| Click here for Cat Application | Click here for Dog Application |
|
Please visit the site that was created in an attempt to recover some of the costs incurred due to several of our recent animals
|
Over half the households in America include an animal companion. Yet behind this immense love of animals lies an equally immense tragedy: each year, community animal shelters take in six to eight million lost and unwanted dogs, cats and caged pets who face an uncertain fate. Millions of healthy, adoptable pets languish and die in our animal shelters every year. Please watch this video and look into the eyes of these animals and let their stories give you a riveting and unforgettable glimpse into this nation's homeless tragedy. 
|
ADOPTION DAYS
What fostering is all about, in a foster’s own words
Fostering an animal is not about me volunteering my time to provide shelter and food and love to an animal. It is about the trust and love that a dog or a cat that has been abused, abandoned or strayed can give you after all it has been through. I've only been a foster parent for about 4 months now and each and every foster animal I've received has it's own special story and place in my heart.
My first foster was the absolutely perfectly behaved dog - if all fosters were like that - who wouldn't want to foster! He was a stray that no one claimed.
People have this preconceived notion that stray animals can be vicious and are abandoned for a reason. As foster parents, we never know the entire story behind why an animal shows up with little to no history of where he/she came from. Some foster animals may be in our care because they wandered too far from home and got lost and their owner didn't claim them, others may have been surrendered by their owners for many different reasons, some could have been dumped off in the middle of nowhere and yet others might have been rescued from an abusive situation. I don't see it as us giving an animal a second chance, I see it as the animal giving humans a second chance. They weren't the ones that failed us in the first place, we failed them. It is absolutely amazing how an animal can be brought into new surroundings and accept everything as is, while trusting these unfamiliar faces, when it takes humans so much longer to trust and adapt.
The reward that I see in fostering an animal is watching it grow emotionally and physically under your care. The skittish cat that curls up beside you purring as loud as a motor. The too skinny dog finally has a beautiful shiny coat and its ribs and backbone no longer show through. The dog that was too scared to enter a house incase it would be scolded finally runs to the door to be let in and out with its tail wagging - no longer worried about being punished. The dog that can finally go into a deep (snoring) sleep with humans in the room and not have to worry about always being attentive in case it has to run and hide. The dog that will not cower when you raise your hand to pet it. The dog that greets you when you come home with a tail that is wagging so much it might fall off and you are overflooded with kisses and "I ruff you's" before you can get one foot in the door!
People ask me how I can give them up after I've cared for them. It's never easy giving up a foster animal, but when the animal is matched with the perfect family that can give it all the love, care and attention it deserves, that is the final reward and the perfect ending to your role as that animal's foster parent. Seeing the family just as happy as the animal is when they are united, gives you a satisfied and content feeling that you can go home and say, "Ok, let's go bring home the next new addition to the family".
> Here's Molly's story on being a foster "sister":
"My mom and I take care of animals that need a home to stay until they can find their forever home. This fostering thing isn't all that odd to me as I was once a foster animal myself until my mom came along and took me home and showered me with lots of love, hugs, kisses, toys and all the treats a dog could every want! I know the feeling of what it is like to not know where you are or where you are going so my job is to make my new foster "sibling" as comfortable as possible and lead the way showing him or her the "rules" of the house. Of course, I also show them the "things you can get away with" stuff so we form a team pretty quickly! It's fun to have a playmate also because all I had before were 4 cats that I lived with and they weren't up for doing all the "dog" activities! When my foster sibling finds his or her forever home, I'm a little sad as my playmate will be leaving, but I know that they deserve a home and family that they can call their own and I look forward to the next foster sibling that my mom will be bringing home so I can teach them all the cool things that dogs can do when they are in a family that really loves them."
"Sunny has found his forever family!!!
I've had him since the beginning of February with no calls on him and last week, within 24 hours, two families called on him.
It is very interesting the way Sunny acted that morning with the first family. We met at a dog park that had two other men there and Sunny was all over them, but he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the guy of the family that wanted to adopt him. He played with their dog and chased it all around, but as soon as he would get near to the guy and the guy would reach out to pet him, Sunny ducked and was gone. I actually had to grab his collar and bring him over, but he just didn't want to be there. The family said they would think about. The guy was the one that wanted Sunny. When I saw the initial meeting with Sunny and the next family, he was the Sunny I knew and was all over the guy and I knew that it was a perfect match! Ironcally, the first family called me back later that afternoon and wanted Sunny!"
People often ask me about fostering and how I can give up the dogs but I reply to them that when the foster dog finally finds the perfect family for his forever home, it is all worth it.
This family emailed to say:
"We are going to keep his name Sunny we like it, it seems to fit him. He is doing pretty well. He really seems to like his new house and yard. He has a little anxiety. If you get up and leave the room he is on you and follows you every where. My kids love him and he seems to love them. We have an appointment for him at the vet on Wednesday. They said they would give him a free exam even though they were not on the list. We think we were meant to find each other.
Adopting a friend
Remember we are A NON-PROFIT 501(c)3 organization which means your adoption fee IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE!
REMEMBER ALL DOGS AND CATS MUST REMAIN INDOORS UNLESS SPECIFIED DIFFERENTLY IN THEIR DESCRIPTIONS.
We believe the animals have a better quality of life indoors rather than outdoors BUT we also realize there are times when animals must be kept outdoors. In these type cases we MAKE a notation in their description.
Dogs are heartworm/lymes tested, brought up to date on vaccines, altered, and some are microchipped. We do treat for internal and external parasites also.
Cats are feline leukemia/fiv tested, brought up to date on vaccines, altered, and are microchipped. We do treat for internal and external parasites also.
Typical Adoption Fees:
Rin Tin Inn They are located right off Hwy. 169 in Elk River (763)441-8102.
www.rintininnkennels.com They are always making room for us when we need dog boarding. When a dog doesn't have a foster home to go into Rin Tin Inn will always help us by taking them in and keeping them until the foster home comes in. It's so nice because we never know when one will open up but Rin Tin Inn is great and let's us stay. :) We are SO grateful to them. Please visit their site or better yet visit in person, it’s a very nice atmosphere.
 | We use Patented Kuranda Dog Beds because they are durable, chew proof and easy to clean. If you would like to donate a bed to us, click here. |
Forest Lake Vet Clinic
Forest Lake, MN
651-464-2752
All Pets Vet
Zimmerman, MN
763-856-VETS (763-856-8387)
www.allpetsvethospital.com
Princeton Vet Clinic
Princeton, Mn
763-389-2440
Central Bird and Animal Hospital
www.centralbirdanimal.com
www.brookviewanimal.com
Brookview Animal Hospital
7926 Olson Memorial Highway
Golden Valley, MN 55427
phone 763-546-2323
fax 952-545-3383
Northern Lights
10617 University Ave NE
Blaine, Mn
763-754-2381