The Man Behind 138 Wagging Tails: Andrew’s Foster Story

A proud affiliate member of Companion Animal Network Australia, Scruffer Lovers is a 100% volunteer-run dog rescue based in Adelaide, South Australia. Its network of dedicated foster carers provides temporary homes for dogs while they receive vet care and get ready for adoption.

One of those carers is Adelaide local Andrew Hutton, whose fostering journey began 4.5 years ago with another rescue before he joined Scruffer Lovers, opening his home to 138 dogs along the way.

Andrew is motivated by a simple desire to help animals. His own dog, Kiani, a kelpie cross, was a foster fail.

“I connected with her straight away,” he recalls. “She’s beautiful, friendly, great with other dogs… I got attached pretty quickly.”

Kiani now plays an important role in helping new foster dogs settle in. At the moment, Andrew is caring for three foster guests — Max the Cavoodle, Dante the Kelpie cross, and Leia, a Staffy pup recovering well from hip surgery — and they all get along.

Many of the dogs Andrew fosters come from pounds in NSW, sometimes with difficult or unknown backgrounds. He takes them on daily walks, socialises them in busy places like Bunnings, helps them rebuild trust and supports them during meet-and-greets with potential adopters.

It’s the transformation of the dogs that keeps him going. “It gives me a purpose,” he says.

After a stroke in 2012 and challenges with depression, fostering has become a grounding part of Andrew’s life. “To see a scared dog turn into one full of confidence who loves people, it’s fantastic. Very rewarding,” he says.

Andrew fosters each dog for as long as they need — whether it’s a fortnight, a month or longer.

“They don’t leave my house until they find their home,” he says. “And when that time comes, I end up crying because it’s so hard… Leia will be tough.”

A Community that stands behind its carers

Andrew speaks highly of the support Scruffer Lovers provides, from covering vet bills to supplying food, vaccines and helping with fuel for his transport trips, driving five hours each way to collect dogs from rural pounds.

“Support makes all the difference,” he adds.

Like many new foster carers, Andrew once worried how dogs might behave when they arrived. Now, after welcoming more than a hundred through his door, his advice is “If you have patience and time, you’ll be OK.”

Andrew’s home — always open to wagging tails — proves how transformative fostering can be, not just for dogs in need, but for the humans who care for them.

For more information about fostering for Scruffer Lovers, please visit https://scrufferlovers.org/get-involved/foster/