Volunteer Spotlight: Erin C.

**Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Erin, Our Expert Trainer and Puppy Socialization Specialist**

At Foster Tales, we're fortunate to have incredible volunteers who go above and beyond for our animals and adopters. Erin, a lifelong dog lover, is one such volunteer who has been instrumental in shaping our training and adoption counseling programs. Serving as a volunteer trainer, Erin works closely with new adopters, offering expert advice on behavior, training, and troubleshooting any issues that arise after adoption. His goal is to ensure that each pet is set up for long-term success in their new home.

Most recently, Erin launched a groundbreaking puppy program based on the latest science in socialization and development. He takes in puppies, provides them with optimal early-life experiences, and ensures they are well-adjusted before they find their forever homes. After adoption, he continues to support new puppy parents by providing guidance on how to raise them right.

Erin’s dedication, combined with his deep knowledge of dog behavior, has been a game changer for Foster Tales. We’re proud to have him as part of our team and look forward to seeing the impact of his work as he continues to improve the lives of both pets and their families. Read his interview below!

Erin, with his first batch of puppy rescues before they were successfully adopted. 

How and when did you first get into rescue? 

Our daughter Courtney Clerico befriended a neighbor who she had seen walking greyhound dogs and found out she had adopted her greyhounds from a group in LA. She subsequently adopted a magnificent retired racing greyhound named Peter from that same group, and through her experience she learned that they needed more foster homes. She signed us up and our adventure in dog rescue began. 

We wound up fostering close to 100 retired greyhounds in our home, and Courtney’s mom ultimately became the Foster Coordinator for Fast Friends out of La Habra Heights in LA. During this time we also fostered around 50 or so street rescued local mutts and a few cats for the local Cat People rescue group, which Courtney eventually served as a board member for many years. Our family has served almost every role in the animal rescue world from fostering to fund raising and countless hours of grunt-work. 

What drives you to help dogs in need?

I love dogs. In fact, I am dog-crazy. I regard dogs as our co-species. I feel we owe them a debt; they evolved specifically to serve humans. They gave us the ability to grow and prosper as a species by lending us their super K9 abilities to help us hunt, fight off predators and defend us against enemies. They love us unconditionally, it’s in their genetics. This makes dogs very special indeed. 

People have have forgotten how we got to where we are today, and the vital role dogs played in getting us this far. Yet, dogs are still there, ever adapting to our constantly changing environment and needs, which today often takes the form of providing love, loyalty and companionship. 

Like many dog lovers, our dogs are full fledged members of the family. When a dog is adopted into our family, they officially get our last name.  Our current dogs include a toy Chihuahua, Cookie Clerico and a Dutch Shepherd named Ryker Clerico. 

There may be other advanced civilizations in the universe, but I doubt they have dogs. If we ever get to explore distant worlds, we will bring dogs with us. We cannot, as a species, make it without our oldest and most loyal friends: dogs.

What are some important lessons rescue work has taught you?

I have had the privilege of knowing so many dogs and the thing that impresses me the most is their amazing resilience. How a dog that has been through so much trauma and cruelty at the hands of humans can still be so very very happy to see you and get some attention and affection from you, another human. Many still believe in human kindness. The dogs in shelter captivity see people walking past all day, with few of them even looking at them. Many still optimistically watch each person, hoping for just a little connection. Courtney has set the example for me that every dog deserves at least acknowledgement, and that even just a moment of eye contact as you pass gives them dignity and a keeps them going just a bit more, until they are rescued which they believe will happen with all their hearts.

I have learned that the shelter staff care a great deal about the dogs in their facilities and work the phones to get every adoptable dog placed in homes or rescues. The dogs get the best care possible from the staff and volunteers who are drowning in an impossible situation and that we need to defend them and their roles in the rescue of hundreds of dogs every month against harsh comments and condemnation they face for serving in kill shelters. These are the unsung heroes of dog rescue.

I have learned that dealing with so many dogs in these desperate situations exposes you to many tragic and heartbreaking stories about human cruelty and indifference. I’ve learned how to absorb these troubling accounts and yet keep marching forward to keep saving the next dog, and the one after that.

I heard you got to raise some puppies over the summer for Foster Tales. Tell us about that experience.

Courtney got a call from the county shelter that after placing 30 puppies that day, they just had 3 more orphaned, 4 week old puppies arrive. Regulations require the shelter to euthanize any orphaned puppies under 8 weeks old on their intake day since there is no chance the puppies can be properly cared for in the shelter without at least their mother to feed, calm and clean them. They would only grow up to be fearful dogs incapable of being adopted. Courtney agreed to take the puppies without hesitation. She turned to me on this day in late June and told me that these puppies were going to have to be my special project. I committed without flinching. I knew it was going to be hard.

Foster Tales has saved many puppies to this point, but taking on such young puppies without a mama dog is beyond our available resources. I had recently finished my Dog Trainer Certification program from Animal Behaviour College so I knew what these puppies needed: 1) their own room in isolation from the other adult fosters, 2) a rock solid schedule of play time with enriching activities and supervision, 3) socialization with friendly adult dogs, new people and other activities meant to expose and desensitize them to what a pet dog should be expected to deal with.

I set up a routine of four 60-90 minute breaks per day starting at 6:30 AM with the last break at 10 PM. Shortly after we took the first three puppies the shelter took in three more dogs of similar age and size so we added them into the mix. These pups got first class care, their crates were cleaned 4 times a day, they got baths whenever they soiled themselves and lots of time outside of their crates. During that time they got stuffed toys and several types of chew toys to play with, a variety of surfaces to walk on: a big flat cardboard box to climb, an artificial grass mat and a crinkling cat play tube to play in. Their playtime was strictly supervised with only appropriate play allowed (no singling out or bullying) and once they were old enough they got to play with nice adult dogs.

Foster Tales purchased a large dog stroller and I took all six pups on walks though the neighborhood, stopping to introduce them to friendly people we encountered on the way. I took the puppies on field trips to Home Depot where it was our goal to meet as many different people as possible and also learn about car rides and stores.

These puppies were raised from the time their eyes opened with total love and care, they grew up with no fear or neglect. They only knew joy, had no habituated anxiety from neglect and were perfectly crate trained. Each puppy was spoken for well before their 8 week old release time, so I sent frequent video updates to each family so they could track their puppy’s progress and to keep them committed since some families had to wait many weeks before they could take their puppies home. This turned out to be VERY popular with our adopters.

What did you learn about raising puppies in foster care, and will you do it again?

From this ‘special project’ I learned what a massive commitment of time it takes to raise very young puppies the right way. The adopting families were over the moon for the special care and proper socialization their puppies received, as well as the frequent video updates. I am very happy to report that each graduate of what I hope will become our new Foster Tales Puppy Program has settled in with their new families perfectly.

Because of the success of this first effort Foster Tales is considering converting the garage at their main fostering headquarters into an air-conditioned completely finished Puppy Room with a bathing sink and a volunteer entrance so that we can repeat this program with the help of several volunteers next time, as it is too much for me to do all by myself. I really hope this becomes a reality because I really want to do this again. 

We are also on a campaign to sign up more foster homes that can handle the commitment of raising puppies with our proven enrichment and socialization program in their own homes. We have already found volunteers who are either retired or work from home and can provide the kind of care we know will result in producing well adjusted puppies. With this new push my volunteer role has adjusted once again to include the education and support of the many new puppy-foster homes we are bringing on board.



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