Have you considered becoming a foster? The Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter does an amazing job helping homeless animals, but they can’t do it alone. There are so many benefits to becoming a foster. Aside from creating space for the shelter to save another, you’re helping a dog get ready for his or her new family by easing the transition of a shelter schedule to a home environment and routine. Fosters also have an advantage to observe the unique personalities or habits that can't be discovered in a shelter and the more that is known about a dog, the chances of placing him or her in the right home increases greatly.
If you are ready to adopt, consider one of our three featured canines who are still in need of a home. Billy, a hound mix who is a golden bachelor of 9 ready to chill in his new home. Scrappy, a one and a half year old sharpei mix who seems shy, but with patience, will be your bestie for life. Bruno is also one and a half and is a Miracle K9 graduate!
There are several situations in which fostering is needed, such as for sick or injured dogs, puppies who are too young to be in a shelter environment, senior dogs struggling to adapt to a shelter environment, and of course when there's just no room left. Even if it's just a vacay for the dog, fostering allows shelters to continue to help the homeless dogs in our city.
But what's in it for you? Well, dogs for one, not to mention the health benefits of having a pet, such as lowering blood pressure and helping with mental health. If you're in a situation where having a dog isn't in the budget, this is a great option as the shelter will supply you with what you need to care for your foster, including medical expenses. Or, if you're ready to adopt, but can't decide on who - the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter has a Foster to Adopt program. If you recently lost a pet and are feeling that void, but aren't ready to adopt yet, fostering is a great way to fill that void, to do some good and in some cases, you help to heal each other. I hear more often than not, how dog's actually rescued their people, not the other way around.
In 2010, I had a lot of blows from life, but the worst one was the death of Marble, my ultimate golden retriever co-pilot. After a couple of months, I couldn't take the emptiness as it was a constant reminder of who was no longer in my life. Giving back, helping get dogs ready for their new families helped me as much as it helped them. Did they break my heart again after they were adopted? The short answer is no. Some you miss, some aren't the right fit for the household. The toughest one was Roxy, a golden who had been used for breeding and never once set foot inside a house, then was surrendered at the age of 8 - she then became one of my fosters, and we got her home ready. When the perfect family wanted to adopt her, my heart admittedly sank. In situations like that, it eases the transition knowing there are so many more dogs to help. That said, failing at fostering and adopting a foster is the one fail where everyone wins.