Fostering Saves More than One Life
I’ve found renewed purpose in life by volunteering my time with my local animal rescue, and it is something that I’ve really invested myself into in a way that I don’t think I’ve done in anything in years and years. As I wrote in my open letter last month, volunteering helped me tremendously to work my way out of a very difficult period in my life to something more manageable, a place where I could feel and find joy again. I could not have anticipated the profound impact it has had in brightening my life and giving me something to be passionate about again.
Whether working with a local animal rescue appeals to you or not, I definitely wanted to write about my experiences volunteering and encourage readers to consider ways to volunteer within their communities for nonprofits and organizations that to do resonate them. There are often numerous ways to volunteer for an organization that make opportunities accessible for many–in rescue, it could be helping coordinate events, transporting animals, making decor for an event at home, or helping with laundry, in addition to more typical ways to volunteer.
The ADORABLE models for the ColourPop x Best Friends photoshoot are my fosters from the Liqueurs’ litter! They are going to be adoptable beginning September 16th at Almost There Rescue in Phoenix, AZ. If you’re interested in meeting one of the 11 Liqueur pups, you can make an appointment to see them in advance.
I have been fostering and volunteering on-site primarily for Almost There Rescue (ATR), which is a non-profit mom and pups rescue in Phoenix, Arizona, since July 2022. They focus on taking in orphaned puppies, pregnant and nursing moms with puppies, and are truly dedicated to their mamas and ensuring they find their forever homes. I had someone mention them to me once, and they popped up again when I looked through the Best Friends Animal Society network partners. This is a great starting point for readers who might be interested in finding a local organization to volunteer for as they have programs across the US but an extensive number of network partners.
I know of Best Friends as a result of the long-time collaboration between ColourPop and Best Friends Animal Society, where they’ve released a product annually that donates all net profits to Best Friends, which is what the Liqueur pups have posed with (hello, beauty tie-in! this post is now beauty-related!). The Best Friends organization works with communities to provide support and/or resources with a goal of making every shelter and community no-kill by 2025. One critical component of achieving this goal is by increasing the number of fosters available in communities, especially now when so many shelters and county facilities are overflowing with pets.
When you foster, you free up a kennel space for a dog or cat, and then you can be part of that animal’s journey to adoption, which might include teaching them to trust a human or simply giving them a softer place to decompress for a bit. Many rescues provide all of the resources you need to foster (from crates to food to medical care), while you provide them a temporary home and lots of love!
My first fostering experience was a two-week stint with Bamba and Ozzie (same litter but wildly different outcomes!), and it was… a lot. It didn’t help that I ended up breaking my hand early on in that two-week period, so poor hubby had to step up and help a lot more than he anticipated. The silver lining was that while my hand was healing, I ended up doing orientation to volunteer on-site, which is kind of a big thing for me because I am a homebody by choice. I’m so thankful that the folks at ATR have been so welcoming, helpful, and passionate about what they were doing, because they created an environment that always made me comfortable about being there, asking questions, and coming back.
I enjoyed it so much that I volunteered almost every morning! Visiting with puppies early in the morning just smoothed out every harsh edge I had. They’re so young and exuberant, and they’re endlessly optimistic and happy-go-lucky. There were moments where I would sit on the floor with a lap full of puppies and just feel all the stress leave my body. They made it easy to keep my attention and focus on them, which ensured I was actively in the moment rather than worrying about something ahead or what things I needed to do that day.
In late October 2022, I managed to persuade my husband to try fostering again, and this time we took on Maleficent and Prince Philip for three weeks. It went a lot better–they were younger than our first two fosters–but we were definitely exhausted by the end of the three weeks and ready to return them 😂 I continued to volunteer on-site but when ATR put out an emergency call for bottle baby fosters right before New Year’s Eve, I signed up and took on my first bottle baby fosters, which were one-day old cleft palate puppies. Unfortunately, Lorax and Max did not make it despite all the love and care they could ask for; there were five cleft palate puppies in that litter and only one survived (and was adopted by her foster).
This is really what turned the corner on fostering for me, because I realized that working with newborn puppies called to me in a way that the “older” puppies did not. Even though my first bottle babies did not make it, I knew it was something I wanted to do again. It led to me fostering a pregnant mama, Brisket, and her eventual nine puppies, aka the Steaklets. I witnessed the birth of every single pup! I assisted! I ensured each one took their first breath, was cleaned up, and was warm. I got so lucky with Mama Brisket, because she was pulled from the county shelter and we didn’t really know anything about her behavior–she was incredibly friendly, sweet, and even potty-trained.
It was also during the fostering of the Steaklets that we ended up using a spare room as the “mutternity suite.” This made fostering so, so much easier for hubby and I, since we work from home. It allowed us to walk around the main areas without disturbing the puppies and also minimized any noise when one of us was trying to work. I spent hours watching the Steaklets, and I loved getting to be there for their milestones: eyes opening, hearing for the first time, wobbly first steps, and all the delightful newborn puppy sounds and smells. I learned so much about dog pregnancy, newborns, and puppy raising!
The Steaklets (and Mama Brisket) stayed with me until the pups were six weeks old, and then they all went to their next fosters as ATR adopts out their puppies at 10-weeks (and after they’ve been spayed/neutered). Shortly after the Steaklets, I fostered four of the Yoga Poses pups, which were five-day old bottle babies. They’re still some of the most special pups I’ve fostered–the hardest to let go for sure–and I had to let them go at eight-weeks old for fear we might fail!
In fact, I was so worried we’d fail, I ended up getting three new foster pups the day after the Yogis went to their new fosters to fill the void! They were the Fabulous Ones, named after Queer icons, who were with us for a few weeks before being adoptable. I wish I could say that I gave my poor hubby the break he very much wanted, but next thing you know, I brought home eight, six- or seven- week old cattle dog puppies, which some might know as the Bluey pups. They were absolutely chaotic!! Thankfully, I only committed to a week to help another rescue have more time to figure out long-term fosters for them. I don’t think I would have made it another week!
That leads me to my current fosters, which are the Liqueur pups (photographed in the slideshow at the beginning of the post)! (How cute are they with their Best Friends and ColourPop gear? They’re gonna be famous models now!) Despite my husband saying “never again” to a mama and her pups, we brought home Bailey and her 11 (!!) pups when they were five days old. I kept all 11 pups for six weeks, and then I’ve gradually downsized my group to five as of this past week, and hopefully, they’ll be sweet babies so I can enjoy them until their adoption date, September 16th. It is so rewarding to watch them blossom, gain confidence, and know that they’re going to find their forever homes in just a couple of weeks.
It is always sad to see them go, but it is a happier moment to know that they’ve been given a good head start to their lives and ready to become amazing dogs to their lucky families. People always ask how I don’t keep them all, but the reality is that I can’t keep them all, even if I wanted to 😂 Ultimately, I focus on being able to do more good for more dogs by being a regular foster, and that is infinitely easier when I don’t have lots of my own pets at home. Besides, Winnie has enough energy for five dogs!
I’ve fostered 40 puppies/dogs in 2023 alone, and there’s still time to foster a few more before the year is up! I hope what I’ve shared might encourage even one person to sign up for volunteer orientation or fill out a fostering application. For me, it has been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling, but I’ve also learned a lot about a topic/area I didn’t know as much about, meet and make friends (as an adult who works from home, this is a huge win), and grow so much as an individual.
The ADORABLE models for the ColourPop x Best Friends photoshoot are my fosters from the Liqueurs’ litter! They are going to be adoptable beginning September 16th at Almost There Rescue in Phoenix, AZ. If you’re interested in meeting one of the 11 Liqueur pups, you can make an appointment to see them in advance.
Christine, so glad you found an organization you love that means so much to you! Puppies are full of joy, you can’t help but smile. And their little puppy bellies, the best! Volunteering is so important, and glad it is helping you.
Me too, Wendy! Volunteering really is an amazing thing to do.
I’ve been fostering orphaned neonatal kittens since 2019 and it is SO fulfilling. I love it so much. It is a very physically and emotionally demanding labor of love for sure. I’m up ever 2-4 hours bottle feeding and stimulating these tiny potato sized balls of fuzz. My loss rate last year was very high. But seeing the ones who against all odds pull through and finding them the perfect forever home makes it all worth it. I love seeing their milestones as their eyes open, they start responding to you and interacting with you, weaning and box training… The cutest stage is definitely right at 3-5 weeks. Soooooooo cute watching them learn to walk and run 🥹 I am so happy for you!
Working with newborns is difficult because they are so fragile, and I understand the toll that losses can have, but like you’ve sad, the ones that do make it… so, so rewarding and special to be part of that knowing that without all the extra TLC, they wouldn’t have even had a chance!
Do you take breaks in-between the neonatal kittens you foster?
Thank you for sharing Christine! That sounds like an incredibly rewarding experience. There’s nothing like love from a dog!
So very true!
G-d bless you.
Thank you!
Please never stop posting puppy videos! They’re such a delightful part of each day 🥰
I won’t, haha!
You’re doing a wonderful thing! I love Best Friends. I’ve known about them for a long time. They used to have a TV show called “Dogtown.” We bought the entire series on DVD about 10 years ago. I think it’s on Amazon Prime now and I highly recommend it, if you haven’t seen it.
I will check it out!!
My favorite episode is called “The Survivors.” It’s about a dog named Aristotle. His story is absolutely heartbreaking, but it has a happy ending and he is just so adorable.
I am sorry to have missed all of this as I was off doing my walk-about. I have not volunteered at any shelter but I do support financially my local shelter. It is about 26 miles away and I started supporting them when I wanted a way to gift my mother without giving her anything physical. I don’t know if anyone remembers but my mom is a hoarder and it started after her six craniotomies back in 2007. I was driving to town one day when I saw two Beagles running along the highway. I stopped and they just ran and jumped in my car. They were wearing collars with phone numbers so I called and got a message machine. The phone number was for a state back East. I assumed they must have been on vacation with their humans and wandered off. I went on to town and stopped at the local sheriff’s office. They suggested I take them to TRAC’s which I had never heard of and quickly found. They took the two dogs and I called the number again leaving an updated message with where the dogs were and how they could contact the shelter. The owners had been camping a couple of miles from where I found the dogs and they picked them up right away. I asked at the shelter if there was anything they needed and they said they could always use dog and cat food. I purchased and then started donating in my Mom’s name every holiday and my Mom’s birthday. When the cat shelter burned down, thankfully no kitty’s were lost, I donated to the rebuild fund. I don’t know if I would be any good at actually fostering as I am gone from home a fair amount but I am assuming that would be an issue and I probably shouldn’t assume. I have been enjoying looking at your puppy pictures when posted here on the blog. I hesitate to ask but is Winnie still with you and if so, is he okay?
It is a wonderful thing you are doing, Christine and I am so happy that it has been such a wonderful and healing experience for you.
Hi Deborah!
Financial donations are very useful! They are right that they’ll always need more food, and it’s sweet of you to donate as a way to give your mom a gift without adding stuff into her life! Some fosters need more time than others, but it depends on the animal (cat vs. dog) and their age/needs.
Winnie is still with me, and he is doing great! He goes to his doggy kindergarten two times a week, and then he has a private “tutoring” session at home once a week. They do lots of dog enrichment, puzzles, and games with him 🙂
This is such a heart-warming read. Thank you for sharing with us. I’m glad fostering has help you as well as the puppies.
Me too! I never thought it would do what it has done for me!
You are doing a wonderful thing! I toured Best Friends sanctuary, specifically the dogs, it was amazing.
How awesome that must have been! Good to hear it was amazing 🙂
You are a real advocate for fostering and spay and neuter. My children and grand child are extremelystrongbelieves in adoption. My daughter has fostered and had three fails. (Wonderful sweet pitbulls) Those dogs are becoming elderly. One has passed. She also works at one of the shelters here.
Thank you for arranging awareness.
Your daughter is a gem! Pit bulls are so sweet!
We don’t have rescues like you do here. It’s also not easy to adopt a rescue, it’s a long process that can take years, as they do a thorough job matching dog and human.
If I lived in the US I surely would love to volunteer at a no kill rescue.
It was so interesting to read about your experiences so far. All the pups are so cute, but I think I fell for Bamba, what a cutie with mischief in the eyes, and loads of charm.
I have to ask, do they really spay/neuter at ten weeks? I do understand the reason to do it before adopting them out, but it still feels so odd for me. Here we wait until at least 8 months, I’d personally wait for a year or two, or chose not to if the dog doesn’t fare unwell during those times of the year.
Different countries, different ways. Also we don’t really have any stray dogs at all here, a puppy is expensive so we do our best to keep the dogs on leash or in a dog park or in our back yards. Stubbs has run away, but never far, and it’s agony until he comes to meet me, screaming his name at full lung capacity.
I’m also so happy that you have found a way to be in a mindful state, with animals it’s so good if one can be just in the moment. It’s so important to find a way to just let go of all the stressful things in life.
I used to find that with horses, both grooming and riding, I also find it with Stubbs.
In the US, it’s very common. By law, rescues have to spay/neuter before any dog/cat can be adopted out, and for puppies, that would be at 8-weeks (AZ Humane Society adopts out at 8 weeks and spays/neuters right before that). Almost There holds onto them a bit longer and adopts out at 10 weeks, usually doing spay/neuter around 9 weeks.
I think it’s incredible how some countries don’t have issues with stray populations. In Norway, it’s actually illegal to spay/neuter, and they don’t have a pet overpopulation issue like we have in the states!
I waited until Winston was 2 years before neutering, as there were new studies that came out that showed some increased risks of certain types of issues (orthopedic and cancer, mostly) dependent on breed and gender within the breed. Some labrador breeders require you to wait a year or two years, as well. Unfortunately, in the states, it seems like after weighting the pros/cons/risks/rewards that early spay/neuter will prevent more animals being born that won’t have homes and ultimately save more lives.
It used to be illegal here as well, now it’s not.
I’ve seen one little run away doggy, I think it was on its way home, other than that I’ve never seen a dog without its human.
I think, even if I find it early that making sure the rescues don’t add to the stray problem.
I tried to become a dog walker at on of the few rescues we have, but there were so many volunteers already I would have had to wait for like two weeks, so I gave up on that idea.
We do have stray cats, I try to buy a cat calendar every year to give my mom, so I help cat rescues. I don’t want a cat, I’m a dog person. It’s quite easy to adopt cats.
I think we have stray cats because ordinary cats are very cheap, so too many don’t value the little life and abandon them. Awful people, I think.
I try to see your fosters on Instagram, I’ll have to do better and check daily.
You have a very kind, empathic soul, Christine.
Happiness is absolutely radiating off of this post. It’s contagious – I’m overjoyed for you and your foster families. 🙂 Congrats on finding something that both enriches your life and benefits others.
I am so glad that you are happy fostering these beautiful puppies, giving them a home and love till they are ready for adoption. A huge hug for Winnie.
I loved this <3 Loved the walk through memory lane too with memories from all FORTY (!!!!) pups. I have looked into adopting so many times because of your posts but realize a smaller critter might be better.
You also had made me look into volunteer opportunities at local shelters – would have to commit to one day a month, but it's something I definitely might take on one day. The playfulness of puppies I also find so infectiously joyous <3