"Anyone who is thinking about volunteering should just give it a try. If your situation doesn’t allow you to foster, think about babysitting."
My husband and I have been volunteering and fostering for MABTR for 5 years.
I got started when I replied to an email that a Boston in Des Moines needed a ride, so we picked her
up and ended up fostering her. In five years we have fostered 24 bostons. Our main roll is fostering but occasionally babysit and transport.
We got involved because we really enjoy dogs, especially Boston Terriers, but are at a time in our life when having a full-time dog doesn’t work for us. Fostering lets us have the joy of having a dog without being tied down. It also makes us a “petless home”, which allows us to foster dogs that need to be the only pet in the house. Petless foster homes are always in great demand.
The greatest challenge of working with an animal rescue is probably also the greatest joy or reward. We love getting our “pups” ready for their forever homes. Sometimes that means just getting them comfortable in their new surroundings and figuring out what they know and what they don’t know and more importantly the best fit for their new home.
Getting our foster ready to transition to their forever home is plenty of motivation. So many times, the new owners need the pups as much as the pups need a new home. We love it when it works out to give the dogs to their new families in person. It is so much fun to see the faces of the new family when they meet their new family member for the first time. We also enjoy hearing from them after a few days with their new best friend.
We’ve met a lot of great people. Jennifer and all the volunteers we have met either in person, on the phone or by email are so supportive and quick to lend a hand or offer a suggestion. We feel very supported as fosters. MABTR is a great organization to volunteer for.
One of the most challenging things about volunteering for MABTR is getting ready for the next foster.
Anyone who is thinking about volunteering should just give it a try. If your situation doesn’t allow you to foster, think about babysitting. It is often just an overnight while the dog is waiting for the next leg of its trip.
By volunteering with a rescue, you meet a lot of wonderful pups and a lot of great people. We still get a Christmas text from our very first foster dog’s family along with a great photo of the dog with Santa.