this year we've been the on-and-off again foster home for various dogs from the pixie project. our last foster dog, jimmy, was picked up before halloween, and with too much upcoming travel, we're taking a little break from fostering for the time being.

the pixie project is one of several rescue organizations here in portland. they have lots of opportunities to get involved, from volunteering in the shelter, to dog-walking shifts, to in-home fostering, and i've been hella impressed with how effortless they make the entire process. fostering gives an animal a temporary safe space to chill out and have their needs met. as foster hosts, we help gather information that is used to profile what these dogs might need in their next home, something that's incredibly difficult to gauge in a shelter environment. pixie's dogs are coming in from various circumstances--anything from the death of an elderly owner, to a surrender or rescue--and some move directly into a foster home while waiting for adoption, or recovering from surgeries or procedures. there's something so tender and sweet about spending time with animals who are about to find their next forever homes. usually the first day is a kind of strange acclimation. most dogs settle right in within a couple days, and there are behavioral milestones that are interesting to watch unfold.

hanging out with a dog that's, presently, not anyones' dog, is kinda surreal, if not a little grim. i've had bouts of overthinking a dog's circumstances (does this fren even know their owner is Never Coming Home Again?????), and what right we have to lay claim and say we "own" a living creature. but overall, these anxieties were outweighed by the many, many positives of fostering. and let's be real: i've missed having fuzzy friends in my life. i like taking care of animals and i'm good at it. the companionship has been so welcomed.

we've had some real gems these past many months. some of our fosters have been seniors with a small arsenal of medications. most have been incredibly easy. one was aggressive and protective. all had some degree of separation anxiety. all were completely housebroken (i'd say this one was a pretty big surprise). we were obsessed with several of them. ​and while i'll always be partial to chihuahuas, there were a couple mixed breeds that stole my heart.

illustrations of all the foster dogs we've housed this year in chronological order:

love dogs,

love,
rhienna