MEET BELLA
Bella is about to be the Chatterjee family’s second foster fail. The three-year-old great dane is the second foster pup to waltz through the semi-suburban Atlanta farm and melt the hearts of the entire family. Her dad, Ankur, says that there is no better way to be kind to animals then to invite them into your home and give them the love they deserve.
“Part of fostering is also foster failing,” he says, adding that he has one other foster fail at home. “If you really love dogs then it’s ok to foster fail when it’s the right dog. I’m about to foster fail on this one, I think.”
Bella and her dad say that they know there are many families out there who have great interest in fostering their first fur friend but are unsure of where to start. If you’re on the edge of making your big decision, Bella says there are three ways to know whether or not you would be a great pet parent.
1. YOU ARE A PATIENT HUMAN
On average, it will take 90 days for a foster pup to finally feel comfortable and acclimate to their home. Like any human, dogs need some level of stability for some amount of time to feel safe, secure — really, to feel like themselves again.
For the first three days, we’re often depressed. We may not eat or drink and we’re likely to test the boundaries of what’s OK and what’s not OK in our new environment with our new people.
After three weeks, you’ll see our real personality start to shine through because we’ve finally established a routine and we’re getting to get this sense of, hey, I think I can trust these humans. New behavior issues may start to appear only because, hey, we’re learning to speak each other’s language. I’m communicating my needs and expectations as much as we’re trying to absorb and adapt to yours.
After three months, we finally know you people and we hope you know us too. Behaviors, communications, and routines have been established. Generally speaking, this is when true trust and a true bond can be developed. Every pup is different and it’s critical that a foster family be prepared with the patience that’s required to get through the first 90 days.
2. YOU HAVE SOME MONEY
Not a lot of rescues have the resources to subsidize medications, pet food, and other essential needs. As a result, we’re looking for a home that has a monthly budget that they’re able and willing to set aside for their new family member.
3. TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE
More humans than ever are working from home than ever before! In fact, last week Twitter announced that its employees will work from home forever!
This is great for any pup because we don’t like to be home alone for longer than four to six hours.
If you’re one of those humans with a work schedule that allows for petting, scratching, walking, at-home play, and a lot of affection most hours of most days, then you would definitely make a great foster parent!
#ADOPTDONTSHOP
May 20 is national dog rescue day and it’s important to us that we share your heartwarming foster family stories. SwiftPaws is inviting you to share your foster story on the Facebook SwiftPaws Community Group page in an effort to help to inspire a next generation of dog lovers to foster, volunteer, and adopt.