Some pets are not quite ready

When we use sports analogies in discussing animal welfare issues, it can be a little tricky, at best. Sometimes, though, these analogies can do a good job of describing a segment of our work that often goes unnoticed but is very important. The subject I'm writing about this week is foster care.

In my mind, foster care is like a farm system in baseball, a developmental league in basketball or the practice squad in football. These leagues develop future stars who, for a variety of reasons, aren't ready to shine in the big stadiums and arenas just yet. Maybe they need to develop a consistent jump shot or learn to hit the curveball.

They may have "turned pro" too early, before they were physically and emotionally mature enough to handle the bright lights of stardom. They may not run a good route, relying on their natural athletic ability to succeed, which worked fine for them in high school and college. In these leagues, they gain the skills necessary for advancement to the big leagues someday.

Foster care has some parallels for cats and dogs. At the Aiken SPCA and at other animal shelters, we take in lots of animals who aren't ready for "prime time" just yet. Like in sports, there are a wide variety of reasons why. Some dogs come in testing heartworm positive. Their previous owner didn't spend the money to purchase monthly preventive from their veterinarian and now the dog has a disease that will be fatal, if left untreated.

These dogs simply need a quiet place (which is hard to find at a shelter) to recover from their treatment. Foster care volunteers, either with no other animals at home or a quiet spot to share, keep these dogs for a few months until they fully recover and can be adopted into their permanent, loving homes.

Another reason why dogs, in particular, need fostering occasionally is for behavioral or stress issues. We may have an 80 pound dog who came to us with no previous training or care provided at all. He may not know how to act around strangers or other dogs and may pull you down the street if you try to take him for a walk.

An experienced foster parent will incorporate a routine with exercise, calm-assertive leadership and affection. Sometimes, within a few short weeks, this wild and crazy dog turns into a model citizen who quickly gets adopted. Foster parents can achieve quicker successes away from the hustle and bustle of a busy animal shelter.

Sometimes an animal comes in who is distrustful or scared of people. It may have been abused or neglected by its previous owner or simply have grown up on the streets, never enjoying a good home in their whole lives. Living in a shelter environment right away often isn't the best way to build trust in humans. Foster parents with patience and understanding come to the rescue and help these dogs and cats come out of their shell. In a short time, the animals learn that they can trust people and their true personality comes out.

Once in a while, we are blessed with a foster parent who takes on even harder cases, like dogs with mange or animals recovering from surgery. Animal shelters are recipients of animals arriving in all kinds of conditions. Foster parents who have the right setup at home, the right skills to handle unusual situations and the willingness to take on these tough cases are a treasure to any animal welfare organization.

The final types of dogs or cats we need to foster on a regular basis are the animals who are too young to adopt. Sometimes the mother dog or cat comes with the puppies or kittens - sometimes not. We see newborns and very young animals that are too young to be put up for adoption. Many need to be bottle-fed until they are a little bigger. Again, trying to accomplish this at a shelter is not in the best interest of the animals. Foster parents are lifesavers to these little ones, giving them a chance at being adopted and into a loving home soon.

Whether you foster for the Aiken SPCA, Molly's Militia, Aiken County or any other group, you are making a huge difference in many lives. Thank you for all you do. You're helping to develop the future animal stars who will brighten the lives of adopters. If you would like to learn more about fostering, call 648-6863 or visit the shelter at 401 Wire Road.