RSPCA animals may need foster care in your home for a range of reasons: recovering from surgery and medical conditions, overcoming behavioural issues, time out form shelter life, mother pets and their litters, and more.
Lauren Mackie is one of our dedicated animal foster carers. She learned about the urgent need for foster carers when the pandemic started and has continued to foster ever since.
Lauren fostered two labradoodle puppies that were found dumped.
Lauren and her family lost their canine companion of 14 years and decided foster care would be their next journey. "When I discovered the RSPCA were desperate for more foster carers to help during lockdown, I wanted to apply and support them."
Lauren found it easy to apply to foster and start to care for animals in need.
"The foster care team are so amazing, supportive and accommodating. They work with me on everything from collecting and dropping off the puppies to vet visits or late-night phone calls about sick animals. They always go above and beyond to help make things work around my busy schedule as a working mum. This makes the fostering experience as manageable as it is enjoyable. I have learnt so much as a foster carer along the way."
Lauren fostered her first mother dog, Maggie, and her litter of puppies.
"Maggie was surrendered along with her 11 puppies when they were just one-week-old. Maggie was in such poor condition, so underweight her hair was falling out and she had a terrible skin condition. Because 11 puppies were taking a toll on Maggie's body, two of the biggest puppies went on to another foster carer to make the load a little lighter. Maggie, still a baby herslef at only 18-months-old, was the best mum. She is such a loveable and sweet girl who had so much love to give and she did a great job with her babies."
Lauren says it's really rewarding knowing that Maggie and her puppies have been adopted into loving families.
"They will always hold a special place in my heart. It was a sad day to see them all go, but it is so nice to know they all went on to loving homes. I know Maggie is living her best life with her new family and that is exactly what she deserves."
Our foster carers make an incredible difference to the lives of animals in need by giving them a caring space to recover and recuperate. If you'd like to become an RSPCA Foster Carer, apply online today.
Lauren says, "It is such an enjoyable and rewarding experience; anyone can do it. All you need is a love for animals and a big heart... The RSPCA provide the rest."
