Every evening, as her dinner was being made, Stormy the husky would start to dance. She hopped from toe to toe, her face stretched into a smile, in what Nicole and Gary Wordsworth came to call her “happy food dance.” Stormy stayed with the British couple for four months, snuggling on the sofa, before moving on to a forever home.
She was just one guest in a long line. For about 15 years, Nicole and Gary, now retired and in their 60s, have fostered shelter dogs from Battersea, 59 so far. It started in late 2011 with an advert for sponsoring dogs. “Because we had been looking after friends’ dogs, and loving it, we went in for a chat,” they told Good News Network. They went home with a little Staffie called Marcel, and they never really stopped.
Some dogs stay a couple of nights and others up to 18 months, from huskies to Staffies. People often ask whether the goodbyes are hard. “We find it so easy,” they said. “We love to help get them out of the kennels when they are too stressed and need a quiet spot to perch.”
Every Dog Gets Its Story
What they notice at home helps Battersea’s adoption team: favorite toys, dinner times, how far a dog likes to walk. One huge American bulldog learned to give a paw, lie down and sit, and then his original owner spotted his ad and took him home. “He got his fairy tale ending too,” the couple said. Gary says picking a favorite is impossible, “but it’s great to see all their nerves dissipating, and their actual personality coming out to shine.”
Want to try it? Battersea trains its fosters, pays for everything and often starts newcomers with easy dogs. Many local shelters and rescues run foster programs too, so ask yours.
Could you open your home to a shelter dog for a few weeks?
59 dogs and still going, respect. Stormy's happy food dance is basically me when someone says pizza.