When six-year-old Roman, and the rest of the Duncans, became the lucky foster family who took in Maggie the puppy, they made it abundantly clear that she would only be living with them temporarily. They explained to their son that sweet Maggie the Pitbull would go live with another family one day.
But that didn’t stop a beautiful bond from forming between the young Louisiana boy and his adorable foster pup.
Maggie was far too young to be adopted straight out of a shelter, so she needed a safe place to stay, where she would be loved, learn basic commands, and prepare to be adopted by her future family. The perfect place for her to live was with a loving foster family, and for Maggie, the Pitbull mix, that was with the Duncans. Roman loved to help take care of Maggie, and he thought she was “the best dog.”
In fact, he loved his first foster dog so much that when it was time for him to say his final goodbyes, he slipped a few sweet letters into her adoption paperwork as a surprise for her future family to find. The young boy was keen to call Maggie “the best dog” and listed many reasons why. From all the amazing things he said about her in his letter, it’s obvious that the pup left a lasting impression on young Roman.
“She is the best dog, Potty trained, she loves other dogs, loves to play fetch, loves cuddles and to be loved,” Roman wrote in one of the letters (in kid-ling0, of course).
The letters are so charmingly sweet that just reading them could give you a cavity, and they absolutely delighted Maggie’s rescue team. So North Shore Animal League America decided to share them in hopes of raising awareness about this often-overlooked aspect of animal rescue.
So many shelters across the country are underfunded and filled to capacity. Fostering helps save lives by opening up available spaces for animals in need. Plus, fostering gives many animals the safety and space to work through any fears and traumas they may have from their former lives.
Not only that, but fostering can also let a family know whether or not they are ready to adopt. By sharing this sweet story, North Shore Animal League America hopes to inspire other families to open their hearts and homes to fostering. There are so many incredible dogs like Maggie out there that need a safe and loving place to stay while they wait to find their forever family.
H/T: people.com
Featured Photo: Courtesy of North Shore Animal League America
