11 minute read
ANIMALS IN NEED
The rewards of fostering
It's the first step on the road to recovery for some animals, and for others it's a chance to enjoy their remaining time in a safe, loving environment. For the majority, it's a stop gap until they find their forever home. Sammy Jones spoke with Animals in Need about the role of a fosterer...
Increasingly, the services of animal rescue centres like Animals in Need are being called upon.
In Little Irchester, their spaces and cages are overflowing with everything from African Land Snails to chickens and the obligatory rows of cats and dogs.
But while a snail might be happy enough to live in a designated space with its pals, that trembling little puppy rescued from a cardboard box terrified and clueless why he has ended up here, will struggle to adapt.
And what of those newborn kittens? They need round-the-clock care and feeding every two hours – just two examples where fosterers make the world of difference.
“We need fosterers across many of our departments, but they are frequently used for dogs and puppies, cats and kittens and for animals needing extra care that have been brought into our wildlife department,” said Beki Kelly from the charity.
“The need for a dog to be fostered varies greatly,” she said, “It may be they are very stressed in the kennel environment and for
their wellbeing foster homes are sought. We have had dogs injuring themselves. There are those that are unwell or injured and require extra care and attention, some need daily vet trips, wound cleaning, frequent medication and monitoring.
“Puppies who are surrendered to us will go to foster until they have found their forever homes, due to the need for socialisation, and elderly dogs will often go to a long term foster home to live out the rest of their days in comfort.”
We mentioned hand-rearing kittens, but the practice applies to many species.
“There are many animals that are so young when brought to us they need hand rearing and around the clock care.
Major Tom, now in his forever home
We have previously hand reared many kittens, puppies, bunnies, and many other young animals.”
And our feathered friends are often in need – not least at this time of year.
“Young birds commonly require short term fostering and as a staff member you will often find us taking nests of chicks home in the evening. We frequently take our work home with us, especially during the spring and summer when intake is at its highest.”
AIN staff are always on hand to assist with foster care, but they can't cater for every animal and rely on a small army of people to help. And fosterers really do save lives.
“We have some wonderful dedicated foster homes that we call upon when needed,” Beki said, “The need for them has risen dramatically as the need to take in more and more animals continues to rise. This is especially true in the kennels department - we are extremely stretched right now, our kennels are full and there are so many dogs waiting for a rescue space.
“As we often pull dogs from the pound, the need for space is greater due to the risk of euthanasia if a rescue place cannot be found. If a dog can go to a foster home it frees up a kennel so another life can be saved.”
As a fosterer, you pay out in love and support, but you don't have the veterinary bills or food costs – the charity covers all of that. They even pay for bedding and toys as required.
Hundreds of animals go through the fostering process ahead of adoption, every one of them a special individual, but there are some animals that stay in the memory for different reasons.
A seven-year-old Great Dane Mastiff mix called Dotty had spent a number of years at the centre, not helped by the fact that the beautiful girl required long term medication.
But she did find her happy ending – thanks to the support of foster carers: “Luckily for us a wonderful experienced couple who had previously adopted from us stepped in to foster her. We provide her monthly medication and they provide her with the loving home she deserves.”
Some foster placements last for less time – and that's something that needs to be considered too.
Major Tom was fostered having shown self harming behaviour while in the kennels. Five months later he had moved on again, this time to get his feet under the table in his forever home.
If you think that fostering could be for you, Animals in Need are always looking for committed foster homes and especially those people who are willing to take large breeds.
You'll need to live within an hour of Animals in Need, so you can be available to attend appointments with potential adoptive families, and veterinary appointments as necessary.
There are a few other things to consider too...
“Often there may be a level of training that you may be expected to provide; for example, puppy training/socialisation and toilet training. Being patient and committed is key but most importantly providing a loving, safe and happy home to a temporary family member, however long that may be for, is essential. Not all of our dogs are suitable to live with children or other animals so it’s great to be open minded about the dog you may be asked to foster.”
So, do you fancy fostering? Drop the team a line and start the conversation: kennels.ain@outlook.com
Animals in Need are always looking for committed foster homes and especially those people who are willing to take large breeds. The poorly boy 'Llew-king' for love
This beautiful Chow Chow is called Llew, and Animals in Need are urgently looking for a palliative care foster home for the lovely boy. Sadly, he has an inoperable cancerous mass on his liver. It's difficult to know how long Llew might have left: “It may be a month, it could be a year,” Beki said, “But we want the time he has left to be filled with love and happiness and for him to be spoiled, which he deserves. “Llew is a typical Chow; he is a quiet boy who can come across as aloof at first, but when he gets to know you, you will find a very affectionate boy who will give you a gentle headbutt for a fuss!” And he is a bit of a sun worshipper when the weather allows: “You will often find him lounging in sunny spots, or enjoying a gentle stroll.” Llew's condition isn't currently causing him any pain, and with medication his symptoms are well managed. Whoever takes Llew in need not worry about those veterinary costs which will be covered by the rescue centre. Animals in Need would prefer him to be the only dog in his foster home: “..because he can be picky with dogs. He has also displayed some resource guarding previously, so an adult home experienced with managing these behaviours would be ideal. “We desperately want to find Llew his perfect home to live out what time he has left,” Beki added. If you think you can help email kennels.ain@outlook.com
Animals in Need supporter Rachel Wilson is regularly found juggling leads as she helps to exercise the dogs at the centre.
But fostering? She definitely wouldn't be doing that. Would she?
“I never wanted to foster an animal. How could I?” said Rachel, “I hated the idea of nurturing an animal, falling in love with it, then seeing it go off to live with someone else and probably never seeing it again.”
But then she made the acquaintance of a little girl called Emmie...
“One Wednesday morning when I turned up at Animals In Need for dog walking duties I was asked to foster a very sad, elderly Staffordshire Bull Terrier that had little hope of finding a forever home and looked like she wouldn't last much longer in kennels,” Rachel remembered, “How could I say no?
“I hadn't even met her but within three hours Emmie was at home with me, getting to know my own dogs and checking out her accommodation.”
It would be wrong to assume that she fitted straight in and didn't make a fuss: “The first few weeks weren't easy, I must say!” Rachel admitted, “I had to hand feed her every single morsel or she would have starved herself. She was a very depressed little lady.
“I soon discovered that Emmie was scared to go out to the garden in the dark, preferring to pee on the doormat instead! I had to replace my lovely globe lamp that bathed my garden with a soft orange glow with a flood lamp - almost as bright as day.”
Gradually, change started to happen.
“It took about a month or so for Emmie to start enjoying life again and as time passed, she began to fill out a little, although she's still very thin, and her coat took on a healthy shine. She started to make friends in the park with her gentle manners (not typically staffie!) and learned to accept treats along with the other dogs.
“Sadly I lost a friend last year so I added her dog to my little pack and the two of them bonded immediately, sleeping together on my sofa. This was a blessing for Emmie as she had lost her daughter to cancer while in the sanctuary just days before I brought her home. “The major benefits to fostering a dog like this is that I have all the pleasure of keeping a lovely little dog without the worry of potential big vet bills as I have the full support of Animals In Need, and the occasional bag of dog food. However, I had been conscious of the fact that I didn't own Emmie and I was getting very fond of her. Would she be adopted and go off to live with someone else?”
And that's where Rachel failed in her role – in the most wonderful way!
“It dawned on me that Emmie was no
longer on the Animals In Need rehoming website, so I asked how long they anticipated the foster would last? The answer was 'until the end' as after all, she wasn't expected to live a great deal longer. I was secretly pleased because I didn't want to give her up - she is such a sweet, kind natured soul. “I suppose I could be called a 'failed foster' as the little old lady I brought home with me has been here 20 months already and doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon.” Best Pals - Narla and Emmie > If you would like to make a donation to support Animals in Need, by setting up a small regular direct debit to help ensure the charity can carry out its work throughout the year, the details are:
Rachel with Till, Pixie, Narla and Emmie
Animals in Need (Northamptonshire) R/C Sort Code: 08-90-73 Account No: 50304604
Borneo Martell Turner Coulston Solicitors for Howkins & Harrison Magazine.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2020 10:48 Page 1
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