Foster Family Spotlight
This month, we’re talking to Katie Bresee, volunteer coordinator at Much Love and foster mom to Clark (who still needs a home!)
Q. How long have you been fostering for Much Love?
A. Seven years
Q. Who are you fostering at the moment?
A. Clark. He’s a 10-year-old black lab, and I’ve had him for quite a while now. He’s incredibly loyal and protective.
Q. What are the benefits of being a foster parent?
A. It’s lots of fun to see a dog improve in your care. When you first meet the dogs they’re usually not housebroken and no one knows their personalities – over time you become like a mini dog whisperer and you get to give all that feedback to the new owners. It’s a really good feeling handing a dog over to its new family.
Q. Is it hard giving the dogs up once they get adopted?
A. No, not really. My husband has a bit of a harder time with it than I do. I know they’re going to a good home, which makes it a lot easier.
Q. What qualities do you need to be a good foster parent?
A. You need a bit of patience. And you can’t be afraid of cleaning up a mess once in a while. Generally the dogs aren’t housetrained when they’re first fostered, so there are always a few accidents. Much Love is very good at making sure foster dogs are matched up to foster parents to suit their personalities and lifestyle. It’s a very rewarding experience.
Q. What’s your biggest success story?
A. Probably Boss Hogg. He was a Shepherd/Basset Hound mix, a really unique-looking dog, but he was a jerk. He was extremely smart, easily bored, and very destructive. I think every board in my house had to be replaced by the time he’d gone! We worked really hard on his personality to get him to the point where he could be adopted. The people who eventually took him had their application rejected to start with, but they wrote us this long letter appealing the decision. Eventually, we let them adopt him and ever since, we’ve had nothing but positive updates about his behavior. They were a retired couple, so they were able to give him the attention he craved.
Much Love is always looking for great foster homes! If you’re interested in fostering a Much Love animal, fill out an application on our website or email our foster coordinator at foster@muchlove.org.