It’s said one never forgets their first love. For Suzanne Derrick, it was Finley, her first foster dog. The little white fluff ball came into her life, and although she knew it was only supposed to be temporary, she said it still broke her heart when she brought Finley to his forever home.

Eight years later, Derrick is caring for her 76th foster dog for Geneva-based Starfish Animal Rescue, which relies on foster homes to care for adoptable dogs and cats.

For those like Derrick, who have love to give and a willingness to take on the unknown, fostering helps save animals that might otherwise have their lives cut short in shelters.

Love isn’t always candy hearts and roses. Sometimes, it’s opening one’s home and sharing that love with a four-legged companion in need of care, compassion and probably a little obedience training, too.

But volunteer work is about more than caring for animals. Volunteers like Derrick say connecting with others who share a passion for animal care can be just as rewarding.

“It’s amazing the community I’ve met,” Derrick said.

Derrick isn’t just a foster parent to dogs. She’s part of a team of foster buddies who support first- and second-time foster families as they navigate behavior or health concerns, or even help care for a pregnant dog. Jill Fortin was a first-time foster parent when she realized her 12-pound terrier mix with kennel cough was also about to become a momma dog.

“I was freaking out,” Fortin admits.

Derrick served as Fortin’s foster mentor and was the person she called when her dog began delivering three puppies in her dining room. It was a wild ride, but in the end, Fortin helped the momma dog and one of her pups get adopted. She remained active with the organization and eventually joined the event planning team with Starfish Animal Rescue.

“We kept in touch with the adopting families,” Fortin said. “It’s so rewarding to see the love that dog brings to the family.”

Starfish Animal Rescue has developed a robust foster program, providing food, basic necessities and veterinary care. The organization also connects foster and adoptive families with dog-training programs that address basic obedience and behavior concerns. A multistep adoption application process helps ensure the best possible match for families and animals.

“You want the adoption to be positive and successful,” Fortin said.

Beyond fostering, animal rescue groups are always in need of volunteers to help with paperwork, sorting donations and walking dogs after transport arrivals. Additional support is also needed at weekly adoption events.

At Project Hope Animal Rescue in Gilberts, founder and president Stacy Pyrek said she can always use extra volunteers at the adoption center and as fosters. Since launching in 2019, the organization has expanded its facilities and helped find homes for numerous dogs and cats, puppies and kittens.

Volunteers with Project Hope Animal Rescue partner with Blain’s Farm & Fleet in Elgin to showcase adoptable animals on the first Saturday of each month. Pyrek said regular shoppers love to stop and visit, sometimes bringing donations as well. The agency has also partnered with Goat Yoga Chicago at the Arboretum of South Barrington for Puppy Yoga, where Pyrek and other volunteers bring young pups to socialize with yoga participants.

“There’s never a frown in the house at puppy yoga,” Pyrek said.

“We’ve had a couple of adoptions from the event. For us, it helps socialize the puppies and help them get used to other people and get our name out too,” she continued.

Pyrek added that more help is needed for puppy yoga events, as each pup receives a bath and nail trim before their yoga debut.

At Elgin-based Hoof, Woof & Meow, all rescued dogs and cats are placed in foster homes while they await adoption, explained board president Lori Schutt. Some foster families prefer older dogs, others enjoy puppies, and some focus on cats and kittens.

Hoof, Woof & Meow rescues animals from shelters in southern Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. Without animal rescue groups, limited shelter space could mean animals are euthanized.

“We always need more fosters because then we can rescue more dogs,” Schutt said.

For those not ready to become full-time fosters, organizations like Starfish Animal Rescue also need volunteers for vacation fostering, Derrick explained. It’s a great way to offer short-term support—much like training wheels.

“It’s like dog sitting and it gives the foster families a little break,” Derrick said.