Things have been quiet in The Sniff’s corner of the internet over the past couple of weeks, but the behind the scenes have been anything but quiet. Last week, after almost five years of consistently (nonstop, really) fostering dogs, and after much discussion, we decided to adopt our current foster dog, Mama Julep. This sort of adoption is often referred to as a “foster fail,” and it was something I honestly never thought we would do.
There is a piece entitled, “An Open Letter To The People Who Tell Me To Adopt My Foster Dogs” that has always resonated with me, and I have shared it with others many times. (I recommend reading it if you haven’t already!) The author explains, with quite a bit of eloquence and just as much straight talk, why it can be hurtful for dog foster parents to hear that they should adopt their foster dogs. For years, I have felt just as described by the author when I would hear from others that I should adopt my fosters. It was painful to hear that people thought my foster dog would never be as happy in an adoptive home has he or she was in my home. 
I felt this way in the past even though I knew in my heart that it was not my job to, as a foster, to look for a “better” home than mine for my foster dogs. I was looking for a home where they would be loved and cared for, so that I could continue saving lives by continuing to foster others.
So what happened last week? Why did we “fail”? Quite simply, we realized that our lives are better with Mama Julep (especially Beau’s, who adores here like no other dog I’ve ever seen him with) and I believe she makes me a better rescuer. Although we won’t be able to foster the same types of dogs we have in the past (large adult dogs who often have behavioral or medical challenges to overcome before adoption, which means they stay with us for a while in preparation) we have identified a gap in our niche of the rescue world that we will be able to fill: puppies.
Seeing as Mama Julep lives up to her name with the young’uns, and since puppies are generally adopted quickly, we will be able to open our home to these dogs in need going forward. In fact, just a couple of days after our decision to adopt Mama Julep, we brought home 9 month old Floyd to stay with us for 10 days or so as a temporary foster. By having puppies available through our rescue, we hope to “increase traffic” to the rescues where they are available, which means more exposure for all of the rescue’s dogs.
So yes, I suppose we “failed.” And yes, I absolutely understand why it can be hurtful to be told to keep your foster dog, as I’ve experienced in the past. But this time, the hurt of saying goodbye, knowing that we will save more lives going forward with Mama Julep’s help, would have been greater.
Welcome home, Mama Julep. I can’t wait to see how much more you teach me – all of which I promise to share here on The Sniff!
