We can all admit this challenging pandemic has been ruff (pun intended)! However, welcoming a dog into your home during the stay at home order may make you feel like anything is pawsible.
This next writer I would like to introduce to the blog for the first time is Lauren Galdys.
Her and my twin brother, Gunnar, have fostered a dog named Martina during their time at home. I initially reached out to her knowing this would be a great topic to share on this platform to deter from the fear and negativity we have seen on social media lately. I was ecstatic when she agreed because she has such a compassionate soul towards dogs and the world in general. I am blessed to have her as my kindhearted friend in my life and hope you enjoy this piece below from Lauren's perspective on why love is...fostering a dog.
I’ve always loved dogs. I grew up with (wo)man’s best friend in our home nearly my whole life. There’s nothing better than coming home to a dog that is ecstatic to see you or the feeling of comfort when your dog is lying with you when you’re feeling down. But dogs are also a huge responsibility that my boyfriend, Gunnar, and I are just not quite ready for at this point in our lives together.
As the Coronavirus crisis became more severe in Michigan, I felt nearly helpless. Other than practicing social distancing, what else could I do to help? I don’t work in healthcare, I can’t sew masks, and I don’t have a lot to donate. I began to notice that many of the animal rescues were seeking help. Lack of volunteers meant less socializing for the animals and the state lockdown also meant temporarily stopping adoptions for some locations. With news that we’d be working from home for the next upcoming weeks, Gunnar and I decided to reach out to the Humane Society of Macomb to foster a dog. A few days later, Martina was our new roommate!
Before I go on, I do want to mention that this is our first time fostering, and everyone’s experience may be different. This is our own personal experience. Fostering a dog can be intimidating, especially when it’s your first time. You don’t know what to expect. Will the dog like me? Will it fear me? Going in with an open mind and open heart is important.
The first night we brought Martina into our home, she was timid. She crouched down as she walked from room to room. Though she wasn’t extremely fearful, we could see that she was confused and hesitant. As each day passed, she became more and more at ease and comfortable around us and in our home. It is now impossible to sit on the couch without Martina’s head in our lap. It has been truly amazing to see her change before our eyes when shown some love in a home.
After a few weeks of fostering Martina, one thing we’ve really learned is the great amount of love that a rescue animal can give. If you are willing to give them love in return, show them kindness and trust, they are ready to love with their hearts wide open. Many of us have felt the love of an animal, but the love from and for a rescue animal is one of a kind. For many shelter animals, we don’t always know what they have gone through. And we may not ever understand where their fear or confusion stems from. But if we can simply show them love, it’s remarkable the feelings of love they can provide you in return.
All I can say is that during this very scary time in our life, she has made our home much happier and our days brighter. She gets us out of the house to go on walks, she makes us laugh uncontrollably when she’s snoring, and her cuddles make you feel so at peace.
If you’ve considered fostering an animal, I greatly encourage you to reach out to your local shelters to see if there is an animal available that would work well in your home. If you're looking for other ways to help your local shelter animals, options include volunteering your time, donating money, or many have lists of items you can donate. Providing an animal with love, shelter, and resources until they can find their “furever home” is truly an act of love.
Written by: Lauren Galdys