Would you like a cute, waggy tail to wake up to every day in the morning?

Because when you Foster, you take a homeless dog or puppy into your home and give them Love and Care all the way until they’re adopted. It’s a win for the animal shelter, the dog and you!

We’ve rounded up 6 heartwarming stories and foster advice from our fostering volunteers to help you consider being a foster parent this year:

A cute young little Poodle puppy named Shadow with dark black curly fur covering his body, sitting down inside a room with brown luxurious carpet next to many dog toys looking up at human taking picture — Are you ready to become a dog foster too? (Path of Hope Facebook)

Lynnetta Lewis. Foster at Path of Hope Rescue.

I started my fostering journey with Path of Hope Rescue last summer. While I am not new to the foster world, my experience is with fostering humans, and I convinced my husband to foster dogs as ”taking a break.”

He reluctantly agreed, “At least dogs don’t argue with you about everything.” One year and 28 dogs later, I am not sure he’d still stand by that statement. There have been a few sassy pups along the way.

Alongside fostering, our family loves to travel, camp and go off-roading. We also enjoy our movie nights. We have lots of other farm animals that keep us busy as well.

Fostering is the true juxtaposition of emotion. It is like watching a campy Hallmark movie, you laugh, you cry. How can something so difficult and so challenging also be so rewarding and so fun? But I assure you it is.

There have been a few pups that were incredibly hard to let go of. I particularly love the mamas. They have been through so much, often let down by humans. But they can begin to trust again and with patience and time, learn how to be loved. I love Alvin and his scruffy, funny face. Jasmine and her resiliency and spunk. Denali was so shy, and slowly but surely, she was coming out of her shell.

To anyone considering fostering or new to the Path of Hope pack, simply put, it's worth it! Be patient, ask questions, and lean on your support team. Letting go can be hard but doing so will allow you to help the next dog in need.

A cute little grown up dog named Indigo with white snowy fur, big round puppy eyes and cute nose walked by a human volunteer on front yard with grass looking happily at the camera — Letting go of your foster dogs can be hard because they’re too adorable! (Path of Hope Facebook)

Eric Kenworthy. Foster at Path of Hope Rescue.

I adopted Thor from Path of Hope Rescue in November of 2022, so in part to give back, and also to help socialize him, I started temp fostering. It’s been a really great way to both help the rescue as well as be helped by the rescue. Temp fostering is still my go-to almost 2 years later and I know it has contributed to not just Thor, but Leo (my 10-year-old Labrador) being able to handle most strange dogs and people.

I work at a local credit union in the continuous improvement department. We work with department leaders to help eliminate waste and save time! For fun I love anything involving a lake: paddle boarding, floating, camping, you name it.

My favorite foster has been Romaine so far. He seemed to fit right into my home and got along really well with my 2 dogs. While 3 dogs is not a long-term situation for me, I’m sure he will be a great addition to someone’s family!

For new fosters, my best piece of advice is to remember that you’re volunteering more than just your house. It takes a lot of practice to find the right balance of a fun pet parent, yet a firm leader, but you HAVE to be both. Remember that this 4 legged child has a different thought process and different needs than a 2 legged one 😉. Be open with your case manager and use them as a resource. Make friends with other fosters and use them too! I’m ALWAYS down to help new fosters get a new placement settled into their house.

A cute handsome grown up 4 year old big dog named Cornbread with light brown gray color fur with white spot sitting down on grass lawn playing with a tennis ball in his mouth looking forward at volunteer taking picture — Don’t mind me, I’m just eating my tennis ball.. (Path of Hope Facebook)

Jen Gwynne. Foster at Path of Hope Rescue.

I started fostering with Path of Hope Rescue because I wanted to rescue a Rottweiler puppy to keep. Here I am 6 years later still waiting… For fun, I like to read and be outdoors in HOT weather. I love concerts, traveling and concerts.

It’s hard to choose my favorite foster, several stand out, but I cried my eyes out when I took Jupiter to her new home.

My advice to new fosters is to just roll with it. There will be good days and bad, but overall it’s the most rewarding experience when they find their forever home.

Jessica Gardner. Foster at Path of Hope Rescue.

I started fostering for Path of Hope Rescue because I wanted to help animals, and get my puppy fix since I can't adopt anymore right now! I am a stay-at-home mom to 4 kids, 4 dogs, and 6 cats with a few more misc creatures. I take walks with the dogs and go places with my kids for fun.

My favorite foster was Cora! I tried to convince my husband we could have another 😂. My advice for new fosters is that there will be hard days and lots of poop, but in the end, seeing them get adopted to good homes is such a good feeling!

A cute little young puppy dog named Huey with light brown gray fur and darker black fur with big round puppy eyes running outside wearing a dog collar with a name tag in bone shape — Look at how happy they are when they finally find a new home! (Path of Hope Facebook)

Emily Strode. Foster at Path of Hope Rescue.

I started fostering for Path of Hope Rescue because it was one of those “I’ve always thought about it” in the back of my mind. I adopted Dave from the Despicable Me litter, now Lincoln, in 2019. I followed the Path of Hope Rescue page for so long and would always see the need for more fosters and in late 2020 I decided to sign up and go for it! It has always been a good experience and I appreciate the resources and support the rescue provides to fosters.

I work as a political consultant. I own my small business where I primarily work with candidates running for office and issue advocacy. So if you ever have questions when you get a ballot in the mail, I’m your gal! For fun, I love to garden and go paddle boarding in the summer. Lincoln even gets to come on the water sometimes, too!

My favorite foster definitely would’ve been Sorry! from the Board Game litter. We worked hard so she could conquer her shy disposition outside but she was such a great pup. She loved to sleep on top of my other dog Honey, who I think equally loved that. She was such a sweet girl and I think she found the best home, even though it wasn’t mine!

My advice for new fosters is to ask for help before you get overwhelmed but remember the 3/3/3 rule. 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn routine, and 3 months to settle in - so it takes time! And with puppies… every time you think they may not have to go potty, they probably do! Figure out a routine and it’ll get easier.

A cute little grown up dog named Aretha with white and dark black fur pink nose and big round puppy eyes wearing a dog collar sitting on wooden floor inside her home looking up at human volunteer taking pictures of her — Just like everything else, once you get the hang of it, fostering a dog isn’t all that difficult (Path of Hope Facebook)

Natalia Petroske. Foster at Path of Hope Rescue.

I have always loved dogs. Even as a little kid, my friends and I were rescuing stray dogs in Kazakhstan. There were no laws or rules to fix pets which resulted in many stray dogs. In addition, we just got a house and have a nice yard and my daughters love having puppies around. So why not foster for Path of Hope Rescue?

Right now I work at a pharmaceutical company as an engineer/technical writer. I love doing stuff outside for fun and cooking. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into with our first foster dog. We will never forget the first foster baby, Frankie. Just a sweet and mellow dog. I fell in love with all of them. They are so unique and special in their own way.

My advice for new fosters is that patience is the key. Those puppies are learning as long as you are willing to put a little effort into them.

How do I sign up to foster a dog?

You could find a shelter or rescue group near you and contact them. Foster volunteers are always in short supply and they need all the help they can get, but if you’re living in the Spokane region, why not foster with us? You can check out our Foster Page to learn more about fostering, and the Available Dog Page if you’re thinking about adopting a dog or puppy.

Finally, our Volunteer Page details how you could help us save more dogs, and a Donation Page if you wish to be a Hope Hero by supporting our mission to save all dogs and puppies in need!

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