My favorite topic of choice is always fostering, however today I will add something to the mix and write about fostering pets in hospice care. The reason I want to bring attention to these special kind of foster pets is because just recently I started learning more and more about the dogs that are in hospice care in our organization. As a volunteer for a non-profit that focuses on senior dogs I expected to once in a while end up fostering a senior dog with a special need like arthritis or cataracts and taking care of them until they found a home.
However in some situations a foster pet becomes a Forever Foster.
What is a Forever Foster? They are special needs pets with severe health conditions ranging from liver disease to cancer and due to these conditions they are not considered easily adoptable. Many foster families out there tackle the charge of taking in a pooch or kitty or bunny and more in to their homes knowing they will have them perhaps only for a few months or maybe for a few weeks. And they do it with great love and attention while at the same time taking care of the daily medication, emergency vet visits and more.
While most of the dogs with St. Louis Senior Dog Project are adoptable we have a few dogs in hospice care. Some of our hospice dogs are dogs that have been with us for a while and have fallen ill and can't fully recover, others join us later on disposed off by their families or breeders after falling ill. I cannot imagine the amount of love all animals in hospice care receive from their foster families and I am truly thankful for the existence of people willing to help out in this way.No pet should have to cross Over the Rainbow Bridge alone or without experiencing the love of a home.
However in some situations a foster pet becomes a Forever Foster.
What is a Forever Foster? They are special needs pets with severe health conditions ranging from liver disease to cancer and due to these conditions they are not considered easily adoptable. Many foster families out there tackle the charge of taking in a pooch or kitty or bunny and more in to their homes knowing they will have them perhaps only for a few months or maybe for a few weeks. And they do it with great love and attention while at the same time taking care of the daily medication, emergency vet visits and more.
While most of the dogs with St. Louis Senior Dog Project are adoptable we have a few dogs in hospice care. Some of our hospice dogs are dogs that have been with us for a while and have fallen ill and can't fully recover, others join us later on disposed off by their families or breeders after falling ill. I cannot imagine the amount of love all animals in hospice care receive from their foster families and I am truly thankful for the existence of people willing to help out in this way.No pet should have to cross Over the Rainbow Bridge alone or without experiencing the love of a home.
Thank you foster parents out there and keep it up!
If you want to learn and help out more please check out the links below, it is only through fostering and donations that organizations can keep up taking care of special needs pets:
-Our Trick or Treat for Hospice Pets, we are raising funds for dogs in hospice care
-Mary's House a sanctuary helping rehab puppymill dogs with several forever fosters in their care.
- Elmsford Animal Shelter a no kill shelter in NY
-Angels Gate a shelter dedicated only to animals needing hospice care
-YOUR LOCAL RESCUE! Even if a local rescue is not 100% dedicated to pets needing hospice care chances are they have a couple of animals in their care that are considered hospice cases please consider fostering or sponsoring a hospice pet!.
-FOSTER!!!! any dog, cat, bunny, ferret or lizard. Open your home and your heart.
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