June is Foster A Pet Month! Quite a few of our patients were fostered at one point. Fostering can be a very rewarding experience. If you want to try to help homeless animals, it may be something to consider. An Aurora, CO vet offers some information on fostering below.
Why Fostering Matters
Fosters are in many ways the unsung heroes of the animal welfare world. They provide a crucial bridge between shelters and forever homes, and play several critical roles. Some foster pets are perfectly healthy, but need socialization or training. Others may need constant care as they recuperate from illness or injuries. Kittens and puppies need round-the-clock attention, which many shelters can’t provide. Plus, foster homes give pets who have had a hard time a chance to adjust to being a beloved pet. We can’t overstate how important that can be!
Benefits
Fostering offers some unique benefits for certain people or situations. Many enjoy it just because they want to help animals. Fostering is a ‘pawesome’ way to do that! It can also be a great opportunity to get some experience in animal care. Those who aren’t ready for long-term commitments may also find fostering appealing.
Drawbacks
There are some downsides to consider as well. The biggest one is the chance of getting really attached to a pet, and then having to say goodbye. Many fosters find that the gratification of seeing an animal going to a loving forever home outweighs the difficulty of that bittersweet goodbye, but others struggle. There are also a lot of foster fails out there, who ended up being adopted into what were supposed to be temporary homes. That’s not exactly a bad thing: we’re happy to see any pet getting adopted. However, it does somewhat defeat the purpose.
Things To Consider
Think long and hard before signing on to foster. First and foremost, make sure that you have the time, space, and energy to devote to caring for a pet. It’s also important to consider that many foster pets may be timid, sick, or scared, and will need lots and lots of TLC. You’ll also need to factor in your other pets or young children. There’s the financial side to consider as well. All that said, if all lights are green, go for it!
Do you have questions about fostering pets? Contact us, your Aurora, CO pet hospital, anytime.
