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Top Ten Reasons to Foster1. You increase that animal's chance of being adopted. By fostering you are a link between the animal and potential homes. You can spread the word about what a good dog or cat he or she is, how they interact with people and other animals.
By living with you, he has the chance to learn behavior that will make him/her more appealing to other families. When you foster a dog, you have the ability to transform him/her to a dog someone would be honored to live with....Most dog and cat trainers for the movies and TV are adopted shelter dogs. 2. Your own pet will learn more social skills. Rescue groups provide immeasurable support and some even offer invaluable training. 3. It’s a good way to see if you are ready for an additional pet. It’s not always clear whether a second or third pet would fit in with your family. Sometimes an additional pet is a disaster. Other times it couldn’t be better. With fostering, you have a chance to see whether or not another pet is right for your family. Maybe providing temporary care is better for you. 4. You help the rescue learn about the animal's personality. It’s hard to know much about a dog or cat when he/she is living in a shelter environment with 15 other dogs and cats. Placing animals in foster homes helps rescues learn if the pet likes children, begs at the table, chases cats, barks when crated, knows basic commands or has high or low energy. The possibilities of what a foster family will learn about an animal are unlimited. 5. You are saving an animal's life. Many rescues are full to their limits and cannot take in more animals until additional foster homes open up. By fostering, the rescue can save money on boarding fees and use it to save another homeless animal. 6. Many animal shelters and rescue groups can’t function without foster homes. 7. You might end up with a new family member. Many foster families realize the animal they are fostering is a perfect fit for their family. This is a happy ending for both the animal and humans. If you don’t foster, then you will never know what you are missing. You might never meet that special pet that could add to your life. 8. The animal gets to live with your family rather than at a shelter. Animals get stressed from shelter conditions. Shelters are noisy with limited one-on-one interaction. The animals don’t get enough exercise, training or socialization. With time, many dogs/cats develop psychological issues as pent-up energy, frustration, aggression or boredom builds. 9. Any volunteering makes a person feel good. Fostering an animal is a way to give back to your community. If you love animals, there is nothing more rewarding than helping a homeless animal. 10. It’s a way to help if you don’t have enough money to donate. If you don’t have the money to donate to animal shelters and rescues, you can donate your time by fostering. This article was originally posted to the blog onPetsnmore.org. For further reading, visit: http://www.petsnmore.org/2012/12/10-reasons-to-foster-dog-or-cat.html#XHW2pPhJbrGijRyk.99 |