When Claire Bradford decided to become a foster caregiver, it felt like a natural next step in a lifelong connection to animals.

Growing up, her family shared their home with a feisty toy poodle named Sampson, who taught her about boundaries, and a free-spirited cat named Basil, who lived to be 21 years old!

During the COVID pandemic, Claire found herself at home more, and turned to fostering. Her first foster was Clementine, a 10-year old, 75 lb. mixed-breed dog with a slew of health challenges. After a long and difficult journey to get her healthy, the two formed a bond that Claire couldn’t deny. “She was my heart dog”.

Claire adopted Clementine, and the two of them shared the next three years together. When Claire lost Clementine in November of 2023, the silence in her home was profound.

Just a few weeks later, she began fostering with ARL. She knew she wasn’t ready to adopt, but she also knew she had a lot of love to give. Her first foster with ARL was a dog named Blanco, who was emaciated, but full of spirit. “He had every reason not to trust people” Claire recalls, “but he was still so happy.” Watching him decompress and eventually find a home reaffirmed her passion for fostering.

For Claire, fostering is more than providing a temporary home, it’s about understanding an animal in a way that sets them up for long-term success in an adoptive home. From learning their routines to recognizing their anxieties, Claire gathers insights that help ARL to make better matches for the animals.

During one of her volunteer shifts, Claire met Grizz, a young pup who was surrendered due to his owner’s declining health. When she took him out for a walk, something clicked, and the two of them connected. Shortly after their first walk together, Claire adopted him. Soon after bringing him home, Grizz became seriously ill, and ended up requiring intensive care. This experience gave Claire a new level of empathy for adopters navigating unexpected challenges, and a deeper appreciation for the work required to truly support an animal.

Claire’s dog Grizz (left) with his friend Phoebe. Photo by A Dog’s Narrative Photography.

Fostering has also connected Claire to a broader community in unexpected ways. While out on a walk with one of her foster dogs, she was stopped by another ARL volunteer who recognized the pup by name. The two struck up a conversation, and soon began walking dogs together during their shifts. What started as a shared commitment to animals quickly turned into a friendship. One of the many unexpected gifts of saying yes to fostering!

And for those who worry they could never give a foster back, Claire offers this perspective:

“I’d rather my heart breaks than theirs”, recognizing that it can be extremely difficult to say goodbye, but by doing so, you are giving that animal the chance to find their person, and then you get to help more do the same.

We are so grateful to Claire for her selfless dedication to animals in need!

Photos by A Dog’s Narrative Photography