Foster Heroes: Lizzie, Will and Riley

As part of our commitment to giving back to the greater canine community, Ollie has partnered with the awesome rescue organization Mr. Bones and Co. to help support some of their pups in foster care. We want to shine the spotlight on this often overlooked aspect of the adoption process, through which dogs are able to live with loving families while they search for their forever home. The foster parents are some of the unsung heroes, so we’ll be chatting with them about their role and the dogs they take in.

We spent a little time with Lizzie, Will and their foster pup Riley, whose belly we’re filling with Ollie food (and who was recently adopted!)

Ollie: How did you get involved with fostering dogs?

Lizzie: I’ve been a huge dog lover ever since I was a small child, but it wasn’t until I met the co-executive director of Mr. Bones and Co., Elli Frank, in the office building we both work in that I knew fostering was even an option. One day one of their pitbull puppies crawled under the stall in our shared office bathroom, and instantly I fell in love! Pitbulls are a banned breed where I’m from in Australia, so I really wanted to foster them and shine some light on their inherent goodness to the people I know back home.

Ollie: How did you meet Riley?

Lizzie: Mr Bones and Co. brought us together! Riley was rescued from the South—the people she was with were in and out of prison and she was living with their son. She was constantly being attacked by the other resident dog and was being fed a diet of only Raisin Bran. She was seized from that family and taken to an animal sanctuary near by where she decompressed and recovered before being transported to NYC.

Ollie: What condition was Riley in when you brought her home?

Lizzie: Riley had come a long way in the Sanctuary. She had a lot of teeth missing—they think she had been hit or kicked in the mouth—and her leg was still tender and scarred from the multiple dog bites. Upon her arrival in NYC she was spayed, unfortunately tested positive to heartworm, and had even more teeth removed. Though, with all that being said, she is such a sweet, kind and happy dog, you would never have known that she had been mistreated and abused. The first couple of nights with Riley, she slept down at the foot of our bed, and by the end of her stay with us she was as close as she could be with her head on the pillow, snuggled under the covers.

Ollie: How did she react to the food?

Lizzie: She doesn’t have many teeth so kibble was a slow process to have for her meals. With her first bowl of Ollie, I looked away for one second and it was gone!

Ollie: How do you feel about fostering now?

Lizzie: Fostering has snowballed into a real passion for us; we are on our sixth foster in six months. When you meet these dogs that have been abused and so poorly treated yet still have the resilience to bounce back and ability to love as hard as they do, it makes it so worthwhile.

Ollie: What would you say to people who are considering fostering dogs?

Lizzie: Take the leap. Fostering has been the most rewarding experience I have had in my life to date. It saves lives, lets you be a part of something bigger, to be a small solution to a big problem and gives these animals a voice.

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To learn more about Riley and other awesome dogs up for adoption through Mr. Bones and Co., check out their One Lucky Pup program.

The Ollie blog is devoted to helping pet parents lead healthier lives with their pups. If you want to learn more about our fresh, human-grade food, check out MyOllie.com.