A big thanks to guest blogger, Jean Ross, of Chihuahua Rescue and Transport who contributes the following:
The Joy of Fostering a Rescue Dog
Have you ever considered joining a rescue and providing a foster home for homeless dogs? It can be a truly rewarding and fun experience for those of us who love dogs and enjoy volunteer work.
That’s what I do as a member of Canadian Chihuahua Rescue & Transport. Dogs bring joy to my life, and fostering in my home allows me to enjoy the love and companionship of many wonderful dogs. Each foster dog is unique and helps me learn more about dog psychology and training. I’m also fortunate to be able to donate my professional grooming services to CCRT.
Dogs come into our rescue from a variety of sources, including owner surrenders, humane societies, shelters and puppy mills, as well as abandonment, neglect and hoarding situations. Before any dog can be rescued from its current situation, a foster home must be available to take the dog and care for it until it can be adopted.
My current foster dogs are puppy mill survivors, and rehabilitating them is a labour of love. Typically, puppy mill dogs have been confined to cages all their lives, having been used as breeding stock. They are not housetrained or socialized, have never walked on a leash, and they “freeze” when you pick them up. They have difficulty trusting humans but, surprisingly, they are usually non-aggressive. For me, these are not only the most challenging dogs to foster, but also the most rewarding. It’s so heart-warming to see them learning to be dogs and enjoying the freedom of their new life.
Not all foster dogs are high-maintenance. Many require nothing more than a loving, nurturing temporary home. Others may also need veterinary treatment, housetraining, socialization, leash training or behaviour modification before they’re ready to be adopted. Sometimes there are dogs with special needs and others that require psychological rehabilitation.
Occasionally, a foster family needs help dealing with more difficult training or behavioural issues. We are always very grateful to the professional dog trainers who kindly donate their services when we need assistance.
People often ask how I can give up my foster dogs when they’re adopted. There’s no denying that it’s a very emotional time when foster dogs leave, but I take comfort in knowing that I’ve helped them on their journey to a loving forever home where they will bring joy to someone else’s life. And there are so many more dogs waiting to be rescued.
Please rescue your next pet, or buy only from reputable breeders.
Jean Ross
Canadian Chihuahua Rescue & Transport For more information on our wonderful Chihuahuas looking for their fur-ever homes, visit http://www.ccrt.net , call 1-877-783-7333 or email .