There's Something

There's always something we can do. No matter how small and insignificant it seems at the time. Small gestures can bring big change.
If everyone who walked past our rescue table dropped the spare change in their pocket in our bucket: it would pay to spay/neuter dozens of dogs.
If people who can't foster, could transport: we'd save hundreds of dollars in transport fees.
If people who can't transport dogs, could pick up donations: we'd have more warm blankets and food for the dogs that are fostered.
If people who can't do any of the above, could find a way to spread the word about available dogs by facebook, fliers, or emails: more dogs would find homes.
If you fostered one dog every other month: you save 6 dogs a year from certain death.
Foster one a month: you saved 12 dogs.
Foster every two weeks or so (yes, some do move onto permanent homes that fast) and you've saved two dozen dogs that year.
If you start a food/toy/dog accessory drive in your church/school/work: costs of maintaining the rescue go down and more dogs are pulled from shelters.
If you start with one small thing, big changes happen in the life of that one small dog.
He finds a rescue.
He finds a foster.
He finds a warm house, good food and the vet care he needed.
He finds his forever home.
All because you did something.

Sometimes fostering isn't that easy. Although the rescue group I'm with will give me food, collars, leashes, bones, toys for my fosters, I spend my own money. Sometimes I do signs and stuff for events and consider the cost a donation. Some dogs pee on my stuff. Some dogs chew my new shoes. Once I got bitten. And sometimes I wonder if I want to keep doing this. I'm tired, money is tight, I work a full time job on top of this and other problems are constantly popping up (I call that life), but still I take in one more dog. Then I think back to when I started fostering.

So far I've fostered about 25-30 dogs in my home. Some are still nestled in my heart and others came and went so quickly I have to think to remember. Others I've grown to know through the other fosters. They were not in my home but I met them on adoption days, in transport, helping out on pick up days.
Thinking about this makes me feel better. I can imagine 30 dogs in my living room. Thirty dogs in my car at one time - ok, impossible but it gives you an idea of just how many 30 dogs is. Its a lot of dogs. I couldn't put 30 dogs on a leash and walk them, take 30 dogs to the vet at one time or try to get 30 dishes of dog food down in my kitchen.
This visualization makes me realize just how many lives I saved by opening my home up to foster just one more. Fostering does make a difference. Even if you foster one at a time. My 30 dogs may not seem like a lot to some people, but to each one of those 30 dogs I'm sure it meant the world.

Piggy-Mugsy-Frank

This little Piggy is the sweetest dog! Housebroken, likes cats, other dogs, kids, and everyone who gets within ten feet of him. He barks at the door to go out, listens very well and is close to the perfect dog. But he's a Pug! Snorty, affectionate, sweet. I never had a Pug before and now I understand why people fall in love with this breed.

This little Piggy.....

Someone named this dog Piggy. Ugh! We're going to have to get him a new name ASAP! Something to reflect the true beauty in his soul.
He's ten years old and should be at my house tonight. His first family waited until he was 8 years old and had a tumor that needed removal before deciding to dump him in a high kill shelter in South Carolina. Castle of Dreams Animal Rescue saw the potential in this little fella and pulled him up to New Jersey where they got him the medical attention he needed and found him a home. He did great until the new family discovered they had to move and the new place doesn't allow dogs.
So Piggy is homeless again. He's getting dropped off tonight and I already have two applications on him. Both look great so he should have a new home soon. In fact, both applications have Pug experience so this will be really hard to choose. If only I had this problem for all the dogs that come through my home.
Say a prayer that this little Piggy finds his forever home once and for all. He's much too sweet to be bounced around.

What I do?

Foster dog t-shirts now available! Love the work? Let them know how much fostering means to you with t-shirts and hoodies; http://www.cafepress.com/goingtothedogs1