There once was a dog named Jackson. He was visible through the window of an adoption rescue agency by my work. A senior big bear dog with a refined palette that only wanted to eat wet cat food, Casear's brand for absolute specificity. He liked what he liked. His look, his age, and the knowing of oneself that comes with age sprouted a surprising desire in me to adopt him. Not having grown up with pets nor having one as an adult combined with the idea of having to pick up their poop for the rest of their lives just didn't seem like a good deal for me, this desire was a shocker. Jackson changed mind at first sight. A fool's love will do that, I suppose. Two weeks of doing the homework on being a responsible dog owner, learning dog psychology and behavior through their life stages, I completed the adoption papers and was ready! But as with all things in life, timing is everything. Someone had adopted Jackson a few hours prior to me showing up. At this point, as I was mentally prepared for this responsibility, the search for "my dog" began. Long story less long, I learned about fostering and it seemed like a perfect path for me as a would-be first time dog caretaker to help rescue dogs in need and give them a "trial" at home as fosters do have the first "right" to adopt.. Win-win. Once I started fostering, I found that I enjoyed the role the foster serves in a homeless dog's journey to adoption. And I get to "have" so many dogs to call my own, even if temporarily. Like meeting so many different people as we live, having many dogs come in and out of my home makes me a better person as each one teaches me something I didn't realize about dogs or myself. PSA - If you are contemplating getting a dog but aren't sure you are making the right choice with the right dog, fostering may be the way to go to find your dog. I'm still fostering!

Anyway.

MCP Rescue & Outreach is the second organization I've fostered for. Why MCP? There once was a dog named Mural. She was a scared senior deaf, poor visioned, one tooth scared lady who found herself at Chicago Animal Care and Control. As I said about timing, it is everything. A long term foster was just adopted out, I saw Mural, saw that MCP was willing to pull if there was a foster. I looked into MCP to see if their philosophy was in sync with mine and it was. I applied to foster, got approved, got Mural and she was as awesome as I thought she would be. Older dogs are who pull at my heartstrings though all my fosters up to this point were young, rambunctious, medium to larger dogs who were each lovely in their own right, seniors are just a bit extra in lovely.So here I am fostering for MCP Rescue & Outreach going on almost two years. Their dedication to the dogs rescued and the philosophy of seeing the world through the perspective of the dog and their needs to match the right people to the dog and not the other way around is an approach I can easily get behind.

In the world outside of fostering, I used to be a clinical nurse who now works on process and quality improvement at a nonprofit based in Chicago that works with community health centers across the United States.