Ashley Paris Day

It is definitely a family affair. My children (ages 8, 13, and 17), my husband, and I have been welcomed over 150 foster dogs into our home over the past 5 years.

Some have been healthy. Some have been very sick. Some have been scared. Some have been overjoyed. Some have been only a few hours old. Some are in their last hours of life.

We welcome them all, showing them love, making them feel safe, and helping them learn to trust again.

Fostering is not always easy for our family. All three kids have very active lifestyles and we are always on the go. Often, I am having to squeeze a vet visit or adoption event into our already crowded day.

In addition, my children (and the adults) often get very attached to our fosters resulting in tears when they leave.

People often ask me why I do that to myself and my family.

I have over a 150 reasons why. We have made a difference in each of those fosters’ lives. We are one piece of the puzzle for their happy life.

As a bonus, my kids are learning responsibility by taking care of something besides themselves and giving back becoming a productive part of society.

Finally, they are learning the most important lesson that when you love someone, you do what is best for them, not necessarily you.

While all of our fosters have left an impression on our family, there are some that stand out. One of those is Sasha. She was our very first foster and our one and only foster fail. Sasha came to our house only two days before she gave birth to 7 puppies. After Sasha raised her pups and they were transported up north, she became an official member of our family. While Sasha has taught us many lesson, one of being the awesomeness of the “pit bull” breed. She is the gentlest, smartest, most loving dog I have ever met and is a great “foster mom” to all our foster puppies.

Artie was a long-term foster who we had for almost a year. He had been in an outdoor kennel with his brother to whom he was very attached. Artie needed to learn to live in a family to increase his chances of being adopted, so he came to live with us. He was so scared of us at first that he stayed in his kennel in a back bedroom for 3 days without coming out. We would have to pick him up and carry him outside to go to the bathroom. He would only eat if we would lay his food and water into the kennel and then leave the room. A little love and lots of patience brought Artie out of his shell. He is now living in a great forever home where he is spoiled rotten.

I am a proud supporter of C.A.R.E. and am happy to donate for the purpose of rescuing animals from abuse, neglect and abandonment.

You can make an online donation now using your credit or debit card below or visit our Donate Page to learn about the many ways you can help C.A.R.E. continue to save lives.

Learn more about Volunteering to help C.A.R.E. Our needs vary day to day. Fill out the Volunteer application and let us know what you’d like to help with.

Have you considered becoming a Foster?

Or are you ready to adopt? See who is available this week, fill out our online application and we will be in touch as soon as possible .

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