realitysoundbites. There’s No Place Like Home For A Shelter Pet
Fostering Saves Lives. If there can be any good news from 2020, it is that many animal shelters were cleared of adoptables by families wanting to adopt or volunteers wanting to foster. We posted an inquiry on social media asking for experiences from those who were fostering as a result of staying home. We selected these two from the dozens of responses we received.
Why I Foster by Holly Mayes
After losing my rescue Beagle, Snoopy, in June, my house was
lonely. It is just me and I work from home. I needed an assistant. You know – someone to alert me to the important things like lizards and squirrels in the yard, or when I got a delivery – because my doorbell doesn’t have much personality when it speaks. I volunteer with FLUFF Animal Rescue in Seminole,
Florida, so I reached out to them about fostering. They asked me to take in a Bassett Hound mix, Freckles. She didn’t like to be alone, so we were a perfect match. Freckles came to the rescue in pretty bad shape, missing fur and covered in fleas. She also showed signs of abuse, didn’t like sudden movement or loud sounds, and was standoffish towards men. Freckles loved belly rubs, which made it easy for me to rub her down with coconut oil to help with her skin.
She enjoyed watching out the window and singing to me when there was movement outside. I have an adult son who would stop over, and after some gentle introductions (and a few treats), Freckles began taking to him. Her fur grew back nicely and she is full of spunk. She has now been adopted into an entirely male household and even has a furbrother with whom she is sharing her best life. The day after Freckles was adopted I began fostering Argos
and Tiki, also from FLUFF. The three-year-old Beagle Boys were bonded brothers, each with their own personality. One is cool and laid back, the other is sassy and full of energy. I foster-failed and ended up adopting The Beagle Boys.
The love between them and my two young grandsons is beautiful. I will never worry again of missing a delivery, a squirrel or lizards, or even a leaf blowing, because these two are on top of it.
Animals will pick up on stressors from humans. During these
uncertain times, we all need some extra love and unconditional love is abundant with dogs. If there is anything you can get joy out with both success and failure, it’s fostering.
(Left and center): Freckles came to FLUFF Animal Rescue with no fur. While fostering Freckles, Holly gave her lots of love and treated her skin issues. Freckles’ fur grew back and her personality opened up. (Right): Holly fostered the Beagle Brothers, also from FLUFF. FLUFF Animal Rescue, 9400 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. 727.258.7448.
FluffAnimalRescue.org
A Selfless Service To Humanity Why I Foster by Lilla Bordas
We fostered two puppies in April 2020 only to
“foster fail” and adopt one, our little Hazel.We’ve been fostering countless kitten families over the last four years too. It’s such a great way to teach my kids to care for ani- mals. It also teaches them selflessness. We help raise them and then let them go to be adopted by other families or individuals. It is the hardest part of fostering, but also very rewarding.
U
Photograph of Hazel by Lilla Bordas Portraits 20 THE NEW BARKER
The two puppies that Lilla and her family fostered were from A Kitten Place. The all-volunteer organization is dedicated to saving homeless and orphaned kittens and cats in the Tampa Bay area.Volunteers with the Brandon/Valrico-based organiza- tion also participate in TNVR (trap, neuter, vet and return) opportunities throughout the region. To view adoptable cats and kittens, visit their website:
AKittenPlace.org - Email:
akittenplace@gmail.com
www.TheNewBarker.com
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