Meet Our Foster Carers

Zoe Davis

I was inspired by a friend of mine to start fostering, seeing her with all the dogs and seeing them go on to new homes and have a second chance was lovely to see and I wanted to be a part of it.

Fostering for me cannot really be put into words as it is more you’re feelings more than anything else. The day you get a poor broken dog in you’re care, a dog who may not have had the best start in life and needs a lot of TLC to learn to trust and learn again, then to see that same dog day by day grow in confidence and personality, learning to trust and play, the day you introduce them to you’re own dogs and to see after some slow progress interacting together and learning all about being in a supportive pack. Taking them out for the walks they have so previously lacked in and to see their excitement and interest bloom. To see their coat become glossy and full and to see a shine back in their eyes. When they wag again and make you laugh with their silly personalities. To see them learning you’re own dogs habits (both good and bad!)

And then, the day comes when a wonderful family will come along to meet them, to see them get excited over a new visitor and know this family is the “one” and to see them walk out of the door into their new life full of wonder, love and happiness and knowing you have helped even in the smallest of ways to help that dog find their forever home and earn their second chance at life and knowing they are going to be so lucky and loved where you’re heart is fit to burst with happiness!

Yes I admit it is a little sad but you know how happy they are going to be and the happiness at seeing them so adored and loved is enough to banish any sadness. It is worth every moment of effort and is so fulfilling that I couldn’t consider not fostering again. My dogs don’t realise how spoilt they are and if in any way I can give another dog a taste of how life should be I will grasp it with both hands and help anyway I can. Fostering is fun, fulfilling, emotional in the best of ways and just so rewarding words cannot describe. I would recommend it to anyone.

Shirley Snape

I had my first foster Akita in May 2011. There were two four month old pups that needing fostering, I quickly volunteered as I couldn’t bare to think of what would happen to them if I didn’t. I knew the pups wouldn’t get the socialisation they needed in kennels and I knew Friends of Akitas were short on available foster carers, so I fostered one of them, now called Jake.

I have 3 dog’s myself, 2 of them can be funny with other dog’s so fostering a young dog I thought would be easier for them to accept.

The day we collected Jake he was very scared and dirty, he would literally wet himself if you approached him. He had no manner’s at all, no basic training and had never been on a lead. My 3 took to him straight away and within minutes they were running around the garden playing. Jake soon settled in and he no longer wet’s himself meeting people, he is actually now a confident young man, completely different from the scared boy we first met.

It has been and still is a joy and such a great feeling knowing that you are helping them learn new thing’s and watching them flourish in front of you, from basic training to the love and care of being in a family home.

Friends of Akitas are always looking for people to foster, from it being a young dog up to an older lady or gent, if it wasn’t for foster carer’s a lot of Akitas wouldn’t be here today as a lot of them need the stability of being in a home and don’t adjust well to being in kennel’s.