It was a couple days before our government in Malaysia put us all on a "looser" lockdown again as cases of Coronavirus started to come up - and I felt compelled to foster a puppy. 

I've always wanted my own dog but pets weren't allowed so its taken me a couple more decades to finally have animals I can look after. 

This lockdown meant that 95% of the time for the next 4 weeks, I would most probably be home, and therefore was the perfect opportunity to foster a puppy. I reached out to MyForeverDoggo, an organisation that actively promotes adoption, who works with countless shelters and animal rescuers, to see if there was a puppy who was looking for a temporary home. 

They replied me instantly and I was connected to a rescuer who just didn't have enough capacity to give a puppy 1:1 time among her brood of rescue dogs, so I gladly picked up Chiko. 

I've had a few dogs in my life with my housemates and I was the convenient babysitter where I'd take the dogs out for walks but I've never looked after a puppy 24/7 before. Fearful that she would pee all around my house, I took many trips to the grassy areas so she could do her business and that took a lot of effort. Even late nights made me worry if she would randomly pee on my expensive rug or chew my shoes (luckily she didnt) and so for the first few days, I was up all night just checking to see if she was alright. 

If I ever want to have kids, this was definitely a good preview in responsibility. It's not like I have a live-in helper that I can dispose responsibilities to, it was just me. I must admit it was a role I didn't realise I had in me - at all. 

Chiko stayed with me for a total of 17 days. She was starting to teeth and enjoyed biting my arms and legs which has left me with battle scars for the next few months. She followed me everywhere I went and I didn't have to leash her when we played outside. Her new owner said that Chiko was a blessing in her life after a crazy year and I'm glad she's put a smile on her face as much as Chiko has put a smile on mine as my first foster!

Being isolated alone meant that I would have to find ways to manage my hormones so I don't go into a dark place. If you've ever wondered what kind of hormones are affected, check out the list above to see how animals, yoga, eating cake or even watching a Netflix comedy special can be good for you. 

These “happy hormones” include:

Dopamine. Also known as the “feel-good” hormone, dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter that’s an important part of your brain’s reward system. Dopamine is associated with pleasurable sensations, along with learning, memory, motor system function, and more.

Serotonin. This hormone (and neurotransmitter) helps regulate your mood as well as your sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory.

Oxytocin. Often called the “love hormone,” oxytocin is essential for childbirth, breastfeeding, and strong parent-child bonding. This hormone can also help promote trust, empathy, and bonding in relationships, and oxytocin levels generally increase with physical affection like kissing, cuddling, and sex.

Endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s natural pain reliever, which your body produces in response to stress or discomfort. Endorphin levels also tend to increase when you engage in reward-producing activities, such as eating, working out, or having sex.

Louis was roughly 4-5months when he got dropped off at my home. He was rescued along with his other siblings from being put to sleep. The rescuers placed them in an abandoned lot until they were able to pick him up and take him to the vet. After a visit with the vet, he only had a bacterial cough which needed meds and I needed to look after him until he would be healthy enough to be vaccinated. 

He was completely traumatised when he arrived. He would instantly stiffen if you were to touch him but he wouldn't bite or bark at all. The poor thing didn't have much of an appetite and needed extra TLC! Already a really quiet dog, I took him from my apartment to the outdoor grassy areas for him to do his business. He didn't run away, he didn't run much, he did however enjoy being carried! 

His personality started to show after getting familiar in my apartment and getting used to his routine pee schedule. I learnt patience when looking after him. Worrying if he's going to eat kibble or wet food, rice or drink enough water. I had to do a few recces to different places so I took a couple road trips and brought him along with me. I thought he'd be excited to walk around but NO, he was carried the entire time! (My arms are much stronger now) 

I must admit it was a little tougher saying goodbye to him because I believe he really trusted me and would always stick close to me if he felt scared. But I knew he was going to go to a loving family with lots of people who would help him open up more. After 16 days, I said my final farewell to the little scaredy cat --who's now called Simba!

Fostering furkids have been a really interesting experience for me and has allowed me to be more introspective about myself in this time. Finding some sort of way to save a life and offer kindness to animals has been enlightening to say the least. 

I can definitely get used to it and be a pseudo-halfway house for puppies before they find their forever home!