Rescuing is my family's legacy
In the early days of their marriage in rural Kentucky, my parents took long woodland walks in their never-ending struggle to stay cool. Sometimes they encountered lost dogs, often hunting dogs that had strayed. My parents brought the dogs home, fed and cared for them, and then my father made discreet inquiries to see whether anyone was searching for the dog. After that, he set about finding them new homes. One time they rescued a puppy, the sole survivor of a litter abandoned with their mother by the side of a highway in the summer heat. He became their only foster failure, my pal Sport.
So I was raised to have a “help that doggy” state of mind. Decades later, when our older
daughter came home grumbling that her middle school required community service, but she didn’t like people much – could we rescue puppies? – I quickly agreed, provided she did 90% of the work, which she did. We fostered several litters before she headed to college, and these were the happiest family times, cuddling the babies, watching their antics, kissing soft ears, and of course, thrilling to their new puppy smell. The pups also taught both our daughters about responsibility, cleaning up with a smile, and the give and take of love in service of those who need our help so much.
Fostering brought great rewards to our family and taught me that while puppies are precious, you don’t have to be the “perfect” foster or even have a lot of extra time. And fostering became easier after I discovered Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and all the support they provide.
If caring for and cuddling sweet pups appeals to you, but you’re hesitating, reach out to Lucky Dog’s foster coordinating staff or any of us who foster. We can help you figure out how to fit fostering into your life. Worried about puppies chewing furniture and cords? We can help you contain pups to protect them and your stuff. Concerned about damage to floors – we know how to cope with puppy messes. Unsure you have time to foster? We can advise (hint, puppies entertain each other). And Lucky Dog provides supplies like ex-pens, crates, and newspapers.
Lucky Dog offers choices to help us fit fostering into the constraints of busy lives. You can choose a small litter or a big one. You can foster until the pups are all adopted or only a few days. If you have to travel, Lucky Dog has temp fosters happy to help out. You can even “overnight foster,” an arrangement that gives puppies the chance to get onto a Saturday transport from our South Carolina shelter, spend the night with you, and meet adopters at a Sunday morning event. The amazing Lucky Dog team knows how to fit the puzzle together.
Even if all you have is that Saturday night, you can make a real contribution -- to help a litter of puppies into new homes while they are still small and at maximum cuteness. The joy of saving a litter is an amazing pay-off for one night. Nothing beats holding a sleeping puppy in your arms, and hearing that contented sigh as they settle into that feeling of safety. You can do this!
Should you ever want a change from the joyful puppy rumpus, Lucky Dog also has adult dogs, cats, and kittens in desperate need of a quiet, safe place to land. Whatever your speed is, Lucky Dog is happy to help you find your perfect match. All you have to do is reach out to us at [email protected] or visit our foster page, and we will be here to help you do the rest.