This summer I was browsing through Facebook like I usually do. I came across some hound mix puppies who needed a foster home. I see a lot of these posts and hit the share button, hoping someone does, but this time I couldn’t get this particular photo out of my head.
The post said the puppies were required to be fostered in pairs and the volunteer who made the post said they were begging. What possessed me, a mom with a full-time job, to take on this task that I had no idea what I was doing was beyond me, but something in me said I just had to. And so, I did.
The puppies came to me at 8 weeks old. I picked them up at 11 p.m. at night from the founder of Magic’s Mission Beagle and Hound Rescue. There she was, a kindhearted woman, standing outside of her home holding the last two puppies she was to give to their foster homes after an incredibly long day of driving to the south to rescue them. She is an angel.
When I got home with the puppies, they were as adorable as could be. They were very curious and pooped and peed anywhere they could. I gave them some dinner and they went fast to sleep, until the middle of the night.
You see having puppies is similar to having a newborn baby. Not exactly the same, but similar. You have to get up when they tell you to, you have to change their puppy pads and clean them up if they make a mess on themselves, you have to comfort them when they cry, and you have to teach them to sleep on their own in their crate.
I had bags under my eyes, but a whole lot of love in my heart. I was able to disconnect from the real world and enjoy these moments with two puppies I was growing very fond of. And the best part was, Magic’s Mission was there for me every step of the way. Any question I had, any concern I had, they were there. I felt so lucky to have chosen a rescue (out of the blue) that ended up being so professional and awesome to work with.
It came time to find the pups a home and the puppy I named Sadie was adopted right away to an amazing home. I was able to be part of that experience and see her off.
Belle, the smallest of the litter, also had a lot of interest, but she needed to be in a home that suited her breed. When one wasn’t found, my family decided to keep her. I am a foster fail, but I believe she was brought to me for a special reason.
My experience with fostering was a successful and happy one. Many wonder where they should foster, and I knew I had to share my experience with Magic’s Mission, based right here in Amherst. The more fosters they have, the more pups they can save! All you have to do is fill out an application, have a home visit by a Magic’s Mission volunteer, and go from there. There is no cost to you as a foster, except opening up your heart and home. There’s lots of dogs, not just puppies, that need a warm place to rest their head and that place can be yours.
Visit Magic’s Mission on Facebook to learn more. You can also fill out a foster application here: www.magicsmission.com/foster
