Make A Difference In The Life of a Doodle!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

 

During the last few months I've been asked at least 3 times if I could take a foster ...... sadly for health reasons I have had to decline!  This is so frustrating to me because I know that there are many Doodles sitting out there in Kill Shelters and the DRC is having trouble finding foster homes to put them in!  They can't bring them into the program if they don't have a foster home waiting!

 

Have you ever considered fostering but just weren't sure you could do it?  Even if you haven't considered it, would you just stop for a moment and consider it!  Many people worry that they will have a hard time giving the dog up .... yes, there are a few what we call "foster failures" in that the dog ended up staying with its foster family.  But honestly, in most of those cases those people really wanted another doodle anyway!  :o)

 

Over the past year my DH and I have had the honor of sharing our home with four Foster Doodles from the DRC.  If you had asked me 3 years ago if that is something that I would do, I would of probably told you you were crazy.  There wasn't even a Dog in my house, much less a foster dog!  Now, we have 2 Doodles permanently and the occasional visitor!   My life has become about my Doodles and helping other doodles.  I always wondered what I was going to do when I retired ..... and now I know.  My life is so full and so busy, but different from the busy that was going to a job every day .... it is busy fun and busy rewarding!

 

I won't kid you, as I drove to pick up the first foster from his family in KY there were butterflies in my stomach ..... I was wondering if I was in over my head, but as soon as I saw him I knew that I had done the right thing.  He was going to have a better life because I had taken the plunge!  The reason for this post is to share some experiences and maybe clear up a few myths about fostering, and maybe, just possibly even convince a few of you to come join us and help get some of these Doodles out of these shelters and give them the life they deserve!

 

MYTHS:

1)  I'll Never Be Able to Give Him/Her Up:  The best advice I ever got was to never think of the Doodle as Mine .... I am just a stop on the road to their new forever home.  I'm just giving them a good foundation and looking for the perfect forever family for them.  I can with all honesty say that I have never cried when one of my fosters has left (and I cry when I hear the Star Spangled Banner).  With each and every one, they bonded with their new family immediately, climbed right up in the car, tails wagging as they pulled out of the driveway!  There is just something so rewarding about seeing all the smiles on their new families faces and the tail wagging!

 

2)  I can't do this by myself:  Trust me, with my first foster, poor Karen (Jack Doodle's Mom) had so many e-mails from me .... but she was there for me every single step of the way.  Any problems, any issues, she helped me out.  I don't think she ever leaves her computer as the responses were almost instant.

 

3)  I can't afford it:  There doesn't have to be any expense to you.  All the Vet expenses and stuff are covered by the DRC.  They go directly onto the DRC Credit Card so there isn't even any out of pocket initial payment.  I normally just feed them the food that my girls eat, so that is the only real expense on my part. 

 

4)  Easy for you to do this, you don't work outside the home:  I'm one of the few fosters that doesn't work outside the home! 

 

5)  I'm afraid I'll be pressured to take a dog I'm not comfortable with:  At no point has anyone pressured me.  Anytime that I had to say No for any reason, they have always understood. 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, post them here.  There are many Fosters right here on DoodleKisses that I'm sure can put your mind to rest about any concerns you may have.

 

What I'm trying to say is we need you, these Doodles need you.  Just take the plunge, forget about all those little thoughts in the back of your mind that have been keeping you from volunteering .... you will be so happy that you did, I promise you!  Next Christmas your mailbox will be filled from cute little holiday cards from your foster babies and their new families .... there is nothing like it!  They will always hold a special place in your heart, a happy memory because you played a key role in giving them the happiness they deserve.

Go to DoodleRescueCollectiveinc.org

Click on the Volunteer Tab and you can complete and submit your application to foster right on line.

P L E A S E   !

 

Thank You

 

Lucy & Sophie's Mom (a.k.a. Sheri)

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I am getting much much closer to being able to help and will sign up with I am ready. Need that house and yard first :)

 

Thanks for the reminder to us all Sheri!

[Camilla and Darwin]

I live in an apartment and they don't allow fostering. :-( It's very unfortunate because I am home for the majority of the day and Darwin and I would love to help. I know there aren't many foster homes here in UT... I am so excited to move into a house of my own so I can do this!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Sheri, thanks so much for posting this!

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

I currently have 2 fosters for DRC making them my 6th & 7th fosters.  Sheri mentioned the MYTHS and here are some of the TRUTHS:

1. How proud you will feel: When the tentative, confused doodle you fostered blooms into a confident, happy doodle.

2. The satisfaction knowing that you had direct involvement in saving a homeless and/or unwanted doodle.

3. The joy (though bittersweet) that will fill you when your foster doodle finds his/her forever family.

 

Kind of think of foster like grandchildren - enjoy loving them, spoiling them and then giving them to their parents. :-)

[Tante & Jordan & now Annie!]

Agree 100%

[Jennifer and Luci]

As soon as I can get the application to stop resetting itself, I'm signing up!  Thanks for posting this, I had no idea it was even possible to do and we would love to foster a doodle!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Jennifer -- Thank you so much for joining in the effort to save these wonderful Doodles.  If you continue to have problems with the application, please just post here and explain what is happening so we can have someone check it out and get it corrected.  Again, thank you!

[Jennifer and Luci]

Oh absolutely!  I had no idea about this.  I work from home and have one doodle who would love a friend to play with and just being able to help a homeless dood until their forever family was found would be so, so rewarding!

[Jeannine Smith]

Jennifer, I'm the Indiana Director for DRC and I also built the online foster application, please email at [e-mail] and let me know what is going on with the application.  I have not heard of any problems with form but I want to make sure it is working properly.  Please let me know and I will try to get it corrected so we can get you on the list!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Sheri, How did you know your dogs would be ok with a foster dog?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Honestly, I didn't and there were days where they weren't.  Particularly Lucy.  Lucy is normally the mellow one, let's Sophie do anything she wants.  However when a foster comes in the house Lucy becomes Alpha and Sophie normally gets reduced to the bottom of the pack.  Lucy sets the rules.  Everyone always gets along better outside.  We had a little girl that Lucy loved, but she has never been crazy about the males that have come in.  She has never been mean like biting them or anything, but she just lets them know what is and what isn't ok.  There are certain toys that get put away during fostering.  This is one area where Karen was a huge help to me.  I don't have a lot of experience in stuff like this, and she just let me know that I needed to let them sort it out.  Lucy and Sophie's house, they get to set the rules.

[Jeannine Smith]

In the last year, I have had 9 foster doodles from DRC through my doors and helped transport many more to fosters.  And unlike Sherri, I have shed more than a few tears over letting these guys go. However, the joy I receive from sending these precious doodles on to their forever homes is worth every tear.  There will be some that capture your heart and I'll be honest some that you can't wait for them to be ready for their new home! :)

 

Open your heart and home to a doodle in need and the reward will be tenfold!

 

"In rescuing animals, I lost my mind, but found my soul" anonymous