The most common response I get when I tell people I foster for 4 Paws for Ability is, "I would never be able to do that. I would get way to attached and wouldn't be able to give the dog back. I don't know how you do it."
At first, I felt the exact same way. I was handed this adorable little black lab named Lingo and immediately didn't know how I was going ever give him up. I mean, look at him.
Fast forward four months of spending every day with this guy. Grocery shopping, late nights in the library, Chipotle dinners an embarrassing number of times a week, you name it my four legged partner in crime was by my side. I even got to spend Christmas with him (Santa spoiled him like crazy)! The days started ticking by and before I knew it I only had two days left.
I won't lie-- I cried. A lot. Even though you know it's coming the whole time, it doesn't make goodbye any easier. You get accustomed to having this dog with you all the time and giving them up is hard. That being said, it's worth every second.
After the college program, your foster can either graduate and be placed as a working service dog, be chosen as a breeder dog or be adopted out as a pet.
At first, I thought it was going to be awful if one of my dogs "failed" and were adopted out, because I wanted to keep them all forever. It took awhile, but I realized that realistically they are so much better off in a home with an owner who can plan their life more than an hour in advance-- let alone care for a dog for the next 10 years. I was lucky enough to have the new owner of one of my "failures" reach out to me and as you can see I think she's pretty happy with her new life.
That being said, nothing beats hearing that your foster has passed through advanced training and is getting paired with a child to become a working service dog. I remember getting on Facebook and seeing this post:
I was at work when I first saw it and I actually screamed because I got so excited; it's fine, they only judged me a little. The countdown to graduation started and I couldn't wait to not only see Lingo again, but to see him placed with the family he would spend the rest of his life with.
I cannot express how rewarding, heartwarming and just all around amazing experiencing a service dog graduation was. Having the chance to talk with the families and listen to the things their dogs have done for them already in the two short weeks they've been together was incredible. I never truly realized the impact a service dog can have on not only a child's life, but their families as well until I witnessed firsthand one of the dogs stop a meltdown in a matter of minutes that normally would have taken upwards of half an hour to control. Or families talking about the fact that for the first time ever they were able to go to dinner with their child and stay for more than 20 minutes, or how their child slept in their own bed for the first time in five years-- all because of their new dog. In two short weeks of training with their families, these dogs already became such a staple aspect of their lives and it's amazing to know you played a part in that.
Becoming a foster for 4 Paws for Ability was by far one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. Having the opportunity to play even the smallest role in the journey these families take in order to get a service dog is worth every second and every teary goodbye. Giving the dogs back never gets easier, and I don't think it ever will, but I would do it a thousand times to see the smiles on the faces of their new partners in crime.
