What’s a foster fail? You offer to foster in your home an animal from a shelter or rescue, but you eventually decide to adopt the animal yourself because … why?
That’s the story we want to read!
I asked friends online to tell us about their foster fails.
“How did you decide to foster this animal—where, when, why? How long did the decision take to adopt the animal yourself—minutes, hours, days, or … ? Tell us about the life your former foster ended up living with you!”
Here are some of their answers.
Summer Storm Kingery DVM (North Carolina) This little dog showed up unattended to my veterinary hospital. She was a bit matted, coat dirty, underweight, with a raging heart murmur. Called Animal Control who collected her for stray hold. Went to check on her and she was doing even worse. Covered in urine/feces, not eating, miserable. Agreed to foster. Somehow she ingratiated herself to every member of my hospital team and my home pack, from the jealous Pomeranian to the aloof Borzoi, to the frazzled spouse, and was consistently affectionate without being demanding. So a few days ago my husband said we should adopt her. Next up, dental cleaning for terrible teeth.
Photo by Summer Storm Kingery DVM
Neil Resto (California) Officially not a foster fail, but a stray that followed me four miles home. After 20 days of trying to find her home … the street dog was microchipped and has now lived with us for two years.
Victoria Day (Washington) I have been thinking about fostering after Tabitha, but I’m afraid they would all be foster fails. I have so much respect and gratitude for the people who open their hearts and homes to these little souls.
Kat Camplin (California) I was volunteering for a private shelter that got a call from a pharmaceutical rep who was visiting a hospital when a dog climbed into her car. She boarded him at her vet for a few days and contacted the shelter. The shelter thought the dog would be a great fit for a person who owned a kite store and who was looking for a dog. I was basically the layover—the pharmaceutical rep dropped the dog off at my house and the kite store owner was supposed to pick him up a few hours later when the store closed. While the dog was playing with my dog, I noticed his back leg didn’t bend right, so I contacted the shelter and they got him in for an emergency x-ray. The leg was completely broken and had healed badly, so it needed to be re-broken and pins and rods put in. The kite store owner decided they didn’t want a broken dog, so the shelter paid for the surgery and I was supposed to be rehab. The first night, with his leg completely shaved and the cone of shame on his head, that dog managed to crawl into my bed and fell asleep. He stayed for nine years.
Virginia Lucas (Pennsylvania) I’ve fostered post-weaned pups and while some I may have happily kept, I did not. But last October there was a need for a foster of a mama and her litter of six-day-old pups. Sure, I’ll try that. Within two days, walking mama on leash, she made it very clear she was home. And my other four dogs never blinked. Pups went to the rescue that had pulled them at six weeks, all were adopted at six–seven weeks, and mama stayed. Here’s Liberty: “Libby” …
Photo by Virginia Lucas
Kathleen Huggins (Washington) Well, also not exactly a fail. We were volunteer puppy raisers for a service-animal organization. We already had two dogs and didn’t need a permanent third, but my partner wanted a puppy. Perfect solution. Eighteen months and then return her. When she was about 8 or 10 months old, we connected with a group of other puppy raisers and got together with them. Taking a pic of them all lined up, and we couldn’t help but notice how different her stance was. She didn’t like to walk, and although she loved swimming, we had to hold her upright. She would roll over in the water as she swam. When we saw her next to the other pups, we knew something was wrong. Vet confirmed. Hip dysplasia. So we called the organization. Of course, that meant she couldn’t continue in the program. We had the right to send her back, but before we did, we asked if they could assure us she would go to a home that would get her the surgery she needed. Her hips were so bad she was not going to be able to walk much longer. They said they couldn’t promise that. Maybe I’m wrong, but my interpretation was that she would be put down. Remember, we didn’t need a third permanent dog. We were living in Vegas and one of the best-known dog hip surgeons practiced there. So, I said, “I’ll just delay my retirement, work a few months longer, to pay for the surgery.” I worked, my spouse carried her back end around for four months. No regrets. Wonderful dog. We lost her suddenly and unexpectedly a couple of years ago to hemangiosarcoma.
Deb Hunt (Washington) At soon-to-be 71, I have loved and enjoyed many of my foster failures. Love just happens and love overrides logic. They all have different disorders and when you find identity, love comes easily. Last October, I received a call from a social worker whose clients had asked that she call me before taking an abandoned dog to SCRAPS. I instantly recalled the dog, Miss Athena, from working in social work. She’s been consistently abandoned periodically since 2019, and I receive calls for assistance. We are bonded. She’s just an absolute love despite her circumstances. Please meet Athena …
Photo by Deb Hunt
Donna Lange (Washington) You mean the four different batches of kittens that the feral cats had in my shed that I took and bottle-fed and socialized so I could find them homes but then kept? That’s how I ended up with eight of my 15. And they all made it to 14–18+. All 15 are gone now.
Trish Ryan (South Carolina) We call it “Foster SUCCESS”!
NEXT: FOSTER FAILURES—MORE STORIES, MORE SUCCESSES!
