Why Foster? Let Us Count The Reasons . . .

The Sighthound Underground can’t do what it does without foster homes. And we have some awesome foster homes – from Washington, D.C., to Washington state and every place in between. But, like other good things – we can always use one more.

Are you interested in fostering a SHUG dog? Let’s ask our awesome fosters a simple question: Why foster?

Kristie in Maryland -- I could yammer forever. Rewards? Knowing that because of you that dog gets to know what love and family is. They don't have to face the world alone anymore. It’s about being part of someone meeting their best friend, of meeting a new part of their heart. We’ve watched Lego use his leg again. We’ve seen Zeevah feel secure and safe. We’ve watched scared nervous dogs learn they don't have to be afraid anymore. We played a part in Pilar going from the bottom of a well to a sofa. The list is endless really.

Elizabeth in Indiana -- It depends somewhat on what dog I'm fostering. With greyhounds, there are lots of firsts as the entire world is new. Watching them playing with toys, walking them in a neighborhood, etc. With Galgos . . . some have been mistreated. I remember when Bobby first arrived. I was baking and I picked up a teaspoon. He cowered as if he thought I would hit him with it. He wanted to snuggle so badly on the couch. Within a few days he was learning to play and learning I would not hurt him. I love seeing them go to their forever homes. I love getting updates on how they are doing. Facebook is great for that.

fosterbambiBonnie in Illinois -- I think it is wonderful to watch the dogs unfold and learn about a different world. It’s nice to hand-off a dog to its new owner and to hear how the foster dog is doing in its forever home. I have a well-established pack of my own and the pack always welcomes a new dog in and gives it some security while it learns more about people.

Kim in Iowa -- Sue and I love Sighthounds. We have many -- we want them all. How to accomplish this?  Why, foster, of course.  Three of our dogs are "foster failures," but in the past year, we’ve lived with six or seven additional dogs.  We’ve had an Irish wolfhound, a Greyhound, a few Galgos and an Afghan hound. Some of the dogs had some emotional issues, some had been abused or traumatized, some were just plain abandoned. They all had one thing in common: they were among the most loving, dear, sweet animals on earth.  We were able to watch how they began to love and trust. They let us into their lives, and we were privileged to have the honor. But best of all, at the end of our time together, we knew each of these dogs would finally have the home they so richly deserved.

Erica in New York -- Originally we decided to foster because our dogs were getting older and we hoped to adopt a larger Sighthound, and we wanted to see how they'd fit in our household. We foster both for a local greyhound group, GAGR, and SHUG. It's been a great experience--we've enjoyed having the fosters here as playmates for our dogs, but we're also happy to see them move on to their permanent homes. In the past 9 months, we lost both of our remaining old dogs; but we ended up adopting first a Galgo from SHUG, then a greyhound from GAGR.  And we’re continuing to foster for both groups. We were used to having four dogs anyway! By only having two of them 'forever' and the others only temporarily, we can help more dogs than if we adopted two more dogs. This way, we can allow many more dogs to stay in a safe place until they're ready to move onto their forever homes.

Tonya in Michigan -- Whenever I have a foster, someone inevitably says "well, maybe YOU will keep her." I tell them no because if I do, I can't save another life. I get to be the difference in whether a dog gets to live or die. Maybe not the dog I have directly but because I foster, and other people like me foster, there is room to take in more dogs. I get to make a difference. As for letting them go... I'm not going to lie. It's SO difficult. You can't help but fall in love with your fosters. Handing them over to their adoptive homes hurts for a little while. Then you see your foster is happy with his new family. You see the smiles on the family's face. Not only have you changed that dog's life, but you've changed that family's life as well. And you start all over again . . .

Have we convinced you to give it a try? Fill out our foster application here.

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