“This was our first experience fostering, not only with NBMDRN but fostering in general. We were anxious since we'd never had a dog as young as a Maple in our care before, but Tammy was there for us every step of the way. We never felt alone in our foster journey, and we never felt like our questions or concerns were too silly to be asked or answered. We also took advantage of the support of other fosters and adopters in the NBMDRN family, reaching out in the Facebook groups to crowdsource suggestions and ideas when we needed them.

It was pretty easy to fall in love with Maple, and no one at NBMDRN was distressed one bit when we announced we wanted to foster-fail. They continued to support us through vaccinations and spay, helping us get Maple to a healthy place where we could then sign adoption papers for her. Even then and now, they continue to support us and consider us part of the NBMDRN family...which we are proud to be.

NBMDRN rescues and takes care of these beautiful dogs, no matter their physical or mental states when they arrive. They find fosters to heal their bodies and their spirits...and their souls. And then they find adoptive homes to give them the lives they deserve, filled with love and joy and health. They find them families where they can finally be home. Like Maple is here with us.”

“We signed up as a foster with NBMDRN in March and helped to transport Moose in April. We drove about an hour and a half to pick him up and met another foster in the process. Everyone who was part of the rescue ride was as excited as we were to help get Moose and a few other BMDs out of their former situations. When I met Moose, it was love at first sight. He might have been the biggest BMD I had ever seen. He was very relaxed, chill, and willing to go wherever we needed him to. When we brought him home, he was a little shy but warmed right up to us and our toddlers. He seemed like a perfect fit for our house. While we weren't planning on getting another BMD for awhile as we had just lost our last one about a year ago, we couldn't help but fall for Moose and his laid back demeanor. We quickly let our amazing caseworker know that we were going to fail and keep him. We worked with her through the entire fostering and vetting process and couldn't have asked for a better person to help us. She was always "team Moose" and wanted to do everything with us so we could make him ours. After the 2 month process, he became official! We celebrated his "gotcha day" with our toddlers with party hats and a cake. We are so happy to have made him a part of our family and love the work the NBMDRN is doing to rescue these gentle giants.”

"I am new to fostering with the NBMDN. I decided to foster because I love Bernese mountain dogs and have experience with traumatized Berners from puppy mills. My second berner was rescued at 3 yrs old and was frightened by everything. Now at 8 yrs old, she is a lovable big floof and without the emotional scars and phobias. It’s hard to imagine that she was considered as disposable, unwanted, and unloved. Five years later, she has the opportunity to show the foster pups how to be a true berner.

My first foster was Pringles who was somewhere between 5 and 7 yrs old. Her exact age was unknown. She was a slow moving dirty dog with a strong stench and almost constant itching. She was stanky! She was pleasant, friendly, and she loved the car ride.

Everything was new to Pringles. She needed to learn what dog treats were, dog beds, navigating steps, etc. She was a very smart dog who watched what my other dogs and followed their lead. While Pringles didn’t seem to have emotional baggage, it was clear that she never received much physical contact in the terms of love. Once she discovered pets/brushing and being loved upon, there was no turning back. If the other dogs were getting wiped off because of rain, she would get in line for a rub down even when she hadn’t been outside.

Probably the most striking moment as a foster was the realization that this Network literally saved Pringles life. Pringles was slow moving and ate very little for a girl with huge paws. In fact, she lost a few pounds. I was doing my best to get her to eat. When she was spayed, I was told that her uterus was full of fluid so luckily it was good timing on the operation. All my dogs had been spayed so I didn’t know what that meant. This condition can kill a dog or make them seriously ill if not detected in time. Pringles was showing symptoms with the lack of appetite and being lethargic. If Pringles had not been rescued, it’s highly likely she would not be alive today.

After the surgery, Pringles became a new pup! Her appetite was finally good and she started doing zoomies around the yard. She became more of a social butterfly when meeting new people. To even prepare her for her new forever home, I had little girls from my neighborhood come over and meet Pringles. Luckily I have very nice neighbors who were more than willing to help out!

Through this journey with Pringles, there were so many rewarding moments and so much that I have learned. The most rewarding was finding this beautiful soul a forever home. When you see a 4 yr old little girl walk up to Pringles and give her a big hug, you realize this was meant to be. It was truly a very rewarding experience!"