Have you ever considered fostering a rescued dog?

As I look over the chaos that is our family room - dogs chewing on bones, wrestling, licking my face, stealing my shoes - I wonder, why don't more people sign up for this? I get to have all this fun for free, in fact I even get free food if I want it (for the dogs, of course). I get to go outside at o'dark thirty and follow dogs around picking up dog poop when it's so cold I can barely feel my fingers (can wait for that snow to come over night tonight!) I get to teach basic dog manners too - did you know that it IS possible to say "off!" 20 times in one minute? Try it sometime, see if you can get all 20 in in 60 seconds. Does it get any better than this?

We've had counter surfers, crate barkers, hungry dogs who can jump as high as I am tall. We've had criers, good balls who act like Muppet's, and long haired dogs that we had to blow dry - and we've only been at this for 5 months! Think of the fun you could have!

We've also had dogs who melt in your arms and sleep like babies because they finally feel safe. We've had dogs who want nothing more than to snuggle in your lap and just be. Dogs who have given gentle, respectful kisses, as if they are saying thank you for a little love and some food. Dogs who want nothing more than a good walk on a sunny day, ears back and tail wagging the whole time, happy just to be alive. That's one of the best parts of fostering. I truly believe that our dogs - fosters and family dogs - wake up every morning the happiest dogs in the world - happy to be here another day. We could all learn a lot from dogs.

Have you ever considering being a part of this? Taking in a foster dog takes less work than you think, and while you think you will get to attached to them, consider this: being a foster home for dogs means you get a new dog every few weeks - or less! Really fun stuff. Couple that with knowing that for every dog you foster you save at least 2 lives - the one of the foster and the one of the dog who got a spot in the shelter because there was 1 more free spot. That's a two-fur if there ever was one!

Please consider fostering a dog in need - it will change the dog's life, and yours.