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Health & Fitness

Be a Hero; be a Foster

At East Greenwich Animal Protection League we're always looking for fosters for our dogs, puppies, cat and kittens and right now because we are quite full we are particularly in need of loving foster homes to get some of our animals out of the shelter until they find forever homes.

Many people are not exactly sure what fostering involves. Well, let me tell you! If you foster for EGAPL it means opening your heart and home to an animal in need – but not your wallet because we provide all the food, supplies and cover all medical expenses. Fostering is an amazing experience that lets you give an animal love – sometimes for the first time in their life -  without having to make a permanent commitment. Of course, if you fall in love with your foster we’ve had many “foster fails”…meaning a foster situation turns in to a permanent adoption. Those are the best kinds of “failures”!

We need fosters for many different kinds of situations. Sometimes we have a pregnant mom or a mom with young puppies or kittens who arrives at the shelter looking for a safe place to nurse and care for her new family. While we of course do our best to make all animals at the shelter as comfortable as possible, a home setting is a much better place to give birth and/or nurse. And since babies cannot be adopted out until they are at least eight weeks old, we like to try to get them in to a home for this critical time. Experiencing a litter thrive thanks to your care is truly a unique and incredible experience and, again, we provide all the supplies and medical care - as well as any advice and emotional support you may need in your journey as a foster. 

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Other times, we have a single puppy/kitten or an older litter that is already weaned from mom and ready for a forever home but finding the right adopter can take some time. We love to see these babies go in to a home where they can get love, socialization and some structure during this formative time in their development rather than having to wait in a cage. It helps them feel safe and develop a great temperament that will make their transition to a forever home smoother.  

Of course, our adult animals enjoy the opportunity to go to fosters when possible, too! Going for walks and getting TLC is a major advantage for any animal and helps make them more adoptable and ensure they will thrive in their forever home. Plus, we sometimes have special needs animals or animals that have required surgery, heartworm treatment, etc. that really benefit from the comfort of a safe home.

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Have a piqued your interest? I hope so! And the most important reason to foster is not just that it’s fun or amazing or that these animals are adorable, but that it SAVES LIVES!  We could not take in all the animals that we do without fosters and by fostering you are not only giving a homeless animal the opportunity that they need, but you allow us to save more animals that might otherwise run out of time. The most common reason I hear of people not wanting to foster is because they feel giving up their foster will be "too difficult"; but remember that these animals might not even get a chance at life at all without foster angels stepping up for them. Isn't that worth it?

I’ve personally fostered for EGAPL many times and, yes, sometimes there are tears when it’s time to send them off with their forever family but they are mostly happy tears and I have NEVER regretted the decision to foster or to let them go. Keeping in touch with their new families and seeing photos and updates of how they are thriving – and knowing I was a part of that amazing journey – is an incomparable feeling that more than makes up for the temporary sadness of saying “goodbye.” And there are always new fosters in need so my house is never lonely for too long. I know if I adopted again I could save perhaps one or two more animals in addition to my current brood, but by fostering I have been able to touch the lives of almost 20 animals in need this year alone! And seventeen local families and counting have been touched by getting a new addition that I helped raise and loved until they could find each other...it is truly the most rewarding thing I can think of. 

If you’re interested in being a hero to a homeless animal by becoming an EGAPL foster please email Tammy at onlygirlx33@aol.com and tell her a bit about yourself (other pets, children, etc. in your home). You won’t regret it!





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