Fenton Man Helps 45th Foster Dog Find a New Home

They say a dog is a man's best friend.

Well, Matt Osterman has reversed the role and has been a dog's best friend a whopping 45 times.

Last week, the Fenton resident saw his 45th foster dog find a new home. Mary Poppins, a white lab mix, went to live with Ray and Jen Belcher, of Linden.

Osterman took Mary home from on Sunday, to take care of her until she found a permanent home. The friendly dog was found in Ohio, living with her eight puppies in a situation where they would have been euthanized. Adopt-A-Pet volunteers saved her and the puppies, taking them to the no-kill shelter in Fenton Township.

The Belchers, who live on a lake near a wooded area Mary Poppins can enjoy, were excited to take their new family member home. It’s the first dog they’ve adopted, Ray said, and they wanted to help save a life. Their grandchildren will like playing with her and, “She’ll be out on the boat with us a lot.”

It was another happy ending for one of Osterman’s foster dogs.

He’s been giving a temporary home to them for a few years now, after his sister told him about the opportunity to volunteer at Adopt-A-Pet. “I’ve always had dogs,” he said. “Whatever needs fostering, I usually take it home.”

Since he started, Osterman has fostered Chihuahuas, min pins, lab mixes, beagles, shepherds and terrier mixes.

“Most of it is pretty calm,” he said. “I did have two once, two Italian greyhounds. They were very interesting. They were not house trained. That made for some interesting times.”

The dogs that need to become used to human contact are the ones that tug at his heart the most. Osterman really enjoys working with the dogs that need socialization.

So, how does he gain the trust of a fearful dog?

“I sit down on the floor and do baby talk,” he said.

When he first brings a dog home, he spends a quiet day with it, giving it some quality time. When the animal becomes more confident, Osterman starts bringing it to Adopt-A-Pet with him to introduce it to more people.

“We may start taking them to pet stores if we hold events there,” he said.

Adopt-A-Pet supplies everything foster families need for the dog, cat, puppy or kitten they are temporarily keeping. This includes food, vet care, toys, a crate, blanket and anything else the animal needs, he said.

"People like Matt and his family help to socialize and train the animals to help them become more adaptable," said Jody Maddock, program coordinator and treasurer for Adopt-A-Pet. "Having foster families like the Ostermans are what allowed us to find homes for over 825 cats and dogs last year."

Osterman would recommend fostering to anyone who loves dogs. “This is a great way to have as many dogs as possible,” he said.

Someday, he’d really enjoy fostering a Puli, a type of herding dog with long, dreadlocks of hair. The animal resembles a mop, Osterman said. “I like the looks.”

His favorite foster dog so far has been Daisy, a black lab mix that ended up staying at his home for six months. At first, the dog was very scared, he said. “She calmed down very quickly. She was just calm. She was very intelligent and very relaxed. She was so easy to train, so well-behaved.” 

A little min pin mix was his toughest challenge. “Buffy was the hardest one to socialize,” he said. The little dog had a limp and quickly became a one-person dog. “She thought I was God and everyone else was the devil. It was very hard to convince her others were OK.”

Osterman fostered Buffy for here months, before she went to another foster home. Many small dogs can really get a one-person mentality, he said. “It’s actually kind of common.”

When asked whether it’s tough to give up the dogs he fosters, Osterman said that of course, it is. The shortest time he’s had one is 24 hours, which has happened quite a few times. There was a bit of a mad rush for his fosters for awhile, he said. “It’s kind of a blur.”

And, yes, he has kept one.

That would be Zeke, a min pin/Chihuahua mix Osterman adopted around two years ago. Zeke was adopted out to someone else at first. “He came back, so we decided to adopt him,”Osterman said. “We just couldn’t let him go.” The dog, now 5, gets along well with the fosters Osterman brings home. Osterman can bring Zeke to Adopt-A-Pet to see if the dog he is considering taking home as a foster fits in with his own pet. 

Those who are interested in fostering an an animal for Adopt-A-Pet can get more information by calling (810) 629-0723, visiting the shelter at 13575 Fenton Rd., or checking www.adoptapetfenton.com