Why I Foster: Meet Ellis
For Ellis, fostering started with one unforgettable dog and a simple act of compassion. What began as a volunteer shift at Houston Humane Society turned into a life-changing commitment to helping animals in need. Ellis shares how fostering transformed not only the lives of dogs like Paisley and Jasper, but also her own, proving that changing one animal's world can make all the difference.
1. What made you decide to foster for the first time, and do you remember how you felt the moment your first foster animal arrived home? I met my foster, Paisley, during a volunteer shift at the Houston Humane Society. She looked at me with these big brown eyes through the kennel door, remaining quiet while surrounded by barking dogs. Ten steps into our walk, she flopped over onto her back for belly rubs. After leaving the shelter that day, I couldn't stop thinking about her; one month later, she still hadn't been adopted. That is when I signed up as a foster with the Houston Humane Society, requesting Paisley as my foster dog. When I went to pick her up from the shelter, she flopped right back over on her back for belly rubs. She cried and panted the entire car ride home with anxiety; but the moment we got out of the car, she was all barks and tail wags! That gave me happiness and hope.
2. Was there a specific animal — or a moment — that made you realize fostering was something you were meant to do? Last year, I had a "final straw" moment when a different shelter posted a dog that had 24 hours left unless a foster or rescue stepped up. This is the difficult reality that I believe we have a responsibility to confront. After seeing the post, I ran to a pet store and grabbed a crate, bed, toys, bowls, and food. I set up a little corner in my apartment; the next day after work, I drove to the shelter and asked about fostering. The dog in the online post was no longer there (I believe someone else saved her). However, on the shelter wall were images of six dogs who were scheduled to be put down at 5 pm. It was 4:30 pm. I resolved to save the first scheduled dog I saw when I walked through the kennels--and that's what I did! That is how I ended up with my first dog and foster fail, Jasper. After moving to Texas this past year, I wanted to continue to save animals like Jasper. Editor's note: The shelter mentioned in this story was not Houston Humane Society.
3. What does fostering mean to you personally? To me, fostering means saving a life. When you take a dog into foster care, you open up space in the shelter for another animal. Sometimes I feel very small in this world, like I am unable to cause true change. Sometimes the problems we are confronted with in the world are disproportionate to what we can control. Yet, while we as individuals may not be able to change the whole world, we do have the power to change one whole world--the world of an animal. Fostering means changing their world.
4. How do the animals you foster seem to change between day one and the day they go to their forever home? I have actually never had a foster get adopted! My first foster, Jasper, was a foster fail, and my current foster Paisley is still waiting on her furever home. On day one, she refused to eat or come out of her crate. At night, I lifted her onto my bed so she could sleep next to me. Now, as I write this, she is snoozing next to me on the couch, and each night she leaps onto my bed all by herself. She knows exactly where her spot is, and in the morning she wakes me up with happy squeaks (she is a talkative dog).
5. How do you think the animals you've fostered have changed you as a person? While I know I cannot change our entire world, fostering has allowed me to change their entire world. Fostering allows me to give back the unconditional love these animals have shown me. Paisley and Jasper are endlessly happy when I come home. They persevere when they are uncertain or scared. The world has not been nice to either of them, yet they approach each day with trust and joy. I admire this quality and feel honored to love them. Foster care has allowed my responsibility to find its place.
6. What keeps you coming back to foster again and again? I view foster care on both individual and systemic terms. Individually, I will keep fostering because it truly matters to these animals. Systemically, shelters are still in a place where they rely on extra support to accommodate animal intake. I do not think the issue with shelter overpopulation will cease until we have more animal rights legislation, backyard breeding restrictions, and community support. But until a larger change happens, I will be here to do what I can.
7. What's the most meaningful thing an animal has ever "told" you without words? I hear meaning in Paisley and Jasper's sighs. Both of them sleep in bed with me, and at night when they're settling in they let out small exhalations as they fall asleep. To me, this is the sound of comfort and trust. While at the end of the day I do not know their full stories, I know that their pasts have been riddled with mistrust and anxiety (and at least in Jasper's case, pain). To have them sleep on their backs and snore freely (and loudly!) means more to me than they will ever know.
8. How does your household — family, kids, other pets — respond when a new foster comes through the door? It was not all sunshine and rainbows when Paisley came home. Her separation anxiety causes destructive tendencies, and her constant stress resonated off the walls. She displayed food aggression and some aggression towards my dog, Jasper. When I left for work, she vomited and defecated from anxiety. 48 hours into foster care, I called my mom from my bathroom floor and told her I may have to take Paisley back because I didn't know if I could handle her. Now, months later, both dogs are sleeping gently beside me while I work. It took a lot of care, cleaning, and patience to get to this point. When you foster an animal, not only do they have to adjust to your household--your household has to adjust to them. I think you teach each other about patience, adaptability, and grace.
9. What does giving an animal a safe, loving temporary home actually do for them — in your experience? Giving an animal a safe, loving home allows them to come out of survival mode. They learn to stop watching their backs for the next thing that might hurt them and to start looking for the next treat. They learn that not all humans are bad and that they are allowed to make mistakes. In other words, they learn how to give love, how to receive love, and that it's okay to be a dog.
10. How does it feel to see a foster animal find their forever home? Paisley is my first true foster! Nearly five months in, we are still looking for her furever home. If you are interested in adopting Paisley, please reach out!
11. What would you say to someone who's hesitant to foster because they're afraid of getting too attached? If you are afraid of getting too attached to a foster, I am right there with you. Shelter staff know that I am incredibly attached to Paisley. A lot of my personal anxiety comes from the thought of betraying the trust I worked so hard for and sending her into a home with which I am unfamiliar. All I want for Paisley is for her to be loved unconditionally and dependably. The day Paisley gets adopted, I will cry. I will think of her every day for a long, long time. But, at the end of the day, this journey is not about me. It is about her. I am decentering myself in order to center her, and believing that her furever home will be loving, safe, and paw-fect.
Sign up now to become a foster.
