The Truth About Fostering: Yes, You CAN Let Them Go and Here’s Why You Should

June is National Foster a Pet Month, and with it comes one of the most common things people say to me when they hear I foster animals: “I could never foster, I’d keep them all.”

I hear it all the time. And I get it. The bond you build with a foster pet is real, deep and meaningful. But here's what I always say: You absolutely CAN let them go, because what you’re really doing is letting them go home.

I started fostering dogs 17 years ago, and I’ve never looked back. After fostering for another organization for several years, I began fostering with Gateway Pet Guardians in 2016. Since then, I’ve fostered more than 50 dogs and only adopted two of them.

Do I fall in love with every single one? Absolutely. Do I want to keep many of them? Of course. But I don’t, because I know that my home is just a stop on their journey to the person who needs them most. I have my own dogs who fill my heart and my home. What brings me the greatest joy now is seeing the impact each foster dog makes in someone else’s life.

At the one year anniversary of adopting one of my foster dogs, his mom wrote:

“I quickly realized he’d saved me as much as I’d saved him. Through trauma, heartbreak, and grief, he became my reason to get up and move forward. I promised he’d never be neglected or hungry, and he repaid me by licking away my tears and being my constant companion. They say dogs can heal the heart—and I can tell you firsthand, it’s true.”

Another shared,

“I never understood why people treated dogs like family,until we got her. Now, she is family, and we love her more than we ever thought possible.”

Stories like these remind me why I do this. Dogs and cats have a unique way of connecting us to ourselves and to each other. Fostering isn’t just about saving animals, it’s about enriching human lives. It’s about being the bridge that brings love to someone who desperately needs it.

If I kept them all, I’d be keeping all that love to myself. Fostering lets me share it with the world. If you would like to try fostering with us, go to gatewaypets.org/foster

Here are just a few of the many sweet faces-both furry and human-that keep me going and remind me why I’ll always keep opening my home and my heart to the next one who needs it.