08/02/2025
Why do we foster?
We foster, to show the dogs what an amazing life they can live with a loving and caring family, despite what they may have encountered before coming into NWBR. Also, we foster because foster dad is a sucker for our cuteness and energy.
We have been fostering off and on for years as our lives permit it. We believe fostering helps our children (6 & 3) grow. It shows them love & compassion for a dog that is not necessarily ours forever but still deserving of all the love and compassion we can give them.
We use my volunteer work to help show our children that dogs have emotions, express themselves in unique ways, and have a mix of interests. We tie these learning moments into our everyday experiences and discuss that people, in many ways, are the same way. This helps teach our children emotional intelligence and how they can have a positive impact on the people around them. It is also a great step into teaching them responsibility. We take small steps as their age allows, such as helping us feed the dogs or refilling the water bowl.
Of course, there are some minor challenges along the way. As a family, when we bring a new foster into the home, we work to define the boundaries needed for that specific pup. This can be difficult to explain to kids, but with practice and patience, they grasp the idea very well. Also, we explain the history (if we know it) for the pup and how/why they ended up in the rescue. Some of the histories are hard to understand for a young mind, but to see the processing of information and the critical thinking that goes on with them, is awesome to see! And the biggest hurdle for us; DON’T fall in love with every single pup that we help. This last one can be the hardest on the adoption day, but compassion from us and taking the time to listen to the kids and help them process the emotions, works very well.
Even with these minor challenges, we encourage families to share the experience with their children. We believe the overall experience, the learning and understanding of rules or limits, understanding emotions, and providing age-appropriate responsibilities; all benefit our family and the pups we help.
Every dog deserves a chance at a better life. We are proud to support NWBR and their mission to help as many Boxers as possible. Fostering is a rewarding endeavor. One that I hope many people will choose to do. Like us, you can foster on and off as life events allow or foster full-time. Every foster is important. We can’t put into words, the joy and excitement of seeing a once troubled dog live up to their potential!
- NWBR Foster Family W.
Apply today - https://www.nwboxerrescue.org/foster
