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What does it take to be a good foster? Jessica Bivens says it takes a good heart, lots of patience, and knowing when to ask for help when you need it.
And if you foster puppies, like Jessica does, it also takes a lot of rugs. “We went through a lot of rugs – and still are,” Jessica said. It takes a while, she says, to figure out “the best timing for potty breaks and how a good quality food can make a difference.”
In the year she has been working with SOLR, Jessica has fostered seven labs. If you count the work she has done earlier with other rescues, she counts being a foster mom to 22 different dogs over the last seven years.
Puppies are Jessica’s preference, mainly because that means she has more space in her house for more dogs, allowing her to take in multiple fosters at a time.
Her favorite was Mischief, who is now in his forever home and named Frank. Mischief was diagnosed with Parvo the day after he arrived as a foster. With help from the vet and some love and care, he was able to recover fully before finding his new family, where he is now thriving.
And then there was Griffin, another favorite foster. “He is such a sweet, gentle loving dog,” she said. When he arrived, he was skinny and had no energy to go on a walk, after rounds of treatment to cure a dog STD. “He was terrified of everything and had signs of abuse, but he still wanted love."
“Now he wiggles his butt nonstop with happiness and is a healthy boy.” Griffin was adopted last April.
The hardest part of being foster is saying goodbye. “It is bittersweet because we have most of the pups for months, and we grow a bond with them,” said Jessica. “But knowing they are going to their new families is a sweet moment.
“I always follow up after the first night, and then a few times after, to ease my own mind about them settling in to help with the transition,” Jessica said. “Most adopters continue to send me updates and photos which make me so happy to see them being so loved.”
The reward of being foster is the feeling you are making a difference, Jessica said. “Being a foster has opened my eyes so much to animal behaviors and personalities,” Jessica said. “No two dogs are the same. If you love animals and want to make a difference for these dogs, then becoming a foster is a wonderful way to do that.”
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