The foster experience: how one woman opens her heart to pets in need...

PetSmart - Catherine Mabe
April 24, 2009

...and her advice to prospective foster pet parents

There was a time when Cindy Morris assumed that all unwanted pets either ended up at city shelters or the Humane Society. But a segment on her local TV news opened up her world to the vast network of rescue groups working to save homeless pets. Today, Cindy is a veteran member of that foster network.

Since 2006, she’s welcomed into her home a total of 12 Australian Cattle Dogs (ACDs) who needed some love and rehabilitation while they waited to be adopted. “I didn’t know whether or not I’d make a good foster mother. I just knew I had to try.”

Cindy said her love of ACDs led her to the Arizona branch of New Hope Cattle Dog Rescue and Re-homing. New Hope’s mission is helping discarded, stray and unwanted ACDs find a forever home. The non-profit group consists of over 40 volunteers and is strictly foster-home run, meaning they rescue as many dogs as they can find homes to foster them. Prospective foster parents provide the group with information about their home, current pets and lifestyle.

Like many people who are new to the world of rescuing and fostering pets, Cindy said she didn’t know what to expect — of herself, her family or the dogs she’d be fostering. To help new foster parents, New Hope has a dedicated foster coordinator who evaluates each particular foster family’s unique situation and determines which dogs will fit into which homes. For instance, Cindy is the Pet Parent of two dogs and can’t foster a male dog since her own male is an alpha.

Cindy said she also learned that many of the dogs in need of foster homes have been neglected and may need a little training, socialization and guidance before they can be placed in forever homes. A certain foster dog named CJ taught her this lesson well.

CJ had never been inside a house, she had absolutely no manners and when she wanted attention, she would jump up and nip people. Cindy said she knew if CJ was ever going to be placed in her forever home, she would need some serious training.

Following advice offered by the president of New Hope Cattle Dog Rescue, Cindy said she took CJ to obedience classes and worked with her four nights a week. The work paid off: CJ found her forever home but it wasn’t where Cindy expected.

“I have fallen in love with that little girl and could not imagine my life without her. I suspect that was her intention all along.”

Cindy, at least in CJ’s case, is what those in the rescue world lovingly refer to as “a failed foster.” It’s a term of endearment applied to those families who simply can’t part with a pet they’re fostering and end up adopting them into their own homes.

For those who say they could never foster because they fear they too would be a “failed foster,” Cindy said, CJ aside, she has helped 12 other dogs find their forever homes outside her residence. While she, her husband, and her 13-year-old daughter especially, are always sad to see each foster leave, they are happy they’ve helped another pet find a forever home. And while fostering can be disruptive to her other pets’ routines, Cindy said it generally takes about two or three days for everyone to adjust.

“It’s both hard and rewarding being a foster parent. The most rewarding thing is when you find the perfect home. It’s like Christmas morning. No feeling can be better than knowing you have saved an animal and now have room for one more.”

If you’re thinking about fostering, Cindy offers the following advice:
 

• Do your research to find the right rescue or shelter for you. Potential fosters should ensure that the rescue is interested in and educated about their family’s lifestyle and will work with them to find the right dog.

• First-time foster parents, make sure that the rescue has a strong support system you can contact. Many of the folks running these groups are experts in the breeds they’re working so hard to find homes for and they should have an established process for guiding you through the foster experience.

• Remember any expenses you incur while fostering like mileage, food, etc., is tax deductible.

“I can’t imagine my life without my fosters. It’s wonderful to take an animal who is scared and has no self esteem and see him blossom into the pet you know he can be,” Cindy said.

Cindy said she had no idea how much a pet could blossom until she fostered Velma.

This story is the first in a three-part series about The Foster Experience. Check out "A foster parent's job never ends" to read more on the story of Velma.

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