Stray Puppy's Ears 'Perked Right Up' When She Realized Someone Was There To Help Her

Every dog deserves a forever home. That's why witnessing a stray dog can be totally heart-wrenching. Thankfully, one puppy spotted on the side of the road came across someone who would change her life forever. It's the sweetest YouTube video about a rescue that may have you asking if you're ready to adopt, after all.

When puppy Shiloh heard someone call out for her on the side of the road, her little ears perked right up. "It's like she was thinking, 'Who me?'" said Kristen, Shiloh's foster parent, when speaking with The Dodo. Shiloh was found in a spot where animals are often abandoned, but it's unclear exactly how the likely six- or seven-month-old puppy got there. Since she had been roaming around, the first thing her new foster parent did was give her a bath.

Then, Kristen cared for Shiloh, sharing that she had a "silly and goofy personality," until they were able to get her adopted. Kristen is a part of the Streethearts Project in Houston, Texas, a nonprofit that works to find homes for abandoned animals. Streethearts was able to team up with another rescue group called Texas Bark Squad to find Shiloh a forever home, and it seems to have worked out perfectly. "The family loved her, of course. But when the family's golden retriever and her hit it off, it was a done deal," said Kristen.

Shiloh is one lucky pup, and so is every dog able to connect with a foster dog parent. Fostering provides shelter for rescue dogs and a safe and loving temporary home until someone is ready to adopt them. It's one of the ways to help pet shelters without adopting, and it's a vital part of the pet adoption process. So, what does it take to foster dogs, and how do you begin?

Foster dog and puppy parents are required to provide for a dog's basic needs, including food, grooming, exercise, vet visits, and any other medical care, on a volunteer basis. Luckily, shelters or rescue centers often cover those costs, so foster parents can simply focus on their fidos. Still, though not a permanent gig, fostering dogs takes a lot of time, care, and consideration. That's especially true if you opt to be a foster parent for young puppies with their nursing mothers, or for dogs with special medical needs (though this sort of foster parenting isn't required).

Dogs might stay with foster parents from a few days up to a few years, depending on the foster parent's capacity. If you're interested in fostering a dog, you can reach out to your local animal shelter or rescue center. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a national list to get you started. Then, once you get going, get ready to cry happy tears when your first foster pups find their forever homes.