Meet Spike, Dianne and Hank’s foster fail

Editor’s Note: Animal lovers from way back, it was no surprise when Hank and wife Diane announced they were fostering dogs. Thanks to Facebook, I’ve watched each furry soul flourish under their care so I asked them to share the experience. I’m grateful they agreed!

We have always had dogs in our lives. In 2023, two years after saying another painful goodbye, this time to Max, our Golden Retriever, missing a furry companion but not yet ready to adopt, a friend suggested fostering. She introduced us to A Little at a Time Rescue (ALAAT), “an all-volunteer, non-profit, animal welfare organization dedicated to the rescue and placement of stray, neglected and abused animals. They partner with like-minded rescue organizations in the U.S. who identify dogs in overcrowded shelters who are at high risk of euthanasia.”  Texas accounts for the highest number of shelter animals euthanized annually (60,000-80,000+ per year).

So, after much discussion, we signed up. We went through a rigorous vetting process before we were accepted as foster parents. In June 2023, not knowing what to expect, we picked one from pictures of dogs in need of a committed foster family in order to make the trek up from Texas. Other than gender, approximate age, and a guess as to breed, we are not given much more information. We didn’t know if they were abused, abandoned, owner-surrendered, or if they were house trained.

Clockwise from top left other dogs that Hank and Dianne have fostered – Finn and Apollo, Nova, River and Shadow. Don’t they warm your heart?

Our first rescue arrived after 3 long days on a transport bus with about 50 other dogs. We were required to crate him for the trip home from the drop-off point, and told to double leash him on the chance he was a flight risk. We think he was so excited to get off the transport that he jumped on us and settled in with no problem. That was not the case with our last 2 fosters, who were very timid to come out of their crate, and one was afraid of being outside and hated a leash, but did well with a harness. It is remarkable to see these poor pups blossom. It’s almost as if they know they are finally safe.

Our role as a foster parent is to help the dog feel secure, learn to trust, know love, and establish routines. We also try to determine how they respond to other people, children, dogs, cats, etc. Usually there is a 3-3-3 transition period (3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn a new routine, 3 months to feel fully at home). Our experience with the many dogs we have fostered is that they are settled in within 3-10 days.

Then we write a bio to send to ALAAT that posts the dog for adoption and does the initial vetting of potential adopters. From there, we get to decide which family will be the best fit for our foster, first through a series of Chats and then by an in-person visit. If all goes well on both sides, our foster is off to his/her new home amid hugs, promises to stay in touch, and a lot of tears. We are fortunate that almost ALL of our wonderful adoptive families have kept in touch with us through calls, photos, and videos.

The Rewards of Fostering?

– Saving a life;

– The joy of watching a dog develop its unique personality;

– Seeing how resilient they are despite their unknown background;

– Setting them up to thrive in their permanent home; and

– Although it is hard to let them go, we know they are leaving us for their forever home, but with a permanent place in our hearts.

For one pup, Spike, we fostered and then adopted him (commonly known as a foster fail). He has proven to be the perfect boy and the ideal foster brother and mentor to our subsequent fosters.

Have you been a foster to a furry friend? What has your experience been like?

Join the community by subscribing to our newsletter today.