How do you foster without getting attached? You don’t.

Because the Humane Society of Loudoun County is a foster-based rescue – WE NEED FOSTERS – especially dog fosters. Fostering saves lives. If you have ever thought about fostering, now is the time. We need your help to help them.

HSLC rescues both cats and dogs. The problem we have right now is our lack of foster homes for dogs. Over the last few years we have helped many dogs from some overcrowded shelters – all sweet, loving dogs that just needed an understanding foster to teach them what it means to be loved.  Right now we can’t take in dogs because we don’t have fosters. The picture below is of some of the fabulous dogs we have helped.

How do you foster a dog or cat without getting attached? You don’t. You love them with all your heart. From the minute you bring him home, there’s no better feeling than getting him out of the shelter, giving him his first hug, cleaning him up, and watching what happens when he finally finds out what family is and starts to fall in love with the world.

Sometimes it just takes a few days, and sometimes it takes months. But when his fur shines and he’s smiling nonstop, that’s when you know your job’s almost done.  You’ll want to keep him. You’ll cry. You’ll say no one is good enough for him. But when you see him with his new forever family, and see the love in their eyes, you’ll know that you gave him this life and he gave you the sweetest memories. You’d much rather cry over him going home than over him being stuck in a shelter.

The house might be empty without him but that just means one thing – there’s room for someone else who needs you, who will steal your heart all over again.

(adapted from “The Dodo”)

Contact us at foster@humaneloudoun.org for more information about fostering or visit https://humaneloudoun.org/adopt/fosters-needed/