Fostering …The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!
Lucy (the dog on the right) was rescued from a hoarding situation by DunRoamin’ last year. Life sure looks good in this photo!DunRoamin’ Stray and Rescue’s mandate is to help injured strays that have been abandoned, abused and neglected. We ensure they receive the medical treatment they need to survive and we work hard to find them permanent homes as soon as they are ready. As our name implies, once an animal comes to us, they will be “done roaming”.
Foster homes play a big part in our organization; right after fundraising – or maybe before, not sure on that one. DunRoamin’ Stray and Rescue is not a shelter. We could not function without our foster parents. We don’t have the space for all the dogs and cats that we have waiting for their “fur-ever homes”.
“The Good”:
If you ask our foster parents why they do it, you would get many answers. Really, though, the answers all boil down to the same thing: it’s for the good of the animals. It is a good thing to be there for them while they heal physically and mentally from their abusive, dangerous pasts. It is good when the cat or dog recovers and is adopted to a happy home. It is good to see the pictures sent to us from the adoptive parents.
“The Bad”:
We have taken our animals from a bad place and brought them into a good place. We work hard to get a puppy, nearly paralyzed with fear, to act like a normal puppy. When she does and chews your glasses or tears into a new bag of flour, that’s bad. Not the puppy – of course not the puppy – not after all the hard work you have done to get her to act like a normal puppy. How can she be bad for doing something puppies do? It was bad that your glasses and your flour were within a puppies reach!
Don’t even get me started with kittens! Bad is their middle name. Enough said except it takes a special person to foster a room full of kittens.
“The Ugly”:
OK, it’s never ugly, just sad at times.
This should be titled “The good, the bad and the sad” because rather than ugly, if is often times very sad. Sad is the momma cat and kittens so sick and injured that they can’t survive regardless of what anyone does. Sad is the dog that has been dragged behind a car that wags his tail even when he is in agony because he is receiving something he has never had in his entire life – a kind hand! Sad is the puppy with broken legs cowering in the corner fearing for her life. Sad are the many cats with deep wounds, missing eyes and amputated legs who still can find the energy to purr once their treatment starts.
If fostering is something that you might be able to do, check out www.dunroaminstrayandrescue.com We are always looking for kind people who can help us with this important and rewarding job.
