Short-Term Fostering: Big Impact, No Heartache
Five ways you can say yes to fostering, plus a few reading and listening recommendations.
“Mom, Chelsea’s standing on the kitchen table.”
“Mom, Chelsea’s standing on the counter.”
“Mom, Chelsea climbed over the back of the couch to sit on my lap.”
Chelsea was an 11-month old German Shepherd-Husky mix with all the exuberance and agility of both but only a modicum of obedience. She and her siblings had been in a foster home for two months, working on positive human engagement while healing from their traumatic past.
Chelsea became a temporary foster in our home when the transition from foster home to adoptive home was separated by a weekend were the fosters and adopters were each traveling. The fosters dropped her off at our home Friday morning. The adopters picked her up Sunday afternoon. In between, there was a whole lot of “mom” going on. I was happy to help but equally eager to let her go.
The young couple in running shorts and fluorescent shoes standing at my threshold on Sunday assured me they understood the enormity of the task ahead. Both had come from families with large rescue dogs. Both were distance runners. They planned to wear out Chelsea’s wiggles on a daily basis.
I handed Chelsea’s leash to the woman, patted our temporary guest on the head, and closed our door as the honeymoon began for the smiling humans and blue-eyed dog. My daughter turned to me, letting out a sigh, “I hope it goes well. She was a handful.”
When people learn I foster, the response I often get is, “I could never foster. I would fall too hard in love and not be able to let them go.” I get it. It isn’t always easy for me to say goodbye to a long-term foster pet. The edges of grief surface when I post their profile on the internet, the official mark of moving on. Anticipatory grief ties a knot in my stomach days and weeks before adoption. I fight back tears when I hand over a leash or shut the door on my foster cat settled into an adopter’s home.
But guess what? There are ways to foster without heartache. And the need for fosters is greater than ever. According to Shelter Animals Count, pet euthanasia rates are at a 3-year high. In 2023, 8.5% of animals that entered the shelter system were euthanized, up nearly 2% from 2021. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that number to be around 920,000. Fostering in all its forms is a way to help reduce those numbers.
Short-term fostering, like I did for Chelsea, is very different than long-term fostering where the animals are in my care from the moment they enter my home until I find them a forever home, which can be weeks or months.
With short-term fostering there may be little time to forge bonds with an animal, or there may be bonds already forged or in the process, such as those between Chelsea’s fosters and adopters. In some ways, short-term fostering is a lot like being a grandparent. You get to have fun then return them!
Below are five different ways you can participate in short-term fostering without suffering heartache.
FOSTER FOR A DAY Shelters with day programs allow community members to take a dog from the shelter for a few hours to give them a break from shelter stress. Animals under stress can shut down or develop behavioral issues, making them less adoptable and more at risk for euthanasia.
TEMPORARY FOSTERING Sometimes a shelter or rescue needs a short-term place for an animal while they await placement in a long-term foster home or transport to another location. I once fostered seven busy kittens for two weeks. When a long-term foster adopted her last kitten from the crew she had in her home, she took my temporary fosters into her home to care for them until adoption.
RESPITE FOSTERING FOR FOSTER CARE PROVIDERS Foster parents, like Chelsea’s fosters, may need short-term help to care for their foster pet during a work conflict, family emergency, or vacation. I once spent five days driving to a foster’s home to care for her two foster cats while she went camping with her kids. My friend sent her foster cat to a respite foster while she traveled out of state to care for a parent.
RESPITE FOSTERING FOR PET PARENTS Some pet parents experiencing homelessness, job insecurity, or health complications may need temporary fostering for their pets while they stabilize their situation. These commitments can range from one to two months or more and often involve continued connection with the pet parent.
FOSTER TO ADOPT The best-fit pet is one you’ve had a chance to “test drive” before commitment. Foster to adopt allows you the opportunity to see how an animal fits into your lifestyle and family. Fall in love? Adopt. Not in love? Provide care until you find the one who is.
THREE STEPS TO FOSTERING
CHOOSE YOUR ANIMAL TYPE. Every domestic animal type, whether cat, dog, rabbit, pocket pet (hamster, gerbil, guinea pig), reptile, bird, has animals in need of fostering.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE. Sign up for situations that are within your experience and comfort level. No experience? No problem. Just let the organization know so they can pair you with an animal that matches your abilities.
CONNECT WITH AN ORGANIZATION. Contact a local animal shelter, animal control, or rescue group. Many have foster programs. If not, they will probably be able to direct you to local groups that do.
In the end, fostering doesn’t always mean a long-term commitment or enduring heartache—it’s about making a positive impact, however temporary. Whether it's offering a few hours of respite, a few days of care, or a short weekend like we did with Chelsea, every moment counts for these animals. And with so many ways to help, you can be a part of the solution, too, all while knowing you’ve made a difference in their lives.
If you’ve participated in a short-term fostering experience not listed above, please share in the comments below!
SHELTER TOUR BREAKING NEWS. Cara Achterberg and Nancy Slattery of Who Will Let The Dogs Out just completed a whirlwind tour of 14 rural animal shelters. Why? To raise awareness and resources in order to ease suffering in animals and communities. Reading Cara’s writing is like trying to each just one potato chip – you can’t just stop at one! Start here with Successful Open Intake Rural Animal Shelter to get a feel for what success can look like. Then read on. You will be inspired to help.
ASKING FOR HELP WITH CONFIDENCE. Do you hesitate to ask for help because you feel you may come across as a burden? This post by Kristen McClure from Flourish: A Newsletter for ADHD Women is centered around self-advocacy skills for anyone to use at work, in relationships, and in social settings. She provides some common negative responses we use along with suggestions on how to reframe thinking and communication.
MORE THAN JUST A DOG. I was drawn into The Pawsitive Post podcast by the high energy and positivity of hosts Zazie Todd and Kristi Benson along with guest Si Wooler. As the conversation around managing reactive dogs and their behavior progressed, I kept imagining how the lessons would be perfect for parents with teens. What stood out were seeing things from another’s perspective and toxic masculinity in (pet) parenting. I made a note in my calendar to buy Si’s book, More Than Just a Dog, due in the U.S. in May.
THE LATEHOMECOMER. Author Kalia Yang captivated my book club with a reading from The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, a lyric telling of her family’s harrowing journey in search of home from the jungles of Laos to the refugee camps of Thailand to their mold-ridden house in Minnesota. Violence and poverty constantly threatened to destabilize their family while love kept them firmly woven as one. I recommend the audio version infused with layers of emotion by the author.
GET INSPIRED. I’m a big fan of Dr. Barb, Dr. Barb Vokatis, that is. She and her therapy dog, Carmel, are lighting up the internet with their innovative ways to lower children’s anxiety and improve learning at school. She recently launched her podcast, Get Inspired with Dr. Barb. The first episode, Therapy Dogs as Teachers of Kindness is a short, sweet lesson to instill kindness in the classroom, or anywhere dogs go!
What Readers are Saying
“Cindy Ojczyk always offers uplifting stories and great recommendations to Substack. I highly recommend subscribing!” Reader Chloe Ackerman’s reaction to The Heartwarming Bond Between Three Pets and Their People
“This is simply beautiful Cindy. I love the patience and care that you are giving these cats.” From Reader Freya Locke’s reaction to Not Much Happened But One Small Miracle.
Sharing connects!
Thank you. Very important information! Now I see how I can help out in shorter term situations. And others can see as well .
I love dogs so much, I rescued two dogs. Lost both,my last dog Grace Kelly last June 2024. The first rescue Megan I was SUPPOSED to be fostering her. In a day she had every thing I could buy for her. It's grief & heartbreaking when you lose them . Substackers have shared their great dogs. I definitely miss mine.✌️🐾🐶