The gift (and blessing) of fostering

The gift (and blessing) of fostering

OFOSA (Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals) recently celebrated their Foster of the Month, the Esther and Gary Liberman.

The Libermans had this to say about their fostering experience:

“We have been fostering for OFOSA for a little over 2 years. Attie is our 10th foster. Some have been with us as little as 5 days, others as long as 6 months. Since we’re still pretty new at this, each one has been a learning experience.

We began fostering several years after our beloved dog Nacho passed. We missed having a dog, and felt ready to give some love, but weren’t sure if we were ready for full-time ownership. Needless to say, fostering has turned out to be far more intense than full-time ownership, but it’s immensely gratifying.

We believe that at some point our next permanent

dog will reveal him/herself, but we hope that even then we can keep fostering.

This is important: people always ask ‘How can you do it? How can you part with the dogs after your sweet time together?’ I have two answers.

One is that you know from the start it’s not your dog. You are just dog-sitting for a friend.

The other answer is that it’s kind of like walking your child down the wedding aisle. You gave everything to love and raise them, and now their new life begins. You can’t help shedding a tear, but of course you’re happy for them. I wish more people would let themselves experience this feeling.”

Fosters are always needed. If you would like to explore giving a pet a home until they find their forever home, visit ofosa.org to learn more.