My family was lucky to return to Beijing in March, but after nearly two months of isolation and social distancing, I was scratching at the walls. Then it hit me: what better way to spend this time stuck indoors than with a little bundle of fur that requires all my time and attention? An internet search brought up Lost Puppies of Beijing (LP) and their noble mission to rehome as many stray dogs as the city could churn out (an infinite number it seems, though dwindled by some 150 thanks to this organization).

I quickly signed up to be a foster parent.

I would be a temporary caregiver for strays fresh off the street. An LP volunteer interviewed me through WeChat and explained that LP would cover all medical care and essential pet supplies, all I had to do was to feed and care for the fur-baby. It was also strongly encouraged to begin basic obedience training, potty training, and crate training for the puppy.

Perhaps the most significant duty of a foster parent is to show the dog what it is to be loved.

Within a week of applying, I had been approved by LP to foster. I was ready to give my time, heart, and soul, to a furry companion who would fill my long days. There were so, so many puppies that needed a home, and I was just waiting for the right one.

The “Fabulous Five” was a litter of five puppies who had been found, just days old, in a tied up garbage bag in the trash. They were at the veterinarian until they were eight weeks old — the age when you can traditionally separate the pup from its mother. A poster featuring the five made its way into the LP WeChat group and I instantly fell in love with them. I even contemplated fostering the entire litter to keep the family together. Alas, three of the five died while going through the deworming process at the vet and only two were left — a boy and a girl.

They were named Simon and Kamina when they were rescued.

In the DiDi ride home, I sat calmly with the box in my lap, trying not to laugh as one of the puppies licked my fingers through the small opening in the lid.

I returned to my apartment and peered into the box – Simon was wearing what a beloved Pixar film coined as “the cone of shame” due to a skin condition and was still fast asleep. So the puppy who had been licking my finger was Kamina. She looked up at me, eyes shining with adoration, and began to wag her tail, smacking her brother in the face several times, though he did not stir. I lifted her from the box with just one hand, feeling her tiny heart race. It dawned on me that this was the first time she had skin to fur contact because the vets always kept rubber gloves on while handling them. She licked my toes, my clothes, and just about anywhere she could get her little pink tongue on. She was sheer happiness dressed in a fur coat. Kamina and I bonded while her brother slept.

Everything she did was magic.

She licked my son’s nose – magic; she drank out of the bowl we carefully chose for her – magic; she pooped – even that felt magical. She was tiny, helpless, and new; she could do no wrong. Simon eventually woke up and it became clear that he was the runt of the litter, especially next to his playful, curious sister. He was a perfect lap dog, and I mean that literally – he would clamber into any available lap and stay there, perfectly content.

The magic of the pups’ newness slowly dissipated over the next few weeks, and it all but disappeared when I discovered they had… worms! Remember, these little guys had survived through the deworming process, so that meant they should be worm-free, right? Well, it turns out that worms are a constant and never-ending battle in any dog’s life, and they had been infested with a particularly nasty case of them. So I dewormed them again, and again. I’ll spare you the gory details and skip to the end where they are, and hopefully will remain, free of worms.

Fostering the puppies was as rewarding as it was exhausting.

A growing sense of responsibility took root in my family. We were proud when the puppies learned to sit (30 minutes of your undivided attention and lots of treats); we were overjoyed when they eventually managed to go to the pee pad 8/10 times (a great success rate for puppies). Most of all, our hearts almost burst when they curled up in our laps and slept, showing us the trust and the beginnings of love.

Simon was the first to be adopted in early August.

Our hearts ached when we saw how well he had taken to his new family, but we were happy for him. Then down came the axe for the final blow – a family wanted to adopt Kamina. “This was my mission as a foster parent,” I told myself unconvincingly. My son protested, as he had also done with Simon’s departure, but I steeled myself and set up a visit. The family came to our place and met us downstairs in the garden. They instantly wanted Kamina. In a daze, I didn’t quite realize until after they had left that I had agreed for them to return in just five days to pick her up for a trial adoption. It was in that moment that I heard a ping in the vicinity of my heart. I quickly texted LP that I could not go through with it and that I had decided to adopt Kamina myself. The potential adoptive family was understandably upset, and if they should ever read this, I can only beg for their forgiveness and hope with all my heart that they found the right four-legged addition to their family.

As for my family, we have welcomed our newest member with open arms and open hearts.

Kamina, or our “little pucky,” takes our love and returns it exponentially every day. I smile to hear the pitter patter of her paws down the hallway as she seeks us out just so she can be near us. I can’t help but feel we are destined to be together since a line of gray hairs appeared down her back before she was six months old, echoing my very own premature graying. She is our loveable furry companion who fills my days, (now shorter and fuller with regular walks and cuddles) and keeps my feet warm in these cold winter nights — our very own foster fail puppy.

Vivienne moved to Beijing in 2019 and discovered how different Singaporean Chinese culture was from China’s. In between teaching Jazzercise fitness classes, she looks for greener ways to minimise clutter and waste in her family’s life here.

Responsibilities of a Foster Parent

As a foster, you will play a vital role in helping our dogs find a loving home – from socializing, to bringing them to events, to sometimes just showing them what it is to be loved.

THE BASICS

• You must be 21 years or older
• You must have a stable residence, where everyone living there is in agreement to have a dog. This includes landlord approval.
• You must be able to transport your foster dog to scheduled medical appointments, adoption events, or training classes.
• You must be financially stable enough to provide your foster dog with basic living expenses, including bedding, good food, toys and even find them boarding solutions while you are on holiday.

HERE’S WHAT’S EXPECTED OF OUR FOSTER PARENTS:

• They provide nutritious food, plentiful water, adequate shelter, and control of external parasites (fleas and ticks).
• They provide the dog with exercise, basic obedience training and house-training. Proper training greatly increases a dog’s chance of being adopted and we can pair you with some of our more experienced fosters for guidance.
• They are responsible for the safety of each foster dog that comes into their care, and for the safety of other dogs and people the dog comes into contact with. They never let their foster dogs be a nuisance to other people or other animals.
• They always keep a collar with the Lost Puppies ID tag on the dog at all times, just in case the dog runs off. If the tag is lost they immediately contact us for a new one.
• They keep foster dogs on their leash when they’re outside of a house or securely fenced yard.
• They keep any fostered dog safely confined in a fenced yard, kennel run, or inside a house or garage when the dog is not with them or a family member. Crate training is highly encouraged. At no time are foster dogs placed outside on a tie-out (in a yard, in front of a café, store etc.) Our fosters immediately notify us in the event of a missing, injured, or sick dog.

Information courtesy of www.LostPuppies.cn