anyhow, I heard the same messages time after time, yet time after time I would commit the same crimes, make the same potentially fatal mistakes. The'important messages' I was being given by many were not getting through. I spent nearly 10 years on and off the 'wrong path.' I'm lucky to be alive. I'm lucky to have graduated from college, to be a sane, functioning, tax-paying, honorable citizen.
Eventually everything everyone had said to me, emotions and energy they had shared with me, time and time again, began to sink in on some level. I went into recovery (did some inpatient, some outpatient) at the age of 20. I turned 21 sober. It was weird.
Now a couple of things in particular stick out in my memory...concepts, messages, ideas I could not comprehend at one time, that I now accept as fact.
One example, my sponsor in AA, Mary Jane (yes, that's her real name), would tell me "God is Everything or God is Nothing." We would argue about this ideology years ago. I just didn't get it. How could God be Everything? That would make God part of bad things too. Impossible. Now I believe and accept this as reality and fact.
And, think of all of the great, early on explorers,  inventors, doctors such as, Magellan, the Wright Brothers, Albert Schatz, etc. How do you think they must have felt trying to get their important life-changing, world-changing messages, ideologies and theories through to the masses?
They must have felt very overwhelmed, depressed, frustrated, and even hopeless at times.
But they didn't give up.
People didn't give up on me when I was clueless, hopeless. And I won't give up on people when they're clueless, hopeless.
Those who truly believe in what they're 'fighting for,' the important messages they're trying to get through to the world will not and cannot give up.
So the next time you're getting frustrated, trying to get your important message through to someone who's just not getting it... take a deep breathe, know that your efforts are not in vain, that it may be months, or even years before your message sinks it, but, eventually it will, as long as the message you're trying to relay is a good one.
...What's a "good message?" One that's not self-serving, one that benefits at least one living being (human, plant or animal) on this planet and does not harm anyone or thing in the process of benefiting the other(s).
That's a good message. Blessed be yours. -If you don't have one, get one.

Posted 3rd September 2012 by Jessica Pita