This is a guest article written by two of our amazing dog fosters! 

We, Nick and Stella, love fostering dogs with Greenhill Humane Society and First Avenue Shelter. We especially enjoy hosting adult pit bull and pit bull mixes as we want to combat the public’s negative perception of these lovable dogs. We started fostering with Greenhill and First Avenue Shelter in late 2014; we have now fostered 11 dogs!

We became interested in fostering after we decided that we weren’t able to adopt. We weren’t quite sure what the future held for us and knew that if we adopted a dog, we would be responsible for his or her wellbeing for years to come. Instead, we decided to look into fostering. Neither of us were ever huge “animal people”; we just wished to add an animal into our lives.

Our experience as foster parents has been extremely rewarding. For Stella, it has been wonderful to have a furry friend nearby during this past stressful year in school. The neighborhood walks, weekend hikes, and cuddle sessions have helped Stella take time for herself. Nick sometimes works from home and enjoys having a friend nearby with whom to spend short breaks throughout the day.

At first, we worried that it would be too hard to say goodbye to our foster dogs. In reality, it has been great to see them be adopted. We love getting updates and seeing our past fosters in their new homes. In addition, fostering has been a great way to decide what attributes we desire in a future pet. We have also been able to witness the selfless love that shelter staff showers each dog with everyday; it’s extremely inspiring!

Fostering is a great opportunity. We think other young professionals could be ideal foster parents. The shelters supply us with all needed food, medications, toys, etc. and work around our schedules if we have plans for traveling. We have endless support from the staff and have found a great community with other volunteers and fosters. Our families and friends love to see our social media updates with each new foster.

If you are interested in becoming a foster, click here!