Foster home helps shy pup learn to trust

Frannie arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary with her tail firmly tucked between her legs. Though safe and surrounded by care, all the new sights, smells, and people overwhelmed this shy pup. So off to a calm foster home she went.

“It really took weeks before she would even lift her tail,” says Laurie McBride, Frannie’s foster caregiver. “But now she’s starting to come out of her shell.”

Best Friends’ goal is for all shelters nationwide to reach no-kill, and people like Laurie who step up to foster pets, either with Best Friends or any animal shelter or rescue organization, play a vital part in reaching that goal.

Laurie’s home gave Frannie the routine and quiet she needed to emerge from her furry shell — and the joy of a new doggy bestie. Laurie’s dog, Smokey, is a spunky, confident pup with a squishy nose and a big heart. He quickly became Frannie’s role model and her very own emotional support animal. When Smokey is brave enough to test out the wading pool or check out a new trail, Frannie soon follows.

[Lucky Goose: Shy pup finds his person]

“She really is doing so well,” Laurie says. “Now I see her tail up a lot more, especially when she’s playing with Smokey.”

Frannie also began to show more curiosity, more confidence, and even a little playful side — romping around the living room and breaking out into the occasional zoomie session with Smokey by her side, tail held high.

Even small moments turn into big victories. One milestone came when Frannie took a treat from the family’s dog sitter for the first time. “That’s a big deal,” Laurie says. “She even let the dog sitter touch her. Baby steps, but incredible progress.”

While life at the Sanctuary is full of love and care, it can never replicate the rhythm of a home. Fostering gives shy or sensitive animals like Frannie the chance to relax and regain confidence.

[Learn more about adoptable dogs at Best Friends]

“When you get them into a home environment where they can calm down, their personality comes in,” says Laurie. “Then you get to see the true them.”

And that true Frannie is emerging — a shy pup blossoming into a playful, trusting dog with her tail held high like a furry flag. With the gift of foster care, she’s well on her way to landing in a home of her very own.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.