Why Fostering Is A Great Option

It's not easy being a shelter dog. You sit in a cage, watch strangers walk by and say "cute doggie". If you're lucky, they'll stop by and talk to you. Then, you know you've hit the jackpot when you are taken out of your cage to be with them. There's always a good chance you'll be adopted, but never any guarantees. Medium to large dogs are even harder to adopt because many people are intimidated by their size.

With all of the shelters becoming filled and more dogs waiting for homes, there's only so much space available for strays. One solution that helps with shelter overpopulation is fostering dogs in a home environment.

The Great Compromise

What makes fostering ideal is the fact that dogs are living in an environment that doesn't involve metal bars all of the time. They get the human affection that they don't get in a shelter. Shelter life isn't easy for a dog. It's ok for a temporary solution, but after a while, many dogs become overwhelmed and will start acting out as a result of being caged so long.

Foster families have the opportunity to have a dog in their house. There is no permanent commitment required. If the foster family is interested in having a dog long-term, this gives them the option of seeing how the foster adapts to their lifestyle.

Other benefits include:

• Giving the foster pet a calmer environment. Animals don't have to worry about being around a bunch of dogs barking constantly but rather a select few, if any at all.
• It teaches dog lovers about the differences in breeds. Every dog that enters a foster home, brings a different dynamic.
• The rewards of volunteering without leaving your home. You make a difference in a dog's life even if it is just for a few weeks. A dog can become adoptable, and more socialized as a result of its time as a foster.
• It's tax deductible. I first learned about this through my Twitter friend Nadine. Many times, people who work in animal rescue do so for the love of the animal. They really don't profit from it. Now, thanks to a landmark case, Van Dusen v. Commissioner, most fostering costs are tax deductible. However, if the costs over $250, one will need a letter from the 501c3 agency stating that the expenses have to be directly related and solely attributable to the rendition of services towards the benefits of the foster animal.

The Caveats

1. It is very hard to remain detached from a foster animal. The bond between animal and human is very strong and it's hard for many to say goodbye when the time comes. Many fosters will wind up adopting one of the animals.
2. Many cities and towns have a limit on how many animals a resident can have living in their home. One has to be careful to not exceed that limit.
3. It takes a couple of weeks to truly understand the animals behavior. The first days are an adjustment phase and the days after will determine the true nature of the animal.

The Right Decision

While fostering a pet isn't the easiest job in the world, it is one of the most rewarding. It's not for everyone, but if you've been curious, it may be something to consider.

Let's Discuss!

How do you feel about fostering an animal?

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2011 Home 4 The Holidays Wrap-Up

The Iams Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaign was a smashing success. A total of 1,267,541 animals were adopted between Oct. 1 and Jan. 3 through more than 4,000 animal organizations from around the world (that's an average of 9 adoptions per minute!). Forever homes were found for:

• 651,224 dogs
• 595,000 cats
• 21,317 other animals (including rabbits, reptiles, horses, birds and more);

On top of that, since the program began in 1999, more than 7 million families have experiences the joy of pet adoption through Iams Home 4 the Holidays! IAMS also met its goal to donate 5 million meals to pets in need through its annual Bags 4 Bowls program. This was all made possible through retail purchases and online engagement from all the animal lovers out there who participated.

If you would like to read more about this program, please visit their Facebook page.

Let's Discuss!

How did you participate in the Home 4 The Holidays program this year?

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Remember Not Replace

Cosmo And Elvis 1995

One of the hardest parts of being a dog owner is when one has to say goodbye to their longtime friend. Over the past 29 years I have had dogs, those days have never been easy and come to quickly. You think about all that your dog meant to you and how empty your life is without them around anymore.

What can be even more difficult is the time it takes to grieve. All dog owners grieve in their own way. Some decide to have a new dog join their family right away. Others can't ever think of having another dog ever again. It's a unique bond, that's for sure.

I think that replacing a dog is a common misconception when it comes to bringing a new dog into your household. Dogs are irreplaceable. Even if they don't live as long as we would like, they will always be remembered. I think the best way to remember your dog is to help another dog by letting it become part of your life.

Time is the most important factor. Sometimes, a person needs more time to pass and other times time doesn't pass quickly enough. When I had Cosmo and Elvis (as pictured above), the loss of Cosmo really hit Elvis hard. He didn't know what to do and was terrified. He would pant excessively and had severe separation anxiety, even with one of our family members there. He refused to eat and after 10 days, it became a necessity for him to have a companion.

After visiting the animal shelter, my mom and I decided on Cookie. She looked nothing like Cosmo and was a female. This way Elvis would know her as another dog, not a replacement. It took a few days, but Elvis came to accept her as a companion.

Dogs don't live as long as us, but they live life to the fullest. They always teach us so many life lessons without saying a word.

Let's Discuss!

When is the right time to add a dog to your family?

Recommended Reads

The Loss Of A Pet by Wallace Sife
Paw Prints In The Stars: A Farewell and Journal for a Beloved Pet by Warren Hanson
Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet by Gary Kowalski
Coping with Sorrow On the Loss of Your Pet by Moira Anderson Allen
When Only the Love Remains: The Pain of Pet Loss

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How Cookie Came Into Our Family

What Could Be Better Than Puppies?

Hi Folks!

I recently found out that there are over 70,000 puppies and kittens born each year. Many of these puppies are born into puppy mills. All of them deserve a good home. In the spirit of animal adoption, let's take a better look at puppies.

Pyrenean Mountain Dog Photo: Agnes Carter Million

Photo: Jason Smith

American Staffordshire Puppy Photo: Jan de Wild

Puppy With A Flower Photo: Dreamstime

On A Clear Summer Day

Taking A Snooze Photo: Valery Kirsanov

Behind The Wheel - Photo: Arno Nasshan

Cute Red Head - Photo: Enna Van Duinen

Time For A Bone - Photo: Hugy

On The Beach - Photo: Laura Frankel

Basset Hound Puppy Relaxing - Photo: Jorge Alejandro Preciado Oseguera

Hope you all have a fantastic day.

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Two Dogs And A Goat

Photo of Minnelli and Judy: East Lake Veterinary Hospital

Many of you may have heard about the dog and goat found wandering together in Garland, TX that had such a strong bond, it would be difficult to separate them. It seemed that Minnelli the Goat would cry until Judy was close to him. The two animals had such a bond, the goat actually behaves more like a dog.

There have been a couple of twists in this story. First, the law in Texas does not allow livestock and domestic to be together. For a short time, these two were separated and Judy the dog was barking and crying the entire time.

However, the real owner stepped forward and brought another dog named Lucky. Lucky is unique because he only has three legs and will be adopted out with the other two animals. It seems that this situation was obviously an exception to the state law and the three animals will be adopted together. It helps that the original owner stepped forward on the animals' behalf as well.

Now all three animals are staying together while the two dogs are being treated for heartworm. There have been hundreds of e-mail inquiries to adopt this threesome. You can read more about these animals at the hospital's website. Their website even has a live webcam where you can see the animals in real time.

Read More About It

Article from CBSTV 11

Let's Discuss!

What are your thoughts on this story? Have you owned animals of an unusual pairing?

Dogtown

Dogtown is part of the best friends adoption network. It was created in 1987 when so many of the dogs in shelters were being euthanized since they were unadoptable. They have over 500 dogs staying there and the property is over 90 acres. The staff there takes the time to train many of these dogs to become adoptable and for the ones who have been abused to the point of where being adopted is not a reality, the organization gives them a place that they can permanently call home. They are able to accomplish this with a staff and many selfless volunteers. They have taken in dogs from disasters such as hurricane Katrina as well as the thirty dogs who have been declared unadoptable from the Michael Vick dog fighting ring.

National Geographic has a special weekly program documenting the life of the dogs and the staff who loves them. You can catch it on Fridays in the US at 10PM Eastern/9PM Central. If you would like to know more, please visit them at http://www.bestfriends.org/dogtown. Thanks and have a good night.