By Jennifer Leigh Baker
About a year after grieving the loss of our 17-year-old bonded beagles, we decided to become first-time foster parents with United Animal Friends. Our first foster, Liberty, was the perfect dog for us to learn with—and from.
Libby taught us that rescue isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up, staying open, and trusting the journey.
Found as a pregnant stray on a New Mexico reservation, she was cared for by kind hospital employees while living on her own. After having her puppies, she came to UAF with them.
After weaning her pups, Libby needed a foster home. When we decided to open our home for the first time, she was the dog they felt could be a good fit for us—and we said yes.
We had no idea what our first fostering experience would teach us, let alone each foster who followed.
Libby’s first lesson for us was simple: seek to understand. She was afraid of the world. Anything and everything spooked her. Libby frequently froze in place during walks—sometimes right in the middle of the road. Our first rule was practice patience. Even when we didn’t understand her why in these moments, she reminded us that healing happens on its own timeline, not ours.
Over the next six months, we worked to keep her calm while she underwent treatment for heartworm. Due to her condition, she couldn’t be spayed right away. Two weeks before what we hoped would be her final treatment, she went into heat. Another lesson emerged: just when we thought we had things figured out, there was always something new to learn.
People often ask us how we could foster without becoming foster fails. We came close with Libby but held to the promise to ourselves that if we could help more animals find loving homes, we’d leave this world a little better than we found it. Especially for animals who had experienced trauma, neglect, or abandonment.
When the perfect family came along for Libby, I cried all day while preparing to take her to them. But the moment I walked into their home and saw how quickly they loved her—and how quickly she loved them—my tears stopped.
Libby taught me that fostering isn’t about me. That lesson in selflessness helped me say a loving, tearful goodbye and send her off with love and light to her furever home.
While Libby was still with us, we welcomed Mimi, thinking Libby could use a friend and Mimi needed someone to look up to. Mimi is the sweetest puppy-energy girl you’d ever meet, while Libby carried more of a young-mom energy. Naturally, we thought they’d be perfect together. They had other ideas.
Libby tolerated Mimi, but it became clear she was ready for her next chapter. Once again, these pups reminded us that they get a vote too.
Libby taught us patience and understanding. Mimi taught us that every animal comes with their own personality and preferences. Together, they showed us that fostering isn’t about changing animals. It’s about creating a safe place for them to land while discovering how much they teach us along the way as they learn what it means to be part of a family.
One of the greatest surprises of fostering has been rediscovering joy in the smallest moments: porch-time watching birds, the excitement of a newly discovered stick, and lots and lots of kisses every day.
For many rescue animals, everyday experiences are brand new: a cozy bed, a safe home, a walk without fear. Watching them discover these things reminds us not to take our own lives for granted.
People often ask if fostering is hard. It is. There are goodbyes, uncertainties, and moments when your heart feels stretched in ways you didn’t expect. But there is also laughter, growth, connection, and the privilege of helping an animal take the next step toward the life they deserve.
Sometimes the greatest gift of fostering isn’t just the life we help save—it’s how much your own lives and hearts expands in the process.
And now, we’ve welcomed our third foster—Cowboy. Woohoo! He’s Mimi’s best friend. Buckle up, this guy is a load of energy….
