Fostering a dog can be an adventure – especially if you’ve never owned one before. But sometimes the good in a person overpowers the fear of the unknown, which (not to toot my own horn) I guess is what happened to me – after all, I can’t think of any other reasonable explanation for what I’m about to tell you.
Mallow was my first foster ever. He came about after I saw a post by a rescue looking for short term fosterers to help rescue dogs out of kill shelters in my local area, Southern California. They were only looking for people to foster for six days, which I thought I could do with no problem. However I instantly fell in love with Mallow, and ended up adopting him as my own before the six days were even over!
I didn’t know much about his background before he was rescued. All I know is that Mallow was listed as a stray at a rural shelter in the desert, but was soon returned due to apparent “behavioral issues”, which I thought to be slightly ridiculous, especially after the wonderful behavior he displayed in his time staying with me. Even if Mallow were to possess some “behavioral issues”, that far from bothered me. After all, it’s rare that any rescue dog is going to be flawless straight away.
So, after being rescued and welcomed into my home officially, I knew that Mallow would need time to decompress, develop a new routine, and be trained (after all, he didn’t even know how to walk on a leash!). This was soon fixed though, and the once excitable Mallow soon transformed into a calm and confident pup – and it’s his calm and confident energy that helped me to bring other rescue dogs into my home.
In my local area, as in many other parts of the U.S., there is a shelter crisis. With people returning to normal life, the dogs they brought into their homes during the pandemic were soon being dumped into shelters, purely because owners were unable to think ahead. Shelters are getting more overwhelmed each day, and each day more and more healthy and adoptable dogs are being put down purely because there is no room for them anymore. And it’s no different for huskies; many people get huskies without having properly researched the breed, leading to many being abandoned and losing their lives one way or another.
Hannah will be my second foster fail. I have been fostering her since July of 2021, but will be inviting her to stay with me and Mallow on a permanent basis very soon!
Hannah was found in a hoarding backyard along with her puppies. They were neglected, unsocialized and scared of everything. So, along with Hannah, I helped to foster her two daughters, who have since found amazing homes of their own – but it doesn’t stop there.
Valerie is roughly six years old and is guessed to be a husky-pitbull mix. Despite having a difficult start to life including being hit by a car, shot by a BB gun, and being on the euthanasia list in an overcrowded shelter, you wouldn’t have guessed it to look at her today. Thanks to Hollywood Huskies Rescue, Valerie has managed to put her past behind her. She now loves food, snuggles and napping on a warm soft bed. She is crate trained, house trained and walks greatly on a leash. Despite everything she has been through Valerie is extremely gentle, loving and friendly to every dog and human she meets.
However, when a dog is rescued, their problems do not disappear overnight – Valerie’s medical bills are extensive and the wonderful rescue that saved her needs help to pay them, as do many others.
Ever since I adopted Mallow, the daily crisis’ rescues such as Hollywood Huskies Rescue face always play on my mind. I, like many like minded dog lovers, now volunteer at shelters, saving as many dogs as I can from death row. In this process, I have fostered around 35 dogs, many being husky or husky mixes – but this is not enough. I hope that other dog lovers can open their hearts and their homes to these beautiful animals, and take the next step into saving a dog’s life.
