WestCoast Media
  • Local Events
    • Chino Events
    • Chino Hills Events
    • Corona Events
    • Diamond Bar Events
    • Eastvale Events
    • Orange County Events
    • Rancho Cucamonga Events
  • Beauty & Health
    • Eat, Drink, and Be Responsibly Merry
      more
      View more

      Eat, Drink, and Be Responsibly Merry

      7 months ago
    • Eating Under the Influence
      more
      View more

      Eating Under the Influence

      8 months ago
    • There’s Nothing Wrong with Wanting to Get Away
      more
      View more

      There’s Nothing Wrong with Wanting to Get Away

      9 months ago
    • Silence Anyone?
      more
      View more

      Silence Anyone?

      9 months ago
    • How Does Diagnostic Imaging Factor into Breast Cancer Screening?
      more
      View more

      How Does Diagnostic Imaging Factor into Breast Cancer Screening?

      9 months ago
  • Home
    • Simple Checklist for Hosts and Guests!
      more
      View more

      Simple Checklist for Hosts and Guests!

      7 months ago
    • International Holiday Side Dishes
      more
      View more

      International Holiday Side Dishes

      7 months ago
    • Creating a Better Guest Room
      more
      View more

      Creating a Better Guest Room

      8 months ago
    • Liven Up Your Annual Gatherings
      more
      View more

      Liven Up Your Annual Gatherings

      8 months ago
    • The Perfect Soirée
      more
      View more

      The Perfect Soirée

      8 months ago
  • Family
    • How to Get Kids In the Holiday Spirit
      more
      View more

      How to Get Kids In the Holiday Spirit

      6 months ago
    • How to Create Memorable Holidays for Your Children
      more
      View more

      How to Create Memorable Holidays for Your Children

      8 months ago
    • 25 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive
      more
      View more

      25 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive

      9 months ago
    • Dear Doctor…
      more
      View more

      Dear Doctor…

      9 months ago
    • Teaching Your Children to Find Contentment in a Culture of Comparison
      more
      View more

      Teaching Your Children to Find Contentment in a Culture of Comparison

      1 year ago
  • Lifestyle
  • Business & Finance
    • Why Ownership Matters
      more
      View more

      Why Ownership Matters

      1 year ago
    • Funny Money, Along with Pocket Change
      more
      View more

      Funny Money, Along with Pocket Change

      1 year ago
    • Is It OK for You to Be More Successful?
      more
      View more

      Is It OK for You to Be More Successful?

      2 years ago
    • Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!
      more
      View more

      Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!

      2 years ago
    • New Year’s Resolutions for Your Estate Plan
      more
      View more

      New Year’s Resolutions for Your Estate Plan

      2 years ago
  • Auto & Insurance
  • Spotlight
    • American Spirit
    • Mamalog
    • Head to Toe Trends
    • Carrying on Kennedy’s Voice
    • Get Local
    • IPittytheBull
  • About Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
    • Distribution
  • Like Us!
  • Local Events
    • Chino Events
    • Chino Hills Events
    • Corona Events
    • Diamond Bar Events
    • Eastvale Events
    • Orange County Events
    • Rancho Cucamonga Events
  • Beauty & Health
    • Eat, Drink, and Be Responsibly Merry
      more
      View more

      Eat, Drink, and Be Responsibly Merry

      7 months ago
    • Eating Under the Influence
      more
      View more

      Eating Under the Influence

      8 months ago
    • There’s Nothing Wrong with Wanting to Get Away
      more
      View more

      There’s Nothing Wrong with Wanting to Get Away

      9 months ago
    • Silence Anyone?
      more
      View more

      Silence Anyone?

      9 months ago
    • How Does Diagnostic Imaging Factor into Breast Cancer Screening?
      more
      View more

      How Does Diagnostic Imaging Factor into Breast Cancer Screening?

      9 months ago
  • Home
    • Simple Checklist for Hosts and Guests!
      more
      View more

      Simple Checklist for Hosts and Guests!

      7 months ago
    • International Holiday Side Dishes
      more
      View more

      International Holiday Side Dishes

      7 months ago
    • Creating a Better Guest Room
      more
      View more

      Creating a Better Guest Room

      8 months ago
    • Liven Up Your Annual Gatherings
      more
      View more

      Liven Up Your Annual Gatherings

      8 months ago
    • The Perfect Soirée
      more
      View more

      The Perfect Soirée

      8 months ago
  • Family
    • How to Get Kids In the Holiday Spirit
      more
      View more

      How to Get Kids In the Holiday Spirit

      6 months ago
    • How to Create Memorable Holidays for Your Children
      more
      View more

      How to Create Memorable Holidays for Your Children

      8 months ago
    • 25 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive
      more
      View more

      25 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive

      9 months ago
    • Dear Doctor…
      more
      View more

      Dear Doctor…

      9 months ago
    • Teaching Your Children to Find Contentment in a Culture of Comparison
      more
      View more

      Teaching Your Children to Find Contentment in a Culture of Comparison

      1 year ago
  • Lifestyle
  • Business & Finance
    • Why Ownership Matters
      more
      View more

      Why Ownership Matters

      1 year ago
    • Funny Money, Along with Pocket Change
      more
      View more

      Funny Money, Along with Pocket Change

      1 year ago
    • Is It OK for You to Be More Successful?
      more
      View more

      Is It OK for You to Be More Successful?

      2 years ago
    • Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!
      more
      View more

      Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!

      2 years ago
    • New Year’s Resolutions for Your Estate Plan
      more
      View more

      New Year’s Resolutions for Your Estate Plan

      2 years ago
  • Auto & Insurance
  • Spotlight
    • American Spirit
    • Mamalog
    • Head to Toe Trends
    • Carrying on Kennedy’s Voice
    • Get Local
    • IPittytheBull
  • About Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
    • Distribution
  • Like Us!
IPittytheBull: The Dogs I Won’t Foster

IPittytheBull: The Dogs I Won’t Foster

By John Flores

 

whoiwont_bl_mainNow that I have almost two years of fostering experience under my belt I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to foster the “perfect dog”. There is no room here for that kind of dog in my house. You know, the pretty one who doesn’t bark that everyone likes. You know the dog that gets along with every dog that just happened to be dumped at the pound only because their previous owner sucked. Those dogs are not welcome here. Those dogs need to be at a no-kill shelter because that’s where they belong. Those are the dogs that get adopted before you can post their picture on social media.

I’ve taken in my share of medical cases and while most of the time they’ve never had to spend a day at the rescue, as soon as their condition became manageable they’ve either been adopted, gone to another foster or ended up back at the rescue; giving them their best possible chance at being adopted. And it’s not because I don’t want them here or their time is up. It’s because this is about doing what’s best for them. This part of fostering will never get easy for me but as I’ve stated before, this is not about me. If that was the case, Jude and Ziggy would still be here! And Jude and Ziggy are in the best possible homes they could be in!

whoiwont_bl_2And then there are the behavior cases, the Fletcher’s, Lucy’s and the Kurtis’s. Yes, Kurtis fell into both. His attitude was very apparent even when he was ill. And when he got better, he was a lot harder to place than most people realized. The behavior cases need fosters more than anyone. And no, I’m not bringing them in here because I claim to be some kind of “dog whisperer”. I’m buying them time. I’m giving them a place to decompress. I can preach about the “energy” in my house all I want but I’m not here to fix these dogs. I’m showing these dogs that they can trust humans again and not so much make them better, for a family, but to find the family that is best for them. Stress is our biggest enemy. None of us react the same to situations when we’re stressed and the same goes for animals. You see, these behavior cases would be put down anywhere else.

Even though, a dog may be in a no-kill rescue, it does not mean they will do well in that environment. Stressed out dogs sometimes end up biting a volunteer or getting adopted out to a family who may not be ready for this dog and then the dog is returned. Fostering gives the dog a chance. Like I said, it buys them time. And at the end of the day, there is no time limit to how long they can stay with me. It takes as long as it takes but when they’re ready, so am I. I have to be. Adopting out dogs whoiwont_bl_4isn’t just about the dog. It’s about having faith in the human race again. It’s about believing that there are good people out there that will take a once “unadoptable” dog into their home because that dog is perfect for them.

So after all the broken crates, chewed up floors, leash aggression, howling, barking and crying that these dogs sometimes do here, I would rather be uncomfortable for a few days than have a dog be put down…especially when I know I could’ve helped that dog. Because eventually they stop being stressed and just become dogs. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, there is no magic in patience. I’m lucky enough to have dogs in my pack that understand what’s going on and I have the best support system with the other volunteers at Priceless Pets. I know I can’t save them all but I can save a few. I do not believe I have a gift because if I did, I wouldn’t have bite marks on me and I wouldn’t have “mini meltdowns” when I’m by myself wondering if I’ve gotten in over my head with some of these dogs. Like I said, I’m just keeping them safe and buying them time so they can relax and I can help animal rescues find them their perfect family. And if somewhere along the way they learn some manners and a few things from me, then that’s just the cherry on the sundae!

whoiwont_bl_3So to all of you out there who take the bottle fed babies who need to be fed every 3 hours, who take the dogs with disabilities, who take the strays in without second guessing what they may have gone through and to those who take the problem dogs, I have nothing but respect for you. And to everyone out there that’s been doing this way longer than I have and have taken the time to teach me, you have no idea how much I appreciate you because I know you don’t have the time, you make the time. It’s not the easiest thing to take in a dog that nobody wants.

This isn’t about what “I” do. It’s about them. When you spend enough time with a dog you realize they will never put their needs before yours. We owe them at least that. If an animal rescue asks me to foster I dog, chances are they’re not “perfect”….and chances are, I’m going to say yes….because this is exactly what I signed up for.

 

John Flores is the Founder, Owner and Creator of IPittytheBull. His pack consists of three pit bulls, two senior dogs and one pot-bellied pig, along with the many animals he has taken into his home. Follow John and his pack’s many adventures on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
John Flores
John Flores
Website: http://www.ipittythebull.com
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Reader's Favorite Articles
  • Loretta Baylos from Ontario, CA, Cervical Cancer Advocate

    Ignite the Fight Against Cervical Cancer

    • 110
    • 12734
  • teen-violence and bullying

    3 Ways to Prevent Teen Violence

    • 81
    • 11282
  • Riverside's-Mission-Inn-Festival-of-Lights

    Christmas Lights in the Inland Empire

    • 61
    • 9394
  • Digital Magazine

    • 74
    • 8635
Adversiting
lewisfamily
New On Our Facebook
Advertising

Related posts

  • Blogs
  •  / 
  • IPittytheBull
57
IPittytheBull: Overcoming A Dog’s Fear of Bath Time

IPittytheBull: Overcoming A Dog’s Fear of Bath Time

6 years ago
  • Blogs
  •  / 
  • IPittytheBull
55
IPittytheBull: Adopting Fletcher

IPittytheBull: Adopting Fletcher

7 years ago
  • Blogs
  •  / 
  • IPittytheBull
100
Fostering a 150lb Human-Selective Dog

Fostering a 150lb Human-Selective Dog

7 years ago
  • Blogs
  •  / 
  • IPittytheBull
92
IPittytheBull: A Letter to Betty’s Old Family

IPittytheBull: A Letter to Betty’s Old Family

7 years ago
  • Blogs
  •  / 
  • IPittytheBull
61
3 Reasons to Think Twice About Owning a Pig

3 Reasons to Think Twice About Owning a Pig

7 years ago
  • Blogs
  •  / 
  • IPittytheBull
59
Tale of A Senior Dog

Tale of A Senior Dog

7 years ago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Previous Post

Farmers Markets in the Inland Empire

by WestCoast Magazines proudly serving O.C. and I.E.

IPittytheBull: The Dogs I Won’t Foster
Next Post

Surround Yourself with Love

by WCM

IPittytheBull: The Dogs I Won’t Foster
Instagram
    The user currently does not have any images...
Newsletter

Archives
Search
GET IN TOUCH

6939 Schaefer Ave., Ste D-138, Chino, CA 91710
909.390.5727 • info@wcmagazines.com

Copyright WestCoast Media. All rights reserved. www.wcmagazines.com Reproduction without permission is prohibited.