In each issue this year, meet a local foster parent and discover why they open their home and heart to pets in need.
Fostering for Animal Aid of Tulsa
How long have you fostered?
I have been fostering on and off since 2008. I’ve had 30 fosters for various lengths of time.
What first inspired you to become a foster?
I was inspired to become a foster when I adopted my dog Koki, a chocolate Lab/German Shepherd mix. I went to meet her at her foster’s home and was so impressed that someone would open their heart and home to dogs and then willingly and lovingly adopt them to another home. I realized that this would be a way that I could also continue to help and began to foster for that rescue.
How would you describe your first foster experience? What surprised you most?
My first foster was Dave, a three-legged tripod. He had just had his leg amputated, and he was really down and out. Koki would lay down with him and gently try to get him to play. His health started to deteriorate, but Koki never left his side. He finally started to come around and began to learn how to be a tripod. After one month with us, he had an interest from a retired couple.
Honestly, I felt devastated when he left, but as I started to get updates and pictures, I began to see that Dave was in the best home possible. He was going on two- and three-mile hikes with his owners and loved it! I was told the best way to fill that hole was to get another. So I did, and I’ve been fostering ever since.
What kind of animals do you usually foster?
I love to foster tripods now. I usually foster dogs, but I have also loved fostering kittens for a short period of time.
What’s the most rewarding part of fostering for you?
I love when they first come to my home, and I get to learn about a new personality. They are all so different, but also seeing them happy in their new homes is extremely rewarding as well!
What’s the hardest part of fostering?
The hardest part of fostering is making sure everyone gets along. I have learned that slow and steady introductions work the best. I have had some fosters that don’t do well with others, so I do some rotating. Luckily, I can set up my house so that everyone has plenty of space, love and attention separately (thanks to my very understanding partner).
Is there a foster who especially changed you or stayed with you?
Dave, my first foster, will always stick with me, and then there is Hagrid, the tripod. Hagrid was an owner return because his family was unable to care for him as his arthritis took over his remaining front leg. He needed a lot of help getting around and had to get into a wheelchair.
Hagrid was able to go to work with me every day at a school. The students loved him, and he loved them. While with me, Hagrid acquired type B lymphoma. We began treatment, and after four months, he beat cancer. Hagrid was old, however. As his back legs began to weaken, we had to make the hard decision to let him go. Surrounded by four of us from Animal Aid, he sat outside on a blanket and had tons and tons of treats and belly rubs before crossing the rainbow bridge. For me, Haggie was an epic dog, and I’ve changed for the better because of him.
How has fostering impacted your family or household?
One of my dogs loves other dogs and is very welcoming. Another one of my dogs is a smaller and older guy; he is completely unbothered. My other gal is dog-selective; some of them she loves and others not so much. My husband is so understanding and so helpful. On his own, I don’t think he would foster, but he loves them so much and is a great foster dad.
What do you wish more people understood about fostering?
“That I will get attached and can’t let them go.” OK, so you will get attached, but you can learn to be happier that you saved a life and have space for the next one!
What advice would you give someone on the fence about fostering?
You might find that it isn’t for you, but you won’t know for sure unless you try. I think most people find that they wish they would have started doing it sooner. And it’s free! You get to love a neglected animal and discover their personality while all of their food, medical needs and toys are provided.
Fostering is an essential link in rescue work. Without fosters, it cannot happen — seriously, rescues must have fosters. It would be like sending your kids to school with no teachers. And as they say, when you foster an animal, you are saving two — the one you have and the next one that can be taken in because you are fostering.
