The phrase every rescue hears and to which they respond with a sad smile. Sad, not because it’s true (it IS hard to let them go), but sad because these people are not even considering the overwhelming sense of happiness and contentment that comes from saving a life.

Because that’s what you’re doing when you foster – you’re saving a life.

At first it’s scary. When you get your foster dog, the dog is usually fearful and may shy away from you. Sometimes they hide. Sometimes they don’t eat. Sometimes they have accidents in the house. You second guess yourself and your decision to foster. It’s too much; you are in over your head; you’re not a dog trainer!

Then suddenly the dog comes to you. Soon the treats are taken from your hand and the dog food is eaten. A few head scratches are hesitantly met with a subtle tail wag. Your misgivings about fostering melt away as this shy, hurting soul comes to you for the love and affection he desperately needs.

It’s amazing how much love you can pour over a dog when he finally lets down his guard and trusts you. When this happens, you see how transforming love can be. When you foster, you get a front row seat in watching how love can change a life.

This timid dog is now scampering around the house and doing zoomies after its bath or doing zoomies just because! There are squirrels to stalk and people to lick and walks to take. Somehow, over the weeks and months, he’s transformed into a completely different dog and all you did was love on him.

However, you now know this dog and his personality and his quirks. You watch him and you get the feeling that he doesn’t quite fit in with the tempo of your home. Maybe he needs a quiet home and yours is busy and loud. Maybe you see that he needs another dog to play with and you don’t have one. Or you have kids and you feel he would do better in a home with no kids.

But, you love this dog and want to do what’s best for him. There’s a family waiting to adopt who has the home and lifestyle that’s perfect for him, an environment he will thrive in. And so you let him go.

It hurts. And then you talk to the adopting family and hear their excitement and longing for this dog. You see pics of smiling faces and hugs and snuggles and you know you did the right thing. The hurt in your heart transforms into a powerful feeling of achievement in knowing that you had a hand in making this happen.

You can live your entire life knowing that you saved a life and that you were a part of something greater. This pup will never be able to thank you or repay you, but the reward will live in your heart forever. Not everyone can claim that they’ve seen the transformative power of love, but fosters can. It’s an experience everyone needs to be a part of at least once.

If we don’t, who will?” And so, here we are, still rescuing and fostering. Saving lives, four paws at a time (mostly).