Woodville resident Janelle Ruri finds rewards in fostering of dogs

Fostering an animal can have rewards for both pet and fosterer. Photo / 123rf

When Janelle Ruri saw an ad online asking for people interested in fostering an animal, she decided she’d put in an application.

The Woodville resident says she and her husband had been considering getting another dog when she saw the appeal from Animal Fostering Hub New Zealand asking for people willing to become fosterers.

She received a reply asking for photos of her section, making sure it was safe and secure.

The couple have about an acre in Woodville, which she believes is one of the biggest of those who foster through the hub.

Each potential foster is matched with a suitable animal, depending on what their needs are.

Janelle has chickens and ducks, as well as sheep and says that some dogs can be quite reactive to things, which is why it’s important to find a suitable property.

However, it’s not always that simple as she has had dogs that she thought would work, but haven’t.

One dog they took in became a “foster fail” in that they ended up keeping her.

Raven is now 1 and was “really timid” at first.

“She wasn’t really keen on sort of bigger people, like adults.”

Janelle says she was “super comfortable” around children and around other dogs as well.

Watching how the dog progressed and seeing what she was like and how she is now was also a bonus.

“It’s really cool to see that progression in the improvement in their behaviour and their confidence.”

Janelle finds it sad to see some dogs that might have been through trauma and as a result, need more training and work.

“I didn’t realise until I started fostering how bad the homeless dogs are.”

She says she wasn’t aware of how big an issue it was but when she thought about breeding from one of her dogs, she realised she didn’t want to add to the “mess” that was already there.

“There are so many dogs out there that just need homes.”

Janelle says fostering doesn’t come without its challenges, but there are also benefits, and not just for the animal.

She says there are a lot of different people who foster animals and are not experts, but there is always help available from the fostering hub if the fosterer has issues with certain situations.

“It’s pretty supportive.”

Janelle also looks after children and she says even if it’s only a small portion of their life that she’s involved in, she knows that if she can make that part of it better, then she can impact their life to come out the other side with some positive change.

If you’re interested in fostering an animal, information is available on https://www.afhnz.co.nz/ or https://www.facebook.com/people/Animal-Fostering-Hub-NZ/100092185007900/.

Leanne Warr has been editor of the Bush Telegraph since May 2023 and a journalist since 1996. She re-joined NZME in June 2021.