Simon and his brother Koda were best friends from the start!

I recently experienced the overwhelming joy of connecting my foster dog Simon with his forever family, and it’s a wonderful feeling! Seeing him running and playing with his new brother Koda makes my heart feel so full! But in all honesty, the entire foster experience has been a roller coaster of emotions and was very different from the experience I expected.

Before signing up to foster, I tried to do as much research as I could so I’d have an idea of what to expect. But the information I found online is so generic, I didn’t find it to be helpful. Yet even after completing my first foster experience, I still don’t know what to expect for the next. The reasons? Every animal is different. They have different personalities and needs, and as a foster you have to adapt your care as you get to know them so you can best meet those needs. Plus, if you foster with different organizations, the process, communication style and general expectations might be vastly different from one organization to the next.

This rock star Murphy was our very first foster.

If you’re considering fostering, how could you possibly get an idea of what it’s like before you decide if you should move forward? I’m hopeful that hearing the stories of multiple fosters will help give a broader understanding of what you can expect. Many thanks to those who have contributed! Their stories, and mine, are below.