Fostering Saves Lives: but it’s not always easy!

Fostering Saves Lives: but it’s not always easy!

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Stories from our fosters help us see what we do truly change the lives we save. Our fosters are key in changing the lives of pets and people for the better. They are the backbone of what we do and our 70 year model of saving the lives of pets at risk.

The story of one such foster is below.

Sriharsha started fostering for Pet Haven in February of 2019. Unfortunately, he had to move out of the country in April of 2020 when COVID hit. He is deeply missed and was a wonderful dedicated foster! Below is his experience with the 2 dogs he fostered for us. Sadie and Patch.
“My first foster was a little old chonker named Sadie. Should’ve been around 25-30 lbs, came to me at 45 pounds.
Owing to her age and weight, she struggled to get up and even needed a little help standing up. I had her for around 6 months, where we worked on her diet and regular walks twice a day. She was a sweet little angel. Zero effort first foster.
She was adopted fairly quickly. When I followed up with the adopters, they sent some pictures of her laying by a lake on one of their hikes. She looked so healthy and happy!
My second foster was Patch, an absolutely massive pain in my butt.
Dog reactive, constant barking, leash pulling, jumping. He even bit me once (no permanent damage, fortunately!). The polar opposite of Sadie. A lot of work, constant stress all the time.
And I loved him for it.
He made me a more patient person, and I learned a lot about dog training because of him. When COVID forced me to leave the US, I remember calling Jenny my Foster Mentor on the verge of tears, not knowing what would happen to Patch, and if I’d have enough time to find him a good home.
I’d had him for almost a year at that point, and I couldn’t bear the thought of him getting rehomed again.
I didn’t compromise though, and his adopters couldn’t have been a more perfect fit for him!
They constantly go on hikes with him, they understand his issues and want to work on them. While most people would shy away from dogs with a bite history, Noah, his adopter said “hey dogs bite, it happens. That’s not going to be the reason we don’t adopt him. They’ve given him a much better home than he ever had with me.
And that’s been an important lesson for me. Not all dogs will fit my lifestyle, but I can still help them find homes better suited for them. It’s definitely not always fun fostering, but at the end of the day, they’ve done more for me than I ever did for them.
Regardless of where I end up, I will likely keep fostering for the rest of my life. I hope to get to the point where I can take on “unadoptable” dogs and get them to caring homes.”
Thank you Sriharsha for opening up your heart and home to foster for us and most of all, not giving up! We miss you!!
If you are interested in changing the lives of dogs or cats in need of help please consider signing up to foster for us!
Unable to foster but would like to support one of our pets in the program? Consider sponsoring a foster cat or dog with the link below: