We’re ready to get engaged.

Actually, Carol and I were engaged more than a half century ago and now we’re going to do it again. Yet, this is a first for us.  In the past there were no engagements, no opportunity to think things over and see if, in fact, it would be a good match. Rather, it was a commitment from the start and as it fortunately turned out, it was in every instance the right move.

Reflecting, it’s remarkable how each of our live-in companions was so different. Some were cats, but most of them dogs. They all had traits that were annoying – such as rolling and eating stuff that is absolutely vile - but overall were enduring.  As a group, the cats were independent and the dogs dependent. But that is about as far as generalities go. Each of our companions regardless of their quirks became part of the family, accepted as they were for it soon became apparent that we weren’t going to change them anyway.

For some reason, people aren’t so forgiving or tolerant of each other. I know of no study, but I would bet far more couples get divorced than give up on a dog or cat and leave them at a shelter, or worse. On the other hand, I’ve heard of cases where the custody of a pet is a high priority on the divorce battleground. That surely tells us something about the compatibly of pets, especially when two people who can’t get along with each other can agree on who they want to keep as a partner.

I’m getting off track, because Carol and I are about to be engaged to our first dog.

We didn’t have to take blood tests, but just about every other condition leading up to a possible long term commitment had to be checked off from how much time we would spend together, if we lived in an apartment or owned a home, whether we had allergies and who would step up if we weren’t around. It all makes perfectly good sense. Those taking on the responsibility of animals that can’t speak for themselves want to make sure they end up in loving, caring homes.

Technically, this engagement is termed “fostering.”

Karen Kalunian, whose Animal Talk columns appear in the Beacon and other publications, first suggested fostering as a means to get to know a dog before slipping on a gold collar. We asked about it when we visited a Friends of Homeless Animals dog rescue event in East Providence and completed a form suggesting to foster one of two possible dogs, Rigley or Farrah.

That put us on a fast track.

A couple of days later Kelly, who was fostering Farrah among other dogs, informed us she would be taking in more rescues from southern shelters and could we foster Farrah. Were we ready to get engaged?

Kelly sent along some photos that assuaged fears that we might be harboring a wild uncontrollable animal. There was Farrah sitting looking at the camera beside a black cat, another close up of her face and a third curled up asleep on the passenger seat of her car. We exchanged texts about timing and when Kelly would get her next delivery of dogs.  Carol called and got a run down of what kind of puppy food Kelly was feeding her, toys she likes playing with. Cheese flavored Himalayan Dog Chew was high on the list. The chews are advertised as naturally healthy, lactose free, gluten free, grain free and 100 percent natural. And how frequently she would need to take Farrah out to pee? The answer was about every six hours.  What about shots and medicine? She’s current on her shots and she has been spayed. Kelly had all the answers.

No longer were we “thinking about fostering,” but asking when it would happen. Yesterday was afternoon was the date and time. It was too late for me to report on the event in this column, but it gives me plenty of time to write about our first week of engagement and whether Farrah said “yes.”