10 Reasons to Foster an Animal in Need--Part 1

My partner Matt and I have finally lost count of the number of dogs and cats who have temporarily called our house home in the last five years. If you know us you probably know it started with the alley cats who kept turning up on our back porch hungry and ready to trade their freewheelin' ways for the safety of a real home. Cats were our gateway drug. After adopting our beloved Beatrice from Chicagoland Bully Breed Rescue in 2008, we quickly added dogs to our rotating cast of characters, too.

In celebration of five years of sharing our house with creatures who needed us, I have compiled a list of the top 10 reasons to foster a dog or cat. You get one every day, complete with a photo of one of our foster kids. Ready?

Reason Number 10: Having stained carpet makes you a better person. Seriously. When we first bought our pristine new condo I would have shuddered to think of all the pee I'd be cleaning up. And I did shudder the first couple of times someone made a mess in the guest room. And then I just cleaned it up. The truth is that when I think back on all of our animal guests, there's not one of them whose life was not worth a little mess. As we get ready to replace the carpet in our bedrooms, I keep thinking what a small price to pay for the memories of our animal friends who are loved and cared for today because I trusted that creatures are more valuable than things.