The author shares a powerful near-death experience that reshaped her perspective on living a purposeful life for God's glory, urging readers to embrace their authentic, imperfect stories. Your everyday moments and struggles can powerfully reveal God's grace and offer hope to others.

Every year, shelters across the United States take in over 920,000 dogs, and many face overcrowding that threatens their wellbeing. Dog fostering offers a direct solution: by opening your home temporarily, you give a shelter dog breathing room, training, and a second chance at life. At DogingtonPost, we believe fostering is one of the most rewarding ways to help. This guide walks you through how to foster dogs, from preparing your space to managing the emotional journey of saying goodbye. What Dog Fostering Really Means Dog fostering is straightforward: you provide temporary housing, care, and attention to a shelter or rescue dog for weeks or months until they’re adopted. This isn’t volunteering at a facility or donating supplies-it’s opening your home as an active part of the rescue pipeline. According to Shelter Animals Count data, the median length of stay for dogs in shelters has increased across all sizes, with large dogs staying about 20 days, medium dogs around 18 days, and small dogs roughly 14 days. These numbers matter because longer stays mean shelters fill to capacity faster, forcing them to turn away incoming rescues. When you foster, you directly address this bottleneck. Government shelters increased their use of foster care significantly between January 2023 and December 2024, signaling a shift in how public facilities handle overcrowding. Your foster dog occupies a home instead of a kennel, freeing shelter staff to focus on medical care, behavioral assessment, and adoption matching for the animals still in-house. The work itself involves basic care-you feed your foster dog, provide exercise, handle house-training and socialization, and document the dog’s personality and behavior so shelters can match them with suitable families. Many foster programs ask foster parents to spend about two hours daily on exercise and play, adjusted for the dog’s energy level. You’ll also transport your foster dog to veterinary appointments and sometimes attend adoption events to help market them. Some programs track foster outcomes rigorously, using data on intake numbers, waitlists, and weekly adoptions to show fosters the direct impact of their work. This transparency matters because it transforms fostering from an abstract good deed into measurable rescue work. The Crisis Shelters Face Right Now The numbers tell an urgent story. 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters and rescues in 2024, and capacity constraints force difficult decisions about which animals receive space and resources. Shelter Animals Count’s 2024 Year-End Report shows that longer stays compound the problem-dogs sitting in kennels longer means fewer new arrivals can be accommodated. This creates a cascade effect: rescues reject intakes, dogs end up in worse situations, and shelters operate in permanent crisis mode. Foster-based rescues experience declining foster counts while private shelters remain steady or trend downward, indicating that community engagement patterns are shifting and supply isn’t matching demand. The solution isn’t building more shelters; it’s moving dogs into homes faster. Data-driven foster programs that track placement types, length of stay, and outreach outcomes show measurable improvement in adoption timelines. Community-based and short-term foster strategies are effective pressure-relievers for shelters. This is why fostering matters operationally, not just emotionally-you solve a logistics problem that affects thousands of dogs. How Fostering Changes Outcomes for Dogs and Shelters A foster home provides something kennels cannot: one-on-one attention in a normal living environment where dogs learn household routines, experience human interaction, and receive behavioral feedback. Dogs recover faster from trauma or surgery in homes than in facilities. Puppies under eight weeks need safe socialization and care that experienced foster families provide before they reach adoption age. Shelters gain critical information from foster reports-which dogs are food-aggressive, which ones need quiet homes, which ones thrive with kids or other pets. This data directly improves adoption matching and reduces returns. When fostering programs include short-term options like Dog Day Out or weekend programs, agencies cycle long-stay dogs through temporary homes, giving them breaks from kennel stress and exposure to potential adopters. Targeted approaches work because they remove barriers and acknowledge that fostering fits different lifestyles. For shelters, foster programs mean reduced medical costs (dogs in homes need less preventive intervention), faster turnover (freeing kennel space), and better adoption rates because foster dogs arrive at adoption events socialized and trained. What Fostering Offers You For you, fostering means testing whether dog ownership fits your life before permanent commitment, while directly saving a life and creating space for another rescue to survive. The experience transforms how you understand shelter work and the dogs waiting for homes. As you prepare your space and family for a foster dog, you’ll discover what this commitment actually requires-and why so many foster families find themselves unable to say goodbye. Getting Your Home Ready for a Foster Dog Securing Your Space Against Hidden Dangers Before your foster dog arrives, your home needs to be genuinely prepared-not just emotionally, but physically. You must secure hazards that could kill or injure a stressed animal in an unfamiliar space. Remove access to trash, chemicals, medications, wires, and small objects that a dog can swallow. Keep foods and plants out of reach, especially chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, and xylitol-containing products, all of which are toxic to dogs. You should house foster dogs indoors with a dedicated space and crate to help them adjust to home life safely. Establish a feeding station away from high-traffic areas and set up a crate in a quiet corner where your foster dog can retreat without feeling trapped. Many shelters provide a foster starter kit with essentials like a collar, bowls, and leashes, but you should confirm this upfront. If your shelter doesn’t supply basics, budget for a quality collar, multiple food and water bowls, a crate sized appropriately for your dog’s adult size, and bedding. Ask your shelter whether they cover veterinary expenses or reimburse routine care and emergencies; this directly affects your financial commitment and peace of mind. Feeding, Exercise, and Daily Documentation You need to plan for about two hours daily on exercise and play, adjusted for your dog’s energy level-this isn’t negotiable if you want your foster dog adoption-ready. Feed high-quality dry dog food like Natural Balance or better, provide fresh water at all times, and establish whether your foster dog needs one or two meals daily. Document everything: appetite, energy, bathroom habits, and any behavioral observations. This data helps shelters place your foster dog with families that match their actual needs, not assumptions. Managing Multiple Pets and Children Safely Introducing your foster dog to existing pets and children requires deliberate structure, not hope. If you have resident dogs, introduce them one-on-one with supervision in neutral territory, remove high-value items like toys and chews during interactions, and feed them separately to prevent resource guarding. Cat introductions demand patience: keep your foster dog and resident cats in separate rooms initially, allow scent exchanges through closed doors for one to two weeks, then progress to face-to-face meetings on a leash. Never leave a foster dog unsupervised with cats, regardless of how calm they seem. For children, supervise all interactions without exception. Teach them not to disturb your foster dog during meals or sleep, never to chase the dog or take toys away, and to let the dog approach them rather than the reverse. Establish a daily routine immediately: feed at the same times, schedule bathroom breaks at consistent intervals (try for three to six per day for house-training), and maintain predictable walk times. Dogs arriving from shelters are disoriented; routine transforms chaos into safety. House-Training, Crate Training, and Mental Stimulation Expect house-training accidents and use enzymatic cleaners to eliminate odor completely-regular cleaners fail because dogs smell lingering scent markers. Crate training should be positive and gradual: use high-value treats to encourage crate entry, never punish your dog with the crate, and leave the door open initially so the dog views it as a refuge. Provide substantial mental stimulation beyond walks: rotate toys, use food-dispensing toys or Kongs, and consider puzzle feeders. A bored foster dog develops destructive habits that damage their adoptability. Medical Care and Emergency Readiness Your shelter should provide a Foster Goal Sheet listing vaccine due dates and medical requirements; schedule appointments with approved veterinarians and use provided medical vouchers. Know the emergency signs that demand immediate action: inability to breathe, severe dehydration, parvovirus symptoms, or major trauma. Contact your foster coordinator immediately rather than waiting to see if symptoms resolve. Once your foster dog settles into this structure and routine, you’ll begin to see their true personality emerge-and that’s when the real work of training and socialization begins. Building the Bond During Foster Care Transform Disorientation Into Trust Your foster dog’s first week will feel chaotic to them, and your job is to transform that disorientation into trust through consistent structure and deliberate training. The adjustment period isn’t about being nice-it’s about being predictable. A dog arriving from shelter stress needs to learn that meals happen at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., walks occur at fixed times, and their crate is a safe space, not a punishment. Within two to three weeks of this consistency, most foster dogs stop testing boundaries and begin showing their actual personality. This is when training becomes effective because your foster dog has moved past survival mode. Teach Commands That Increase Adoptability Start with foundational commands like sit, stay, and drop it using positive reinforcement-treats, praise, and play. A dog that knows basic commands becomes significantly more adoptable because potential families see a trainable animal, not a rescue project. Document what works: does your foster dog respond better to high-value treats like chicken, or do they work for toys? Does leash pulling respond to stopping and waiting, or do they need a front-clip harness? Shelters use this information to guide adopters toward success, which directly reduces returns and failed placements. Expose Your Foster Dog to Real-World Situations Socialization during foster care matters operationally, not philosophically. Expose your foster dog to different environments, sounds, and people at a pace they tolerate without panic-this isn’t about making them fearless, it’s about preventing shelter trauma from translating into phobia. A dog that has walked busy streets, heard traffic noise, and met children in your home arrives at their adoptive family less likely to develop behavioral problems. Foster programs that require visits to shelters or rescue centers serve dual purposes: your foster dog stays connected to staff who know their history, and potential adopters see the dog in a familiar, confident state. Navigate the Emotional Attachment Phase The emotional attachment phase arrives around week four or five, when your foster dog stops flinching at sudden movements and actively seeks your attention. This is the hardest part. You must maintain emotional distance while providing excellent care-a contradiction that feels impossible but is essential. Your job is to prepare this dog for someone else’s family, not to keep them. The transition eases when you meet the adoptive family before placement, ask them specific questions about your foster dog’s quirks and needs, and trust that your training and documentation set them up for success. Process Grief and Celebrate Success After your foster dog leaves, the grief is real and valid. Many foster families report missing their dogs acutely for weeks. Some shelters facilitate post-adoption check-ins or allow foster families to follow their dogs’ progress on social media, which helps closure without undermining the adoption bond. The truth is that letting go proves you’re doing this right-your foster dog leaves because you prepared them well enough for someone else to love them permanently. Final Thoughts Every foster dog that leaves your home carries forward the impact of your care. They arrive at their adoptive family house-trained, socialized, and confident because you invested time in their transformation. Shelters measure this impact through data: reduced length of stay, lower return rates, and faster adoption cycles. When you foster, you create space for the next rescue to survive, and the one after that. Contact your local shelter or rescue to learn about their foster program, as requirements and support vary significantly. Ask whether they provide a starter kit, cover veterinary expenses, and offer training guidance. Programs like Best Friends in Utah and Lucky Dog Animal Rescue demonstrate how structured foster support increases success rates, and many shelters now offer short-term options like Dog Day Out or weekend fostering if you’re uncertain about longer commitments. Foster dogs become the most effective ambassadors for adoption because they prove rescue works. A dog that arrives at an adoption event calm, trained, and visibly bonded to their foster family shows potential adopters what’s possible. When you share photos and updates of your foster dog’s progress on social media, you market rescue itself-showing your community that opening your home saves lives. Visit DogingtonPost for practical guidance on dog care, adoption, and advocacy, then reach out to your local shelter to start how to foster dogs today.

Protesters shout at Zohran Mamdani outside of his house New Yorkers have been blasting Mayor Zohran Mamdani for days now as trash piles up and snow removal moves at a snail’s pace. Even worse, there…

Screencap of Twitter/X video. Democrats are completely opposed to voter ID, even though polling now shows it is supported by a majority of Americans of all races. Last night on his show, Greg Gutfeld…

Karen Bass – wiki commons Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is accused of making changes to a report by the LAFD following last year’s wildfires because she allegedly wanted to lessen the city’s liability…

Foreign Affairs Trump Didn’t Destroy the ‘Rules-Based International Order’ It was always a fraud. Credit: Drop of Light Accusations have burgeoned that President Donald Trump is determined to destroy the “rules-based international order” established after World War II. Some of his actions certainly resemble old-style, 19th century imperialism. His initial demand that Denmark sell Greenland to the United States fits that description. One could readily envision previous presidents such as Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, or William McKinley making a similar move for U.S. territorial aggrandizement. Trump is a rather unashamed imperialist, willing to use threats or even military force to bully other nations. However, despite the recent surge in warnings around the world (especially in Europe) that his actions are wrecking an effective, rules-based international system, that allegation is unfounded. The so-called rules-based system that the United States and its Western allies established has always been fraudulent and self-serving. Even some who bemoan the loss of that arrangement, such as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, have had to concede (however grudgingly) that the system has defects. According to Carney, We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false — that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient, that trade rules were enforced asymmetrically. And we knew that international law applied with varying rigor depending on the identity of the accused or the victim. The reality has been far more stark, ugly, brutal, and hypocritical than Carney’s sanitized version.  Despite their pious, idealistic statements throughout the decades, U.S. and allied leaders have waged numerous wars of aggression, selectively empowered corrupt, murderous tyrants as clients, stolen land and other resources from disfavored nations, and embraced flagrant double standards with respect to both international law and basic ethics. The so-called rules-based order has had two very different sets of rules. Washington and its allies (especially its allies in NATO) could do virtually anything they wanted without fear of adverse legal, economic, or military consequences from the “international community.” Countries not enjoying the status of being U.S. allies or clients—and especially those that were considered Western adversaries—have been shamelessly harassed and bullied. Frequently, such coercion has even occurred in the name of upholding noble international norms. Members of the U.S. and European foreign policy establishment have repeatedly emphasized that the rules-based order “preserves stability worldwide.” For example, Joe Biden’s administration and its supporters insisted that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine posed a potentially mortal threat to that system and, therefore, must be decisively defeated. George H. W. Bush’s foreign policy team invoked the same rationale to justify assembling a coalition of countries that used military force to expel Saddam Hussein’s army of occupation from Kuwait in 1991. Yet the United States and its allies have launched military interventions on multiple occasions throughout the post-Cold War era that contemptuously violated the purported standards of a rules-based system. NATO’s meddling in Bosnia’s civil war by bombing Bosnian Serb targets in 1995 certainly was inconsistent with such norms. The violation was even more blatant in 1999 when NATO launched an air war against Serbia, a recognized member of the United Nations, and then proceeded to amputate Kosovo, one of Serbia’s provinces. Proponents of Washington’s various military interventions typically justify such deviations by arguing that principles of justice and human rights sometimes must overrule normal, recognized standards of state-to-state conduct. The justice/human rights rationale featured prominently in the case that Bill Clinton’s administration other interventionist advocates made with respect to the Balkan wars. Proponents of U.S./NATO military action alleged that a Serb-orchestrated genocide was taking place in Bosnia, even though the fatality totals touted at the time (200,000 to 250,000 mostly Muslim civilians) were consistent with those in a typical civil war. More rigorous and credible post-war calculations put the number of deaths at fewer than 100,000—including Serb fatalities. Nevertheless, the same “genocide” narrative became a crucial feature of NATO’s intervention in Kosovo. This time, the claims were even less credible. Subsequent analyses confirmed that only 2,000 deaths had taken place prior to the onset of NATO’s bombing campaign. Even some candid supporters of the intervention, such as Brookings Institution scholars Ivo H. Daalder and Michael O’Hanlon, later conceded that what had occurred in Kosovo did not constitute genocide.   The rationales for the Western military interventions in Iraq and Libya were even weaker than those invoked with respect to Bosnia and Kosovo. Allegations that Saddam Hussein’s government was involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks were baseless, as were the dire warnings that Baghdad possessed an arsenal containing weapons of mass destruction. Saddam’s human rights record was awful, a point that pro-intervention types predictably highlighted. However, it was not dramatically worse than the behavior of other governments, including Washington’s close allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. Nevertheless, George W. Bush’s administration and much of the West’s foreign policy elite approved the invasion and occupation of Iraq, in violation of the supposed rules-based international order they claimed to uphold. The Obama administration’s justifications for leading a NATO assault on Libya were weaker still. Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi already had terminated his government’s embryonic nuclear program years earlier, and his relations with the West seemed on the mend. However, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other members of Obama’s foreign policy team cynically exploited one of the periodic armed rebellions in Libya to launch an air war to achieve forcible regime change—a point that Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates implicitly conceded. Other opportunistic NATO powers eagerly joined the latest regime change crusade. The results of the Western military interventions in Iraq, Libya, and Syria were barely short of catastrophic. Helping Islamist rebels against Syria’s Bashar al-Assad produced a bloody civil war with hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refugees. That massive refugee flow has caused instability and major social tensions in other countries, including several of Washington’s European partners. The U.S.-led regime change campaign also has brought to power an ISIS alumnus and his henchmen as Syria’s new rulers. The NATO intervention in Libya unleashed total chaos for several years. Nearly two decades later, the country remains divided, dysfunctional, and incapable of credible self-government.  Although the level of violence is far less in postwar Bosnia and Kosovo, the overall degree of political and economic dysfunction is substantial. A patronizing multilateral imperialism under the auspices of the UN, the United States, and the European Union merely has supplanted the old-style imperialism that individual nation-states typically implemented in their spheres of influence. Donald Trump may be guilty of many types of misconduct, including a worrisome fondness for authoritarian methods. But destroying a just and effective rules-based international system is not among his offenses. Such a system has never been anything more than a cynical, hypocritical farce.     The post Trump Didn’t Destroy the ‘Rules-Based International Order’ appeared first on The American Conservative.