Do Something Kind: Fostering a Dog

I’ve been obsessed with dogs for as long as I can remember. I tore through every puppy-themed book in the library but my ultimate pride and joy was the great Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds that probably weighed more than I did. I would sprawl across the family room and quiz unsuspecting family members: “which dog needs groomed twice a week and is considered high energy?” I especially loved looking at the pictures. Every dog was a good dog. 

Growing up like this, the running joke was that I would, of course, have dozens of dogs some day. I moved to New York City after college and between low-paying, fully in office jobs and multiple roommates (in tiny apartments) and just general metropolitan shenanigans, I never felt “ready” to welcome a dog into my home. Oh I talked about it all the time. I pet sat for friends and even spent 6 months getting paid to walk a dog in the evenings. But a dog is a big commitment and I wasn’t sure I was in a place to give an animal the care and attention they would require.

In the last year and a half, the dog tug has been even stronger. Blame it on a hybrid work schedule or a cozy apartment or a singular roommate (my partner), but suddenly, I was craving the companionship of a furry friend. Once more, the nervousness crept in—having a dog in New York City is not the same as having a dog in rural Western PA where I grew up. My life, finances, and relationships, feel stable but I’m still an active person who travels quite a bit for work and otherwise. Maybe we should start simpler. Maybe we should foster.

Last Saturday, my partner and I took the train to the West Village to meet 7-year-old Terra. She had just arrived from Georgia with four other dogs who were on the euthanasia list. They hopped out of the transport vehicle and the other fosters all claimed their temporary dog. Terra was immediately comfortable and immediately curious. While her other friends seemed to want to sit and wait for whatever came next, Terra was eager to check out her new city. 

I don’t know too much about Terra’s past, but I do know that in May she was severely attacked by another dog in her home. She was surrendered to the shelter and she spent 2 months healing from her injuries. She has some weight to gain but otherwise, is a healthy, happy girl.

Terra is an English Coonhound mix, a breed known for their exceptional hunting abilities, their speed and stamina, and their killer snouts. This dog can sniff. As she’s been with us, I’ve watched her explore our neighborhood with such a genuine sense of adventure. She really wants to learn the world around her in a way that I find absolutely meltworthy. 

Some important facts about our girl—she has an appetite but never begs or steals our food, even when it is at her eye level. She sniffs everything on walks, but never tries to pick up anything like trash, food, etc. She sometimes barks at other dogs on walks, but it’s never an aggressive bark and her tail is always wagging. Mind you this dog was attacked. And yet she remains unafraid. 

She loves going for walks (currently many, many short ones a day because of the heat). She loves feeling enclosed and finding small places to lay down and nap. She has “killed” every toy we’ve given her. (Once she’s ripped into them, I remove the squeaker for safety reasons and then return the toy. It is much less interesting to her at that point.) Still, with each passing day she becomes more playful, catching her stuffies and sometimes engaging in a short game of apartment-fetch. 

She immediately got on board with the routine we created for her. She knows when her meals are coming and she knows when it’s time for reading in bed. She can get anxious but every day is growing more and more confident. Every person she meets she loves. As her adoption page says, “She simply wants to be near someone kind, to be offered a soft word or a gentle hand.”

We’ve had Terra for just over a week and the love we have been given in that time is unmatched. As I write this, we are sitting on the couch, sharing a blanket, her legs just barely pressed up against mine. Oh don’t get me wrong, I will cry when Terra leaves, but the idea that we played even a small part in her journey to her forever home is everything.

I’ve wanted to foster dogs for as long as I can remember. I always thought about it as this incredibly special thing you could do, saving animals' lives, getting them out of a shelter, helping them adjust to a home and family. And that’s all true. But she’s also brought so much love into our home. She is truly a good dog.

The number of times I look at this beautiful, kind, resilient girl and get emotional is countless. 

If you have the space. If you have the time. If you have the resources. Consider signing up to foster an animal in your community. There are so many who just want a soft place to land. And wherever Terra finds her forever home, I’ll be so grateful for the small part we played and the joy and the love that she gave.