Families embrace foster dogs

By AMY BOWEN, St. Cloud Times

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) - Jonas, a 1-year-old Brittany spaniel, received his happy ending with the help of a fairy godmother in Sartell.

Holly Vanderweyst bathed the happy dog recently, preparing him to meet his adoptive family in Monticello. She then delivered him to his new home.

Vanderweyst and her husband, Jeff, volunteer as a foster family for the American Brittany Rescue, a nationwide rescue group that finds homes for abandoned or surrendered Brittanies.

They join countless other volunteers who provide foster care for animals statewide. Almost every dog breed has at least one rescue group dedicated to finding new homes for members of the breed. The foster families invest financial and emotional resources into these dogs with the realization that most will leave their homes to be adopted.

Rescue groups say foster families provide necessary care and screen animals and potential adoptive families.

"All the time and emotion you put in it will be worth it," Vanderweyst said the day before Jonas was scheduled to move to his new home.

"It will be easy to leave him because I know they will take care of him. I want to make sure the first adoption (for the dog) is the last adoption."

The Vanderweysts started fostering in January. They have two resident Brittanies, Toby, 6, and Dash, a 4-year-old rescue whom they fostered then adopted in April.

Even though Jonas found a home, they expected to take only a small break before another Brittany came into their home.

"I just wanted to help them out," Vanderweyst said. "Especially in the economic times we have right now, although (owners) love their pets, it's one of the first shortcuts they take and surrender their pets."

Foster home retention can be challenging, said Nancy Andersen, director of the Aussie Rescue of Minnesota, which rescues Australian shepherds.

Volunteers tire of providing foster care, become busy or struggle with difficult dogs, said Andersen, of Otsego.

"It's a constant battle," she said. "It's easier to find those who want to adopt than deal with a constant parade of dogs."

Yet there are always dog lovers who want to help, Andersen said. Some of her foster families include retired people who don't want a dog on a full-time basis. Andersen has a volunteer who helps even though she doesn't own an Australian shepherd.

There are success stories among fosters. The Minnesota Wisconsin Collie Rescue has 30 foster families in six states. The collies can stay with a family for as little as two weeks to more than a year, said Mary Hickerson, president, of East Gull Lake.

Sometimes that foster family turns into a forever family, she said.

"Adopting a foster - that's a hazard," Hickerson said. "We say a foster (family) who adopts is a foster flunky, but don't really mean it."

All breeds have fans, and those fans can translate into foster parents.

The Vanderweysts feel a connection to Brittanies, they said.

"They are happy all the time," Vanderweyst said. "They're extremely intelligent. They love to be with their people. They are an all-around great family dog."

Jessica Kuehlman, a volunteer with Minnesota's Unwanted Siberian Husky Rescue, loves the huskies she helps.

She understands the breed. The dogs are loving toward their families, but they're runners and can get into trouble.

"They really get into mischief," said Kuehlman of Minneapolis. "They love to play. They are life-long puppies."

That's exactly why she feels a passion for the breed and wants to help, she said.

"There's the reward of seeing the dog with the family: to see a dog that was a stray being taken care of," Kuehlman said.

Most rescue groups provide financial help with the animals, but foster families often invest their own resources into the pets.

The Peke N Chin Midwest rescue, a Pekingese and Japanese Chin rescue group based in Thief River Falls, has 15-20 foster homes throughout Minnesota. Since 2004, the rescue has placed 300 dogs, said Regina Goodhall, co-founder and treasurer.

The group supplies volunteers with leashes, toys and food, she said. It also covers medical care. Adoption fees and donations cover expenses, Goodhall said.

Still, most foster families provide their own food and some even pay for medical expenses, Goodhall said.

Back in Sartell, Vanderweyst gets reimbursed about 50 percent of what she and her husband spend on their foster dogs. They spent about $200 caring for Jonas, and expect to be reimbursed about $75, Vanderweyst said.

"We have the extra money and love to give something," she said. "They deserve it. They're living, breathing creatures. They were bred to be our companions."

Like with any new animal, it takes a while for the dog's personality to come through.

That's where foster families become the most important, Hickerson said. They comfort, love and try to help the dog adjust.

"You'd think they would be the meanest dogs ever," she said. "But they are so grateful to be warm, fed and loved. They look at you with those eyes and they say, 'I'm OK."'

The Upper Midwest Great Dane Rescue has placed more than 150 dogs since its inception in late 2009, said Connie Schaupp, director of foster homes and adoption services.

The rescue group asks foster families to work on basic training, such as learning how to walk on a leash and house training. It also asks foster families to work on socializing the animal.

When an animal has been abused, treatment can include nursing the dogs back to a healthy weight or working on trust, Schaupp said.

"It's kind of like when you get a puppy," she said. "You need to train it and get used to it. It's from scratch. You have to know where the dog is at."

The emotional ties to the dogs are well worth it, Vanderweyst said. The foster dogs become part of the family until they're adopted, she said.

And there's always another waiting for a home.

---

Information from: The St. Cloud Times

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Gallery

Fullscreen SlidePrevious Slide

1 of 1

Next Slide