Foster Spotlight: Meet Jan and Dave Lewis!

Jan and Dave Lewis have stepped up to foster many pups in a pinch, and because of them, those pups have found amazing forever homes! We are so grateful for Jan and Dave, and would like to introduce you to them.

The question we get the most from people who are considering fostering is, “Don’t you get attached?” or “How do you give them up after you’ve had them for a while?” Well, it’s not easy, but if we don’t give them up, we wouldn’t be able to help the next one.

Jan Lewis

What kinds of things do you like to do for fun?

Dave and I have been married for 21 years. We love the outdoors! Camping, hiking, fishing, ATV’ing. When you have Colorado as your back yard your whole life, who doesn’t love the outdoors!

How many dogs of your own do you have? Tell us about them and their personalities.

The Whole Pack and Harley

We currently have 4 dogs. Our oldest is Riley, GSP. We rescued her from a local shelter; I call her my perfect girl! She walked into our house like she had been there her whole life, “perfectly”! Then came Jackson. We rescued him out of a New Mexico shelter. He is a herding dog mix. He is our laid back, easy going one who is friends with everyone, love the water! Then we adopted Nikki from MHGSPR. She is a Border Collie, GSP mix. She is Jacks best friend and also calm, she’s either ‘on’ or ’off’, always conserving her energy when she’s ‘off’, like herding dogs do and she’s very independent. Don’t be fooled though, if one of the dogs does something she doesn’t like, she will let them know! Our last rescue is Mojo. He is our sweet, fragile, loving GSP we adopted from MHGSPR also. He came to us from the Black Forrest fire. We think he probably lived outside on a chain his whole life. He didn’t even know how to run really.  In the year we’ve had him we have seen him become a completely different dog! He is the sweetest, most loving dog of all of them; no amount of cuddling is enough for Mojo!

When and why did you first start fostering?

Once we adopted Nikki from MHGSPR, we started following them on Facebook. It’s a great way to keep in touch with them about Nikki. The morning we learned about Mojo, July 1st, 2013, my husband had told me about a male GSP that had been found during the Black Forrest fire . MHGSPR wanted to rescue him but needed a foster or adopter to do it. They had put out an urgent plea on Facebook for help. My husband responded to them on Facebook that we would foster him. There were a lot of people who stepped up to help this dog and to foster him, but luckily, Judy and Gail with MHGSPR, picked us! We ended up being “foster failures”, the rest is history!

How many dogs have you fostered?

We have fostered for MHGSPR for a little over a year and we are on our 5th foster. Each one very special in their own way. I actually keep a book of dates and we have many, many photos of each one.

Jan and Diesel

Why do you continue to foster?

The fact that we have 4 dogs of our own and that they are such a well balanced pack is an advantage. When we bring in new dogs, once they figure out where everyone belongs on the totem pole, the dogs help them to adjust to their new surroundings and routines easier and quicker.  We also live in the country and have the added advantage of 5 acres for them to run and hunt and to do what GSP’s do! Fostering for MHGSPR is wonderful in the sense that they let us help them pick the best possible home for each foster.  We know our foster dogs better than anybody.  Above all though, to get to see a dog go from some really heartbreaking  situations to our home with freedom to run, having other dogs to pack with, all the love they can stand from us, well, it’s amazing the transformation you get to be a part of.

What’s a funny or most memorable moment from fostering?

Well, each dog brings their own challenges and funny stories. And there is definitely a learning curve for fostering! The most memorable story would have to be about Harley. He was our 3rd foster. He was a large, beautiful, solid liver colored GSP. He had a long tail that wagged ALL the time!  When he would walk (or run is more like it) down the hallway or the stairway, his tail would hit the walls on both sides! Thump, thump, thump, thump! You would always know when Harley was coming! Well, one day I noticed some small blood spots on the wall in the kitchen area down stairs. After checking all the dogs I came up with nothing, no bleeders? Later I noticed blood spots on the walls of my hallway, which just happened to be perfect height of Harley’s tail. Checked Harley and sure enough, he had wagged his tail raw! Now have you ever tried to bandage the end of a long tail? Let me tell you, it’s just not possible. For the next 2 weeks maybe longer, I would clean his tail and my hallway walls daily. Finally his tail developed a callus and stopped bleeding. When you get a new foster you expect certain things, boys will have “words” with other boys to establish everyone’s position in the pack, some dogs will love the crate some will not, some will eat ok with my dogs, some will not. But you just don’t expect that one of your biggest challenges would be to keep a tail from bleeding because he’s happy and wagging it all the time!

Why German Shorthaired Pointers?

Riley, our first GSP, showed us just how special this breed was. We found her at our Wal-Mart where a local shelter was doing an adoption event. My husband called me to say I needed to get there now, that he found this great dog that will certainly be adopted by someone else if I didn’t hurry! I walked in and my husband had her out of her crate, on the floor, on her back, rubbing her belly, at the entrance of this very busy Wal-Mart. I knelt down next to my husband; she popped up, put her paws on my knees and proceeded to lean hard into my chest! It was game over at that point, we knew we were taking her home! We had Weimaraners, which are hunting dogs, so we already knew about their energy level, but what surprised us was how much they needed their people! They are so affectionate and loving! Such a great breed!

When one of your fosters gets adopted, how does it affect you and how do you say goodbye?

Goodbyes are bittersweet for sure….You can’t help but love each foster that comes into your house. You love them like you they are your own. In some cases you are the first ones to show them love. So when they get adopted, you cry, but you cry knowing you helped find them an amazing home. The best part is that it doesn’t end there; we have kept in touch with all our foster adopters! Every time we get an email, picture, or video of how happy they are, it just warms our hearts and reinforces why we continue to do this!

What’s the best part of being part of the Mile High GSP Rescue foster team?

The obvious is you know when you get a dog that you are going to change their life forever! The not so obvious is with MHGSPR, we support each other. When we need anything we can call and someone will be able to help us or give us advice. We are a team with a common goal, save as many GSP’s as possible, and we do, we make a difference. We love being a part of something like that!

If you could tell someone who was deciding whether or not to foster one thing about it, what would you tell them?

When you foster a dog, you get a dog that has lived in a shelter or maybe on the street and you take them into your home. You increase the chances of placing them in an awesome new home by teaching them how to live in a home and how to be a happy, well mannered dog. You become part of their success story! Is it easy? No, not always. Is it rewarding? It’s beyond rewarding! The question we get the most from people who are considering fostering is, “Don’t you get attached?” or “How do you give them up after you’ve had them for a while?” Well, it’s not easy, but if we don’t give them up, we wouldn’t be able to help the next one.