Fostering Dogs Gone Wrong

Several years ago I decided to start volunteering for a dog rescue in Tuscaloosa. I decided to volunteer originally because two of my friends worked for the rescue. It started out as cleaning cages and feeding the dogs every afternoon. One of the things the rescue does is find foster homes for dogs in order to take in more canines from pounds. The dogs from the rescue are adopted to families after extensive background checks and then driven up north to their new homes when ready.

I already had a dog, a spoiled dog that I adopted twelve years ago. She’s overweight, has beds all over the house, and stairs into the bed. She has always run my house since I got her. She had seizures at one point, was taken to a specialist at Mississippi State, and recovered. Recently, at 12 years old, she tore her ACL and MCL. I was given the option to put her through a $5,000 surgery or put her down. My selfishness pushed me to take her to Birmingham and put her through a TPLO procedure. However, she has recovered and is doing well.

One day I had the bright idea that I should foster one of the dogs the rescue I was volunteering for was attempting to get out of a kill shelter. He was in the euthanization cage, meaning the next dog to come in would take his spot and he would be put to sleep. He had scars on his chest from whoever his previous owner was, and was deeply frightened of people.

The first night he came to stay with me, he had mud all over him, so the first thing I did was bathe him. When it was time for bed, I put him in my room with myself and my other dog Bella. He wandered around for awhile confused. I remember this look he gave me when he walked over to the dog bed against the wall. It was almost like he was asking if he was allowed to lay down there. Maybe he thought he would get beat if he were to lay down on that bed. It broke my heart to see him so scared.

Day 2 I was told to take pictures of this dog, called Milo. It was hard to get him to pose for me, but I think I got some cute pictures. The rescue wanted him to get use to being around people again before adopting him out, so I had planned on having him for at least a month. I remember calling my mom that day and she said to me, “you might as well welcome that dog to the family,” though at that point I had no intention on keeping him.

As time went on, Milo slowly starting warming up to me. I noticed scars all over his chest which I assume came from his original owner. How anyone can take a dog to a kill shelter and drop it off to die, I would never understand. What else I will never understand is how anyone could abuse a sweet innocent dog.

Days went by, weeks went by, and Milo became more and more comfortable with me. He wanted attention from me, to sit in my lap, to lick on me, and lay in bed with me. Then, the foster group asked me to take more pictures, post them online, and preferably find him a new home.

The thought of giving up this sweet boy who had finally opened up to me and appeared to be starting to love me was breaking my heart to think about. I faced an internal battle, and I think everyone can guess which option won out. I texted my friend at the rescue and told her I couldn’t bring myself to give him up. He would be my dog for good, no more fostering, and no more moving from home to home.

To this day, I have had Milo for 5 years. He’s skiddish around men and takes awhile to warm up to new people, but eventually becomes hard to let go of. He’s part of the family. He knows when to ask for water, where his food is going to be put, where his spot in the bed is, and where his dog bed is. Unfortunately, I’m the only one he fully trusts, I guess because I rescued him. But it makes my heart feel a little better knowing I saved one life.

I certainly know that I would never foster another dog, I would just end up with a house full of dogs. My fiancé says that when I retire I need to open my own dog rescue. And even though I say I saved his life, Milo saved my life in a way. He made me look at the world in a different light. People can be cruel, and this dog is a living, breathing miracle that I had the opportunity to keep alive.

Today we go to the dog park, Milo, Bella, my fiancé, his two kids, and myself. We go on trips, he enjoys his treats, cuddles up in bed, snores really loud. But most of all Milo is a blessing to me. However, I learned my lesson with fostering. You’d think adopting Milo was amazing for him but adopting Milo has changed me for the better! I would recommend adopting over paying for a dog anyday, it’s like saving a life, and I cannot think of a better feeling.