Saving Lives. Creating Families.
This is what guides us every day in the work we do at the Nova Scotia SPCA.
And when we think of families, we think of permanent ones. The forever kind.
But there are some important and remarkable types of families: fosters.
Our foster parents are special, and their hard work and dedication to each furry friend they help doesn’t go unnoticed.
Fostering is the perfect solution to love and help a pet get ready for their people without the long-term commitment of adopting.
Because, let’s be honest, sometimes people still need to have that doggie breath in their face, the entire couch shaking when they scratch, the barks of a puppy who just found their voice in their lives.
To learn more about what it takes to foster pets in need, we talked with two of our fosters who needed just those things in their lives.
Megan and Sarah MacKay have had their house filled with dog and puppy hair and their hearts full with each happy ending for the last eight years. Around 49 dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds have been loved and taken care of by the two sisters.
It all started when Megan and Sarah moved out. After growing up with dogs, suddenly they found themselves missing them. A few university friends fostered before, and an idea was sparked.
Their first foster was Versace, a sweet and shy Amstaff/Boxer mix, who waited 112 days at the Nova Scotia SPCA to find her people.
More older but still young-at-heart dogs would leave their paw prints on the sisters’ lives. Then the first litter of puppies arrived.
“We received an email from the NS SPCA looking for a foster for a litter of puppies. We were together and I told Sarah to reply quickly to say we could foster them. We had gotten a few emails from the SPCA for puppy fostering opportunities but had always replied too late. It was a litter of five Border Collie puppies and their momma. We got them in November of 2022,” said Megan.
The puppies were two weeks old, and the smallest of them was half the size of his siblings. Megan and Sarah admitted to being unprepared for what puppies meant. The first few days with them were a little bit more challenging than expected. But the enthusiasm to help the momma and her babies never wavered.
After days or weeks, sometimes months, of these fur babies in their homes, there comes what people think is the hardest part of fostering. Bringing them back to the shelter to be adopted. 
Megan and Sarah agreed. “It was very hard to bring the puppies back. But we were also happy to see them move on to their forever homes. Thankfully, we were able to continue fostering the momma for a few weeks until she was able to be spayed. On top of that, one of our friends adopted one of the puppies, so that made it easier as well. We printed off pictures of all the puppies and left a note for each adopter, so they had our contact info. We do this for every litter now and we get lots of pictures and updates, we even dog-sit for some of them!”
Both keep coming back to fostering puppies when they have the chance. The challenge is to make sure they grow up healthy, but Megan told us, “It’s such a unique experience getting to help raise puppies from such a young age. Most people don’t really get to be around puppies until they’re eight weeks old. We love getting to share this experience with our friends and family.”
And the experiences don’t stop at simply taking care of the pets. For one day or 100, the pet in your home becomes a part of your daily life. You make memories together that stay with you long after they are adopted.
Like Megan and Sarah who shared that during the Christmas holidays with their first litter of puppies, each one had their own stocking. Or when they were there for one of the pregnant mommas who they fostered and helped raise her babies. Or when they continued to see one of the older foster puppies grow up into a confident and sweet adult dog.
There is no foster fail story yet for Megan and Sarah. At the moment, they enjoy being able to help as many dogs, adults and babies, as possible. Add the constant puppy cuddles, the pride of seeing them grow, and knowing they helped them to be able to thrive in their new home and it isn’t hard to see why the sisters continue being foster parents.
Our foster families play an important role in the lives of pets in need. They offer them the basics: food, health care, a warm home, love. They treat each pet who passes through their doors like their own, getting them ready for their permanent family.
But the work of a foster goes beyond that.
They offer safety, hope, empowerment.
If Megan and Sarah’s story sparked an idea, and you are interested in helping set doggies (and kittens) up for success, we are always welcoming amazing fosters ready for a rewarding experience. Learn more about the process on our Foster page.