A new guest is staying over in our spare bedroom. Fritz is a wonderful dog who was only a few days away from being euthanized when our club rescued him. The sad, horrible truth is that if the club did not have a place where he could stay, he may have had to stay at the shelter, which would have meant his death.
     Fritz was very sick and undernourished when the BTCTB was able to help him; he needed a quiet foster home for several months while he is being treated for heartworm. Rebecca and I have two bullies now, and while in the past we have had up to four dogs, we are not planning to adopt Fritz. The club needs “forever homes” for our rescue dogs, but the need for foster homes is just as critical.
     A foster home is a temporary haven, although someone who fosters may decide to adopt. A person who fosters assumes the day-to-day responsibility for the dog in need and plays a vital role in helping us discover “who the dog is.” Is he or she calm or high-strung, outgoing or shy, and how is the dog on a leash or around other animals or people?
     We discover something new about Fritzie every day. We will surely love him even more by the time he is ready for adoption, but we know he is alive because we had space for him, and another bully will need that chance in the future.
     That is the true meaning of fostering: finding a space in your home and in your heart for a dog who needs that space desperately. It is a blessing that there are members of our club that have found that space, if you can find it, please contact us.