Animals are the purest things this world has to offer. People spend countless hours looking at pet photos and watching silly cat videos online every day. Humans, in general, love animals. All this, yet so many people go without having their own pets for one reason or another. Some may have allergies, others may not be allowed to have them in their homes, and some may not be able to afford to take care of a living creature. I have a solution to many of the issues people have with pets, that solution is fostering.
Animal shelters usually offer a foster program, which allows people to take the adoptable animals home for a period of time and take care of them while they're waiting to be adopted. There are many reasons to foster, and I'm here to enlighten you to this wonderful practice.
1. Fostering is Free
Shelters charge for adoption, and depending the shelter, the fee could be pretty expensive. Because of this, many people decide not to adopt. If this is the case for you, go to your local shelter and ask about their fostering program, most of the time they will provide most of the things you need for the animal when you pick it up to bring home. The shelter I work with occasionally sends the foster parents home with a small bag of food, a few toys and if they are fostering a cat, they will provide a litter box for them to bring home.
2. It Helps Mental Health
Not only yours, but the animal's as well. Animals that spend too much time in a shelter tend to get restless, and it can make it harder, if not impossible, to adopt them. In some cases, shelters will put the animal down if their mental health has been compromised too much from being left in a kennel. On the human end, playing with animals reduces stress levels and can help promote good routines which are pertinent for strong mental health.
3. Fostering Helps Make Animals More Adoptable
When someone brings a puppy home to foster it, they usually train it while it is living there. House broken animals and animals with basic obedience training are much more likely to be adopted. Also, when you have friends come over to see the pet, you can try and get them to adopt the animal, or at least recruit them to foster as well.
4. It Is A Good Trial Run
Are you unsure if you have time for a pet? Do you not know if your other pet would be okay with the new animal in the house? Fostering makes a perfect trial run to figure all of that out. You get to spend real time with the animal and see how well they will work for you and your life. You get to see what it would take to adopt that puppy you've been gushing over for so long.
5. You Can Always Adopt Later
When you foster, there is always the chance that you fall in love with the pet you have brought into your home. Well, that's not a problem! If no one else has expressed interest, you are free to adopt them! You will have to pay the adoption fee at this point, but if it's meant to be, then the fee shouldn't even matter.
If you live in the Upstate South Carolina area, you can contact Crossroads Animal Rescue about fostering an animal today. They are an amazing organization that always gives their animals the best care. If you cannot adopt or foster, you can always donate or sponsor an animal. (The pup in the cover photo is John! He's available for adoption or foster through CARE)
There is also the Humane Society of Greenwood. They also offer a foster program and are always looking for some extra help. Give these two organizations a look! Keep supporting our furry friends!
