Having been stuck at home with nothing to do, you’re probably wondering about what would make this tedious lifestyle more entertaining. Yes, there are books to read and movies to watch, but you want something more. Something new and fascinating that’ll keep you occupied and help you through this rough patch. Well, I have the perfect suggestion: foster a dog from Dog Organization Georgia! You’d be doing yourself, and an adorable dog and a hard-working shelter some good.
This organization is a shelter for street dogs in the vast field behind Lisi Lake. When you approach, you see a bunch of dogs, all different colors and sizes, jumping around and barking with excitement. Some caretakers are always there to look after them. If you make an appointment, you can meet up with people who run the shelter: Maite Iniesta Ortiz and Sara Anna Modzmanashvili-Kemecsei. You can pet the dogs in the yard and look at the ones in the fenced area. You can play with and walk any dog you like!
There are caretakers, managers and a lot of nice volunteers that help around. Since I was curious about the different ways, you can volunteer and help the dog shelter, I interviewed one of the managers, Maite. There are many ways to help the shelter. I was particularly interested in fostering, so I focused on that.
The puppies: Tavu, Pecas, Pitna and Rosie
When you foster a dog, it means that you agree to provide a home for the dog of your choice for a certain amount of time. In most cases, the minimum time to keep a dog with you is two weeks. This “rule” is ensured so that the dog gets used to the environment, the new routine, and the foster family. Of course, this is not a strictly enforced rule. If the foster parents come across any major problems, they will return the dog to the shelter. As for the maximum time to keep a dog, there is no limit. You can keep fostering as long as you are able! The shelter will also provide you with all the necessary equipment, such as food, a collar and leash, a bed, and anything else that is required for the dog.Therefore you won’t have to worry about any extra expenses for looking after the dog.
Like how this sounds? If you decide to take the next step, choosing to foster a dog is rather simple. You can start by visiting Dog Organization Georgia’s website. If you see any individual dogs you like in particular on their website or if you want to foster a dog, you can visit the shelter in person.
Once there, you can get to know the dog,
Take it on a walk;
Play with it;
See if you two get along.
If you decide that you are up to fostering the dog, all you’ll have to do is fill out a small and simple form for the shelter owners to understand the situation and setting the dog will be in. After that, you will set a time and date and the shelter will bring the dog right to your house! Convenient huh? One of the owners will drop off all the needed supplies and maybe have a look around the house to give you pointers on where to place what (considering all the restrictions and regulations of course). After that it’s easy, have fun with the new visitor!
I also asked Maite why she would recommend fostering a dog. To begin with, it’s beneficial for the dog. Sometimes certain dogs need to recover from surgery or puppies aren’t fully vaccinated and need to be in a safe space so they can grow up to be strong and healthy. By fostering a dog, you’d also be increasing the dogs’ chances of finding a forever home because they will get used to living with a family. Considering how most people won’t want to take in a dog who has never been in a house, this is important. Getting the dog used to behave in a house setting will make potential owners even more convinced. Other than this, you, and the shelter personnel, get to learn about the dog’s personality. This all increases the dogs’ chances of finding a loving and perfectly suitable owner.
If you genuinely love animals and want to get a dog but aren’t sure how well you will handle it, this is the perfect opportunity! You won’t be obligated to take on any major responsibilities, and you’ll have the chance to see how capable you are of taking care of a dog. (Foster families often end up adopting the dogs because they realize how much they’ve come to love the dog and the experience of having one.)
Finally, owning a dog provides structure in your life, which is important, especially considering that we are all stuck at home. You will take on a new and interesting task. Going outside daily, on multiple occasions, and having a fun and active companion by your side is bound to lift your spirit. You will also get some needed exercise. All in all, quarantine won’t be so colorless as it once was.
Right- Zhuzhu, left – Dzazi.
Gigi in the front and Hugo in the back.
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As Maite says, there are positives, positives, positive everywhere!
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Edited by Mariam Begiashvili
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