K9 Stray Rescue League

06/03/2026

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚.
𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒐𝒈’𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔.

I never planned to foster dogs.

Honestly, it happened because I started volunteering at K9 Stray and no matter what they asked me to do, I said yes. I’m so glad I did.

I don’t think I ever would have made the decision on my own. There’s never really a “good time” to take in a foster dog, and I had all the same thoughts most people do:

“I’ll want to keep them all.”
“It’ll break my heart when they leave.”
“What if it’s too much?”

Then I actually experienced fostering — and my perspective completely changed.

My first foster was in 2019. Since then, I’ve probably fostered 70+ dogs.

I’ve had every kind of foster imaginable:
• a pregnant mom who gave birth to 11 puppies in my basement
• seniors looking for a peaceful place to spend their golden years
• healthy dogs
• sick dogs
• easy dogs
• difficult dogs

Every single one came with different challenges. Every single one was rewarding in their own way.

Now for the bad news first…

Fostering can absolutely be time-consuming, stressful, and disruptive to everyday life. Adding another dog to your home is never easy — whether it’s yours or not.

Thankfully, fostering is temporary, and during the chaos you can always remind yourself:
“This too shall pass.”

Fosters can bring wear and tear to your home too. I’ve experienced carpet stains, chewed-up baseboards, destroyed shoes, dug-up yards… probably all of it.

But honestly?

I don’t really remember those details anymore.

When I look back at pictures of former foster dogs, I don’t remember what they ruined. I remember what I loved about them.

And yes… bringing home “yet another foster dog” can sometimes earn a few eye rolls from family members — and maybe a little jealousy from your own dogs too.

That part is hard for me because I feel responsible for the disruption to everyone’s routine.

But then something shifts.

The foster dog is curled up on the couch with my husband.
Sleeping beside one of my daughters.
Playing in the yard with my dogs.

And suddenly that little ball of chaos has brought joy into our home.

There are also a lot of misconceptions about fostering.

No — you do not want to keep every dog you foster.

If I’m being completely honest, some dogs you can’t wait to find a home for!

Will you love them? Of course.

But if you foster, it’s because you already love dogs. You love your own dogs, foster dogs, the dog walking down the street, the dog on TV, the dog on the birthday card… all of them.

I love every single dog that enters my home.

That does not mean I want to keep every single one.

There are some I become especially attached to, and yes, I’ve cried when they left. But life settles back into normal surprisingly quickly, especially after taking a little break before the next foster arrives.

It’s important to remember:
Fostering is an act of giving. It’s not really about us anyway.

Another misconception is cost.

At least with K9 Stray, fostering itself costs me nothing. The rescue provides food, medical care, and support.

And commitment?

Yes, it’s a commitment — but it’s manageable. If I have a vacation planned or need to be out of town, the rescue can take the foster back until I return.

Simple.

Now for the good news… and there’s a lot of it.

You really are making a difference.

It sounds cliché, but it’s true.

You are giving an innocent dog a real chance at a beautiful life.

And you’re enriching the lives of people too.

The families who adopt my fosters often send me updates, photos, and stories about all the adventures they’re having together. They tell me how much joy that dog has brought into their home.

That feeling will always outweigh the sadness of letting them go.

Always.

There’s also something special about helping the rescue itself.

When you take home a dog that volunteers have been especially worried about, you help everyone breathe a little easier knowing that dog is safe, loved, and getting extra attention.

I could go on and on about the good parts of fostering.

Some joys are universal.
Others are deeply personal.

But every person who fosters is changed by it in their own unique way — through the joy, the love, the tears, the chaos, and the connection.

I hope you’ll foster someday and discover what it brings to your life too.

06/03/2026

⭐ 𝙒𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙒𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙙𝙖𝙮 ⭐
You know that we are focusing on fosters this entire month, but that isn't the only thing we need. At K9, caring for our dogs is always our top priority — and one of the simplest, most impactful ways our community supports that care is through returnable can and bottle donations.

Last year, thanks to YOU, we raised $12,000 just from returnables.
This year, we’ve set a goal of $12,500, and we’re already off to a great start with $4,300+ raised so far!

To reach our goal, we need to collect $8,200 more in the next 7 months — and we know our amazing community can make it happen.

As the weather warms and the season of graduation parties, family BBQs, showers, weddings, and outdoor gatherings begins, please remember K9 when deciding what to do with your returnable cans and bottles.
Your celebrations can turn into life‑changing support for our dogs.

Drop off your returnables anytime — 24/7 — in the bin at the top of our drive:
📍 2120 Metamora Rd., Oxford

Our volunteers will take it from there. Truly, it’s one of the easiest ways to help.

Help us reach our goal and continue giving every dog the care, comfort, and second chance they deserve.
Our dogs — and our whole team — are so grateful. 🐾💛

06/02/2026

🐾 𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘼’𝙎 𝙋𝙄𝘾𝙆: 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙝! 🐾
Ella’s choice this week is the adorable, wrinkly‑faced sweetheart Steph — the playful, people‑pleasing beauty who wins hearts everywhere she goes. From her lean‑in-for-love hugs to her eager‑to-learn attitude, Steph is the full package.
She’s fun, she’s affectionate, and she’s so ready to find a family who will adore her just as much as Ella does. If Steph made you smile today, imagine what she could bring to your home.

💛 Not ready to adopt? You can still change Steph’s life by fostering. Even a short‑term foster gives her a break from the shelter and helps her shine for her future family.

Come meet this lovable girl and see why she’s Ella’s Pick!
K9Stray.com/adoptme/Steph

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

🎉 100 𝘿𝙊𝙂 𝘼𝘿𝙊𝙋𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍! 🎉
We are celebrating a HUGE milestone — 100 dogs have found their forever homes so far this year, and it’s all thanks to YOU. 💛🐾

Every adoption represents a second chance, a fresh start, and a family made whole. Watching our dogs leave for their new lives never gets old — it’s the heart of everything we do.

To every adopter, foster, volunteer, donor, and supporter… thank you. Your kindness, your time, your shares, your donations, your love — it all adds up to moments like this.

Let’s keep the momentum going and help even more dogs find the homes they deserve.
Here’s to the next 100! 🥂🐶✨

06/02/2026

Summer is officially here, and June is packed with opportunities to support K9 Stray! ☀️🐶 From meeting your new best friend at Petco to grabbing dinner for a cause at G's Pizzeria, every event you attend directly helps the dogs in our care.

👇 How you can make a difference right now:
🐾 Check out our calendar for all the dates, times, and locations!
🍾 Drop off your returnables at the rescue.
🏡 Ask us about volunteering, fostering, or adopting.

Thank you for standing with us and being such an amazing community!

🐾

06/01/2026

🔥 𝘼𝘿𝙊𝙋𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙍𝙏 — 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙏 𝙏𝙃𝙍𝙀𝙀! 🔥
We’re wrapping up this incredible wave of happy tails with our final group of recent adoptions — and this set includes a story that’s extra special during Dog Foster Month. To alll who foster, volunteer and adopt, we appreciate you!

🐾 𝙁𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩
Violet was adopted after her foster experience — Cammie opened up her home, helped Violet feel safe, and ultimately helped her get adopted. These are the moments that show exactly why fostering matters. A dog’s entire world changed because someone said “yes” to fostering.

If you’ve ever thought about fostering, June is the perfect time to jump in. You could be the bridge between a dog’s past and their forever home — or even discover your own foster‑fail love story. 💛🐾