Ricky and I and our kids have been involved with NCBR for almost a year and a half now. Wow...what a time we have had! It's been fun, it's been hard, there were happy times and there were sad times. People ask me at times "why do you do it?" Well.....we love boxers!! They are the best dogs on earth as far as I'm concerned.
Ricky came to me with the idea to foster with NCBR in the summer of 2005. I thought....well....ok. I figured this would be a good "hobby" for him. Little did I know at the time how much I would get involved with it myself. From the start, the volunteers that we met were just wonderful, kind, friendly people to get to know. Then the dogs, to hear of the abandon boxers, the ones dropped off in shelters, the ones chained to trees with little to no food, water and shelter during horrible weather conditions. How could we not help!?! We wanted to do what we could to help out.
We love and spoil each foster as if they were our own dogs. When their forever home comes along, we are happy to see them go (ok...there are some tears) but we also look at it in a good way, we get to save another boxers life!! Our children love and help care for all the dogs too. They help with Pet Fairs and other activities. I think it is a great thing to teach our children-- the responsibility of pet ownership, the problem with pet over-population and giving of their time for a worthy cause. Great things that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
If you are considering volunteering, do it! You will enjoy the feeling that you get when you pick up a dog from a shelter, knowing you saved his life. You will feel on top of the world when they get adopted. There are many things that you can do to help other than fostering. Find something that fits into your life and sign up. Your reward will be many boxer kisses in appreciation. How could you pass that up?!
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