"Rescue Me" Sample Blog

We’ve all seen them, television advertisements featuring pets in shelters that have been abused or suffered horrible neglect looking for a second chance in life in a loving forever home. Anyone who has ever loved an animal cannot help but be moved by their plight, yet not all of us are able to pledge a financial gift - particularly in the difficult economic times in which we now find ourselves. If you are one of the many who would like to help a rescued animal, you may not realize that you have something even more valuable to give than money – your time.

At Yorkshire Veterinary Hospital, we care deeply about the needs of rescued animals, and in this monthly blog segment, “Rescue Me”, we’d like to introduce our client family to the many ways they can volunteer their time to animals in need.

Do you have room in your heart and home for a rescued animal, but aren’t necessarily looking to adopt another family member? Do you think you might enjoy participating in the care and rehabilitation process of a rescue, but aren’t sure how to get involved? If you answered “yes”, then you just might be an ideal foster parent for a furry friend in need!

Many local rescues recognize the importance of placing their animals into temporary foster homes, where they can more closely assess the unique personality and needs of that animal, and make informed decisions regarding their ideal future placement. Is this dog good with cats? What about children and other dogs? What kind of forever family should we look for? These are questions that Foster Coordinator and Foster Home Volunteer Rachel Jervis of Colorado Greyhound Adoption looks to answer about each of the rescues she takes into her home.

Rachel began volunteering for CGA in 2008, and has fostered a total of 20 rescues for the organization. She has also undertaken the role of Foster Coordinator, arranging home visits for potential new foster volunteers and shepherding them through the process of becoming a foster home. Each new foster dog presents unique challenges, according to Rachel, and each rehabilitation process comes with countless rewards. Perhaps the most tangible reward of Rachel’s years of commitment to CGA has been the addition of Evie Petunia, a foster dog so special that she never left.

Rachel quips, “I always tell people who ask about Evie that I’ve fostered 20 dogs in all, 19 of which found wonderful forever homes, and one who got stuck with me!”

Evie and Rachel truly seem made for one another, and now finding forever homes for rescued greyhounds has become a team project.

In fact, the spirit of volunteerism is so much a part of their lives together that Evie has projects of her own, volunteering at their local library branch where young children come to read aloud to this very special girl.

Dogs in need of foster homes come from all different walks of life. Some are coming from loving families who, for whatever reason, are no longer able to care for them. Others come from shelters, at times with significant medical needs, and still others are found as strays and may have experienced extreme abuse or neglect. For Paul and Jocelyn Bakkemo, fosters for Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue, one of the most rewarding aspects of fostering rescued dogs is taking in a dog that may have significant fears or emotional damage and watching them blossom under the loving care they provide.

For many years, Paul and Jocelyn shared their lives with a very special rescued Golden Retriever of their own, who passed away shortly after they moved from Minnesota to Colorado Springs. Heartbroken over the loss of their beloved friend, and not yet ready to adopt another family member, they began the process with GRFRto open their home to dogs in need. One of these fosters, Sage, was blind and therefore would require a very special forever family - one that Jocelyn worried they may not be able to find.

Soon after bringing her into their home, it became clear that they wouldn’t have to look very far –Sage was the perfect fit for their family! Not too long after, Sage herself chose the next family member, when she became very attached to Ocho, another dog fostered by the Bakkemos.

Having found their way into their forever home, Sage and Ocho continue to remind the people who started out fostering them how giving the gift of their time can pay off in unimagined dividends.

Becoming a volunteer foster home is not without its challenges. Each new dog comes with its own past experiences, fears, and issues. Both Colorado Greyhound Adoption and Golden Retriever Freedom Rescuehave a support network in place for all of their foster homes when there are questions, concerns, or issues with a foster dog. “There is always someone to call,” says Jocelyn Bakkemo, “even after the dog has been adopted, that dog will always be a part of the GRFR family.”

Perhaps chief among the challenges of fostering is the inevitable ‘goodbye’ when the dog that you have fostered and loved, sometimes for months, has at last found their forever family. Rachel Jervis shares the moment when her first foster dog left for their forever home - “I kept telling myself that it was okay to be sad, okay to cry – but I couldn’t! Standing there, watching them drive away with their new family, toward a new and wonderful life, I just felt such pure joy.”

If you would like to volunteer to become a foster home, you can find more information at Colorado Greyhound Rescue’s website: http://www.greyhoundadoption.com, or Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue: http://www.goldenretrieverfreedom.com

There are many rescue organizations always in need of loving foster homes, including many area cat rescues. If you have a dog breed or type of pet that especially appeals to you, search online for a rescue and contact them! Remember, the gifts of your time, of your love - are the most important you have to give.