Pink Reveals Personal ‘Fail,’ But It’s Actually Incredible News

Pop star Pink has gleefully announced her “foster failure,” confirming she will permanently adopt Graham Cracker, the puppy she began fostering during her recent tour. “It’s official … I am a foster fail! We are keeping Graham Cracker! (Never been happier to fail),” the singer shared via Instagram, alongside an image of the golden brown puppy relaxing in a hammock.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by P!NK (@pink)

Graham Cracker’s success story began in the woods of Arkansas, where a young girl named Autumn stumbled upon a mother dog and her puppies. The girl secretly fed the mother dog until her own mother, Becky Harding, found out. “Unfortunately, we live in a community where dog dumping is pretty common,” Harding explained to CNN via KATV. This led them to contact Jak’s Second Chance rescue, which then partnered with Minnesota-based nonprofit The Bond Between to find homes for five of the puppies.

The director of Jak’s Second Chance, Jenny Wall-Bridge, described the urgent rescue situation: “They were under a pile of debris, way back on a four-wheeler trail. When I saw the mama and what condition she was in, and saw where the puppies were at – I was really concerned that they may not be safe out there.”

During Pink’s Twin Cities concert stop in October, the rescue organization received an unexpected email. “We got an email early afternoon that said, ‘Hey, I’m Pink’s manager. She wants to foster one of these puppies.’ Three hours later, we are meeting Pink at the Excel Energy Center right before her show,” recalled Rachel Mairose, founder and executive director of The Bond Between. “It’s just absolutely mind-blowing to think this little puppy who was found in the woods is now touring with Pink.”

The 13-week-old puppy’s presence made an immediate impact on the rescue community. “It’s huge. Just to have someone of Pink’s caliber to advocate for rescue dogs and fostering,” Susan Stinson, a volunteer at The Bond Between, who attended one of Pink’s concerts, told CBS News Minnesota. At one night’s show, Pink had hinted at the possibility of keeping Graham Cracker, despite her initial plan to only foster. This isn’t Pink’s first involvement with animal rescue. The organization noted that she has previously helped three other dogs find homes during past tours.

The term “foster failure” is affectionately used in the rescue community when temporary caregivers decide to permanently adopt their foster pets. The ASPCA prefers the more positive term “foster fortune,” noting that such outcomes often result from caregivers developing strong bonds with their temporary guests.

In her Instagram announcement, Pink also highlighted the organization’s upcoming fundraising event, noting, “21st Nov is ‘Give to the Max Day’, their biggest fundraising day of the year” and encouraging followers to “Please take a look and donate whatever you can.”

The heartwarming story illustrates the importance of fostering in animal rescue. As Maggie Schmitz, marketing director for The Bond Between, noted to CBS News, “If you just want to help an animal along their journey like Pink did, you can say yes to fostering and bring them into your home and help them get out of a shelter and find their forever home.”