Friday, October 7, 2011

Interview with: A Foster Home

Kristin Tweel, ADR adopter/recent foster momma, was kind enough to answer some questions for us about her experience fostering for ADR.

We are so grateful to have people like Kristin (and her amazing husband Manuel) on our team.  Their positive attitudes, even when dealing with challenging issues, inspire us.  Together, we can continue saving innocent lives.

Thank you Kristin!


When/how did you hear about ADR?

We learned about ADR a little over three years ago, when we were looking to adopt a dog on Petfinder. We ended up adopting 2 two year old Amstaff mix named Layla.

What made you decide to open your heart and home to fostering a dog in need?

There are so many dogs in need! But after building a relationship with the rescue over the past three years, we wanted to. We’ve had such a good experience with Layla, we wanted to offer another dog the chance to have a better life too.

Can you tell us a bit about your foster dog?

Our foster dog’s name is Dilbert, or Dilly for short. He’s incredibly smart and painfully cute. We’re not really sure how old he is, maybe 7 or 8 months? He’s got a lot of energy and loves to play but is a total lovebug!

How has the foster experience been? The best part? The hardest?

The foster experience has been really good- we feel that we, as well as Layla, have gotten a lot out of it. The hardest part was probably the training aspect. You are constantly trying to reinforce positive behaviours,.and that includes reminding yourself to be consistent with both dogs. And of course, now that we know and love him, letting him go will be tough too.

The best part is easy! As the dog settles into its new environment and becomes more comfortable, you see more and more of their individual personality shine through. It’s very rewarding.

Was there any sort of adjustment period for you? For your resident dog?

It probably took us a month to adjust. It wasn’t easy at first- it was a lot of work. But Dilly really started to settle into our routine and life gradually got easier. For Layla, our resident pooch, the adjustment time was about the same. She had to learn to share her toys and all the affection! They love each other now.

What have you gained from the experience?

Patience! And honestly, we’ve learned a lot about our resident dog Layla too.  Based on what Layla has learned and changed since we’ve had Dilbert around, it was a really beneficial experience.

What advice would you offer someone who is thinking of fostering?

It’s a lot of time and effort at first. But overall, it’s an amazing and rewarding experience.

Would you foster again?

Depending on the dog, we would!


We are always greatly in need of foster homes!

Fostering requires a time commitment of 1-3 months for young dogs and 6-8 months for those that are a bit older. ADR covers all food and veterinary costs, your donation is an open heart and home to help a rescued angel on their way to a Happy Beginning!

Interested? Email us for an application!

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