Woman Intends To Foster a Puppy, Doesn't Go To Plan—'Escalated Quickly'

Fostering one puppy is a big commitment, and taking on two is even more demanding. But that wasn't going to stop Gabrielle Swanson, who has told Newsweek how she came to foster not one, not two, but three puppies simultaneously.

As someone who has always loved dogs, Swanson, from Charlotte, North Carolina, likes to do her part by fostering canines in need of a temporary home. After hearing about 150 dogs and puppies that had all been rescued from terrible conditions, she wanted to offer her help once more and take in a four-legged friend.

But when Swanson, 32, got to Peanut's Place Small Breed Rescue, she spotted three Pomeranian puppies who all needed a foster home. She has now told Newsweek her initial plan of taking in just one immediately went away, and that she "didn't hesitate" to take a second for added company—but then "it didn't feel right," to leave the third by themself.

"At that point, I figured, what's one more?" she joked.

The three Pomeranians were "close to death" when they were rescued, as they all had pneumonia and a contagious skin condition—which has required a lot of hands-on care from Swanson.

"I only planned to foster one, but when I got there and learned their story, I felt like I needed to take a little bit more on my plate," she said. "I have fostered many puppies in the past, but this is my first time taking three. It's also my first time experiencing this type of skin condition, which requires a lot of cleaning and disinfecting."

By taking in the puppies, who remain unnamed, Swanson isn't just helping them—she finds it incredibly soothing too. She describes fostering as a "form of self-care" that allows her to have a positive outlet for any stress or concerns stemming from her work as a therapist.

In April, she shared a video on TikTok (@talkwithgab) revealing how she came to take on the three foster puppies all at once, joking that it "escalated quickly." The clip delighted many social media users and gained more than 4 million views and over 627,600 likes in a matter of days.

Swanson said: "Being around animals fills my cup and provides me with so much joy. My hope with the video is to show people that fostering is such a beautiful thing. There is such a need for fosters because rescues are desperate for more."

At present, she believes she'll be keeping the puppies for around a month until they're ready for adoption. However, she's not so certain that she'll be giving all three back because one of them has already had a huge impact on her.

"I'm considering keeping the smallest because she reminds me of my soul dog, Rory, who I lost after 12 amazing years. She is my inspiration to keep fostering and I feel like she sent me these puppies. I was struggling with grief with the anniversary of her passing approaching, and I truly feel like she sent me these puppies, specifically the smallest one," Swanson told Newsweek.

In all her years of doing this, Swanson has never had a foster fail before, but there's a first time for everything.

With more than 5,500 comments on the viral TikTok post already, many people have praised Swanson for keeping the litter together. One comment reads: "You are the best type of person."

Another person wrote: "I think I speak for everyone when I say, we would've done the exact same thing."

While another person joked: "Impeccable girl math. A+"

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