The Weight of Finding a Foster

Today I made a phone call to a pet owner to tell her we might have a foster for her pet. As soon as I said the words, she burst into tears. Not quiet tears—full-on, overwhelmed, I-can’t-believe-it sobs.

She was so thankful. And I was so humbled.

I’ve worked in social work for over ten years, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt the kind of raw gratitude that I have experienced since starting The Paw in Hand Project. There’s something about helping someone hold onto the one piece of comfort they have left—their pet—that touches a different part of the heart.

And while these moments fill me up, I also want to be honest about the harder parts of this work.

Sometimes fosters back out. Life happens. And while I completely understand and respect it, those are tough phone calls to make.

Sometimes the owner changes their mind. The moment of actually letting go of their pet, even temporarily, becomes too much. And that’s okay too. But it means the foster family who was ready now sits with disappointment, and I always carry that weight.

This work is full of unpredictability. But you know what? It’s still worth it.

Every time someone hears “we found someone to help,” and their voice breaks or they whisper, “thank you”—I’m reminded that hope, even fragile and uncertain, is powerful.

So we keep showing up. We keep making the calls. And we keep believing that there’s always someone out there willing to open their home, their heart, and sometimes, their couch—for a family trying to stay whole.

Written by Mollie Ridings