Becca wears multiple hats at ALIVE Rescue, but today we wanted to highlight her contributions to the foster team.
Learn more about Becca’s experience on the foster team, below...
"I joined the foster team in January 2018 because I was looking to elevate my volunteer experience. I had been volunteering at the shelter for over a year and was looking for another unique challenge. The idea of building a relationship with a group of fosters appealed to me as well as the idea that I'd be helping put animals into homes where they can decompress and heal.
While the day-to-day can be challenging as a foster coordinator, it's rewarding when you witness success stories. This can be in the form of animals who went into foster and were adopted by their fosters (also known as a foster fail) or to see a dog that a foster has cared for for over a year get adopted. It makes me happy seeing animals and fosters succeed.
Taking a chance on animals will never get old. A lot of times you'll be doing a CRISP shift and an animal will come in that you desperately want to save, but you can't without an open foster. Being able to match a foster with a critical animal and have it be a great fit is super rewarding. Over the years, a few foster journeys stand out to me, particularly Milton (@MildlyMilton) and Mark (@MarktheSnuggleBug)!
My favorite in-progress foster journey is a tie. The first is Root Beer, who managed to find the most kind, patient foster parents who immediately understood her needs. Madison also landed the most compassionate and attentive foster parents who have been there with her for everything from basic training to having both her eyes removed.
While ALIVE does have an adoption center, it's still a heavily foster-based organization. A lot of the time, our ability to save an animal depends on the fosters we have available to take them in. Foster coordinators are part of that process from start to finish. They process the foster applications and they know and understand the needs of each individual foster, thereby placing dogs in homes with as much efficiency and effectiveness as possible. It's also critical for the fosters to have someone to reach out to for everything from a basic training question to supply needs, medical emergencies and everything in between.
This is the most challenging and rewarding experience I've had as a volunteer in the rescue community. It's a lot of emails and phone calls and logistics BUT it's also a lot of fun. If you’re interested in joining the foster team, you’d be joining a great group of individuals and you will immediately see the difference you're making!" - Becca