Behind pet fostering: A student’s perspective

By Arbogast, Brandon, August 20, 2016

By Emily Sokol// Staff Writer

I am an animal enthusiast. I knew that my summer needed to consist of more animals than ever. I was deprived of my favorite companions (my dogs) while away at school and felt the need to make up for lost time during my stay at home this summer. Shortly after getting home from my freshman year, I became a foster mom. I brought home two four-month old puppies and they were mine to keep until I found them permanent families. Both of them have been adopted and I have taken in many more fosters since. Being a foster mom has opened my eyes to truly seeing the difference helping hands can make in the world and my community. Animals are my passion and having the opportunity to work with them daily and be able to make a difference in their lives gave me the summer of a lifetime.

Through this experience I can whole heartedly say that I recommend any animal lover to join the foster family. There is nothing more rewarding then doing what you love and making others happy, both families and animals. I encourage many of you to get involved in this, because animals can truly make an impact in your life.

I’ve been working with a rescue organization, Bosley’s Place Inc., which is specifically designed to save the lives of orphan puppies. All of the puppies rescued have been abandoned by their mothers. This means the mother has either passed away or someone dumped the puppies elsewhere. When a puppy is at an age that it is too young to be separated from its mother, it has a very slim chance of survival. All of the puppies at Bosley’s Place are at the age where it is crucial for them to have a mother. That is where my job as a volunteer comes in. Each puppy is bottle fed around the clock, kept in warmth and gets its first dose of love upon arriving to Bosley’s Place.

My first foster babies were Prudence and Jude. They arrived at Bosley’s Place when they were found in a box at four weeks old with their two dead siblings. Jude and Prudence were extremely sick and close to death but with the help of the rescue they both got stronger and survived. They are now both seven months old and placed in the most loving of homes receiving all the love they deserve.

There are various ways you can get involved to truly make a difference in an animal’s life. In High Point specifically, there is the Loving Pet Inn Adoptions. They hold various animals that are ready to be adopted and brought to a better home. According to their website, their philosophy is that  “all pets should be in stable, loving homes where they are thought of as a beloved member of the family. Spay/neuter is the only answer to the pet overpopulation problem.” There are many opportunities to volunteer and really make an impact for a better cause. Animals are there to help bring more love and happiness into people’s lives, so why not give them that love back?