In January 2005, I was not sure about this new adventure of foster mom. I thought it would be a way for me to share my quiet home and give some peace to a confused and weary dog. My first adventure was a beautiful dog named Lucky. He had been put aside and forgotten by people and was not sure about humans when he came to me. He had a long rap sheet of misadventures but he told me he was innocent. He was afraid of mops, brooms, sudden movements, and cell phones. He loved to chew on TV controllers and pagers. Supposedly he helped eat a goat before he was saved by AZGRC. Many days of kisses and hugs, brushings and playing passed and he learned that humans could be trusted again. The first day he met a new family, he decided it was his forever home and so did they. He blossomed into the greatest dog. He loved his swimming pool and long walks.
Many dogs have been fostered since then, some stay with us and some find other great forever homes. Senior dogs are our favorites! Each dog brings great opportunities. My oldest foster dog, Bobbie, loves to share his home with everyone. Here he is lounging on a bed donated by one of our foster dogs. She came with two beds and a sack of toys and bones. When she found her forever home, she found all new things.
An AZGRC foster is someone who opens their heart and home and agrees to give temporary shelter to a rescued Golden Retriever. Most families foster each AZGRC Golden for an average of 1-2 months, but we never know how long it may take for our Goldens to find their forever homes. You can let us know what kind of Golden Retriever you'd like to foster, (age, size, sex, activity level, etc.,) and how long you'd like to foster. We will do everything we can to accommodate you and your family.
WHAT IS EXPECTED?
SAFE SPOT: We ask that you give your foster Golden a safe place to rest his head while he's up for adoption. You will be responsible for a name (if he doesn't already have one,) food, water, and shelter.
LOVE LOVE LOVE: When your foster Golden first meets you, he will be very disoriented and feeling out of sorts. He is his most fragile in the first few days of foster care. Love him up and let him know that everything will be OK.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: After your Golden gets a little more comfortable, spend some time getting to know him. Learn the Golden's personality and help us determine what family best suits him.
DR. KNOWS BEST: Follow any health guidelines set up by the veterinarian in his initial health check. He may need to gain weight, or go on a diet. He may have medicines or other special needs. [NOTE: all vet bills are borne by AZGRC, and any emergency visits are reimbursed by AZGRC.]
GOOD DOG: Help us make sure your foster Golden is "family friendly." Most of our Goldens have good manners, but some may need a bit of basic obedience and indoor etiquette.
THE BIG DAY: Be open to arrangements to meet any interested applicants, whether they come visit your foster Golden in your home - or an AZGRC volunteer arranges a greeting.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Please fill out our online application, the easiest and quickest way to become a foster. We will try to contact you within 5 days of receipt to start the review process, and answer all of your questions. For more info, email info@azgrc.org.
You will never regret fostering.
2 comments:
Being a foster is incredibly rewarding. We have our umpteenth foster at the moment. Three of them have stayed permanently. The others we have seen go on to wonderful forever homes. It's a joy to let them go when you know they are going to the perfect home for them. Try fostering, you'll like it.
Great article about fostering! It is very rewarding and our fosters are the most valuable asset of our organization. Thank you!
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