Fostering, Wohoo!

Deb D’Andrea

4TheLuvOfDogz.com

Nederland, CO

I’m excited to share that by the time you’re reading this I may have a little Foster puppy staying with Tiki, Bear and I. Ironically, her name is Tiki too. We’ll see if it comes to be as we’re still getting everything aligned, and it’s not always straightforward to rescue and foster dogs.

Fostering is a commitment, taking in a loving creature to raise until they find their forever home. It’s a great way to save lives of little ones, dogs, cats, horses and many others. Most rescue groups depend upon Fosters to help save the animals from being euthanized and get them out of bad situations, with the animals needing a safe haven to recover from their past, from surgery and maybe even needing to be socialized around humans and other animals. You have to be open to anything as most of the time we have no idea what their past is.

Both Tiki and Bear are rescues. Tiki was pulled out of a bad situation where her Mom had passed away, and her four brothers and sisters were saved at a ripe young age of six weeks. I got Tiki at seven weeks of age. Bear and her sister Baci were at the breeders and they couldn’t find homes for them, so they called me because I teach agility. I immediately said “Yes, I’ll take them!” and ran to Evergreen to get them at thirteen weeks of age. These guys were adopted by me versus being Fostered. We’ll see how the new foster goes as she may become number three of the pack!

As a Foster home, you provide a safe place for the animal, help socialize them and get them ready for what life will throw at them. You typically have a say in who gets to adopt them and are involved in the adoption process. There are tax deductable expenses when Fostering and Rescuing animals thanks to a June 2011 U.S. Tax Court ruling. You can donate to 501(c)(3) charities or even create your own. When working with a 501(c)(3) shelter, rescue or foster, your unreimbursed expenses for the group are tax-deductable. For more tax information, please contact your tax advisor.

If you’d like more information on the local rescue and foster organizations, please email me. They are always looks for hands to help paws!

Deb D’Andrea, founder of 4TheLuvOfDogz, provides mobile Canine Massage, PawQuatics, Canine Agility and Petz Nanny Services. Her home-made dog treats are sold at local stores, and 4TheLuvOfDogz K9Birthday Cakes are available direct. Deb Petz Nanny’s for dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses, etc. Contact Deb at 720-675-7078 or info@4theluvofdogz.com www.4theluvofdogz.com