"We will either find a way, or make one..."

Yes... I fell off of the blogging bandwagon yet again.  But if you knew how chaotic and busy my life was, you'd understand why.

I'm on month three with Lucille as a foster.  She goes to nearly all of the adoption events, gets shared on Facebook, and has even been featured in a video blog by our local country station.  I couldn't tell you why she doesn't have a home yet.  Not to mention the fact that she's house trained, crate trained, good with dogs, good with cats, good with kids, and - well - just good all around.  I just don't get it.  I've had fosters that aren't good with other dogs... fosters that are so under socialized that they are petrified of EVERYTHING... fosters that have medical issues... and they've ALL been adopted.  But what about Lucille?  What is it about her that has kept her from finding her forever home?  Yes, she only has three legs... but I honestly can't imagine that the lack of a leg is what is keeping people from being interested in her.  She keeps up just fine with the rest of the pack.  I'm truly baffled.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that Lucille finally finds her forever home someday soon.  As for now, she's happy and healthy where she is.

Then... as you all know... along came Peaches.  I'm on month two with Peaches.  I've had some difficult dogs throughout my fostering career... but Peaches has been a hard one to figure out.  She's as sweet as sugar, but she's had a very hard time adjusting to life as an indoor dog.  Between house training and crate training, it's been a struggle.  As for getting along with the other four dogs and three cats in the house, she's adjusted quite well!  She attends adoption events and also participated in the video blog with Lucille that our local country station, 97.3 The Eagle, put on for us.  From what I can tell, Peaches was probably a dog that never lived in a house... and never had to be confined.  Two months later, I'm still trying to crack the code with this dog.  She's one of the sweetest dogs I've crossed paths with... but I still have some figuring out to do when it comes to house training her.  As for getting her used to living in a house... well... let's just say that she has taken kindly to curling up in a ball on the couch.



Oh... but as if two foster dogs, three of my own dogs, three cats, two ferrets, a snake, a horse, and work, dock dogs, and rescue events weren't enough... some newborn kittens wiggled their way into my life.  I'm sad to say that two of them passed away... but I'm thrilled to announce that the little boy is alive and kicking 6 weeks (almost 7 weeks) later.  And, of course, after spending every waking moment with this kitten... I've become rather attached.  I'm desperately hoping that Gunther, the kitten, will be the new addition as a "hospital cat" where I work... but we'll have to see how it goes.  I still haven't talked to my boss about it, though I've caught him multiple times taking Gunther out to visit with him.  Too cute!  My boss is pretty awesome.  I'm just going to keep bringing him to work with me... and go from there.  If he's a terror that annoys clients, swats at dogs' noses, and tears bags of food open... it's a negative... but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he's a good boy and settles in.  Just have to play it by ear, I suppose.

Yes, so... basically... I'm insanely busy, my house is a mess, I don't sleep much, yet I'm pretty damn happy.  And I guess that's all that matters.  Right?

"With love and patience, nothing is impossible."

At some point in the last couple of weeks, I acquired another foster dog.  Funny how that happens, huh?  The more, the merrier!  That's what I think!

I first met Peaches at an K9 Justice League adoption event at Petco.  I was attending the event with my current (and still current) foster dog, Lucille.  We set up camp as usual and made ourselves comfortable at the table with our dogs in hand.  Lucille was very social and did a great job drawing the attention of people passing by.  After all, those three-legged dogs tend to do that!  Peaches, however, spent her day trying to wander at the end of the leash... and sleeping.  When people did pay attention to her, she'd offer a wag of the tail and was very tolerant of anyone visiting.  She did especially well with children!  Peaches was nothing short of sweet, though she didn't appear to be very entertained at the adoption event.

Lucille, myself, and Peaches

 Little did I know, this picture would be a picture of myself with my future foster dog, Peaches.  While I'm still not sure if she'll end up as my "permanent" foster dog, she's spent enough time with me now to be a temporary foster dog, at least!  How did Peaches end up with me, you ask?  Well, I have a 6ft privacy fence, and I'm the person who can't stand to see a dog down on her luck.  While we don't know what Peaches' past consists of, I can only assume that she was never kept indoors.  Her first foster home, while perfect in every other aspect, didn't have a fence that could contain this wandering soul.  As for the second foster home, Peaches required more training and time than they could give her at the time.  Dogs who have never lived inside before take a little extra time and patience when it comes to house training and manners... not everyone is up for it.  Even though I already had Lucille, I was more than willing to hang on to Peaches until another foster home opened up... or indefinitely... until she's adopted.



 It didn't start off like that, though.  The first couple of days with Peaches went well.  She was fine with all of my dogs... and just kind of existed amongst them.  She's older and gives the occasional kiss and tail wag to the other dogs, but that's about the extent of it.  She did well with house training, too.  There were a couple of days later, however, that you would have thought that Peaches was looking to get the heck out of my house!  And she was driving me crazy!  She looked out of the windows, paced in the yard, tried to climb over and crawl under the baby gates, and attempted to dig her way out of the crate.  Peaches wanted OUT.  Following this episode, she also had a couple accidents in the house.  Honestly, I expect accidents.  Dogs who have never lived in a home environment have no idea that just going when you have to go - whether it's on the tile or hardwood floor or carpet - is not proper house dog manners.  They don't know any better... and nobody ever taught them.  It was the constant attempt at escaping that had me confused.  She just seemed so anxious and just couldn't settle down.

At some point, Peaches gave up.  I don't know what it was.  I'm not sure if she just got into the swing of things... or if she saw that the other dogs had to deal with exactly what she was dealing with... but Peaches finally settled in.  She's given up on trying to 'get out'... whether it's under or over gates or digging out of the crate.  She goes outside with the rest of the pack, sleeps in a crate adjacent to Lucille, and eats when the others eat.  I think she's probably gained a pound already - and she's a picky eater.  However, she seems content enough in the household to eat dry food without the bells and whistles.  I add canned food once a day for the extra calories... but Peaches doesn't hesitate to eat her dry, plain kibble anymore.  And while I won't hold my breath, she's been accident free for the last few days!  She's a good girl and refuses to have accidents in her crate, and we experienced a milestone this morning!  She scratched at the door to go outside!  And when I let her out, she tinkled right away!  Peaches is nothing short of incredibly sweet... and she's trying so hard to learn the ways of an indoor dog.  She's going to make someone an amazing companion if she keeps this up!  Her name is perfect.  She's as sweet as peaches.




As for Lucille, she's been doing great.  She looks like a totally new dog!  She's gained weight and has a shiny, beautiful coat!  Lucille event had a meet and greet the other day with a family!  Fingers crossed that they are her future forever family.  I had to work, so I didn't get to meet them... but apparently they are a very nice family!  I'm going to miss Lucille very much when she does leave.  She fits in well here... and has made an awesome playmate for Lyla.  But... I've said it a million times... and I'll say it again... a foster dog going to a new home means another homeless dog gets a chance at life.  As much as I hate to let them go, it's all for good reason... and I can deal with that.

"Being different is one of the most beautiful things on earth."

First of all, do you remember that family that loved Audrey so much?  Well, they adopted her!  She's doing great with her new people and new doggie brother!  When I saw them with her, I could just tell that they were her future forever home!

It wasn't long after Audrey's adoption that another special Hound mix came into my life.  She wasn't shy like Audrey, but she had recently had her front leg amputated.  She was found as a malnourished stray... dragging her bum leg along... and entertaining four pups of her own.  Paws of Hertford County in Ahoskie, NC took Lucille into their shelter and got her the medical attention she so desperately needed.  Her four puppies were quickly adopted... but Lucille still needed surgery to have her bum leg amputated... and, of course, to be spayed!  In the midst of all of this, Lucille also tested positive for two tick-born illnesses!  Those are a quick fix with some medication... and she was fortunate that she wasn't heart worm positive!

It's kind of funny how Lucille ended up as my foster.  She originally was meant to be a temporary guest while I kept an eye on her incision site after the amputation surgery.  I wasn't even sure if I wanted to keep her as a foster at first!  At first glance, it appeared as if she wasn't going to get along with my other female, Lyla.  Come to find, Lucille doesn't like face to face greetings.  It makes her uncomfortable and defensive.  After all she's been through... can you blame her?  Within the week, she settled in at my house and with my pack.  I even took her to work with me to the vet office and used the healing laser on her incision site.  It healed up wonderfully, and we were able to remove the stitches about 14 days after the surgery.  Lucky for me, I've got amazing bosses and amazing co-workers who are willing to lend their expertise and a helping hand when it comes to my foster dogs!

In the end, we decided not to stress Lucille out by moving her again to a different foster home... and left her with me.  She's doing amazingly well... and does great with my dogs and my cats.  She sleeps contently in her crate while I'm at work and at night when I'm asleep.  Lucille even walks well on a leash!  She doesn't have accidents in the house either!  She's truly been a joy to have.  She's adjusted extremely well to only having three legs.  Honestly, I'm sure the bum leg was a nuisance, and she was happy to get rid of it!

I've had her for almost a month now, and I'm honestly shocked that nobody has adopted her yet.  She's a good dog - a trooper - and super beautiful with her gorgeous eyes and sweet demeanor!  She certainly doesn't let the fact that she has three legs slow her down.  However, I continue to live by the fact that true love will happen when it's meant to.  I know Lucille's forever family is right around the corner...

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

I'm 10 days shy of 2 months with Audrey, and I'm very happy with the progress she's made!  She's really blossomed into a great dog!  For such a fearful girl, she's been extremely tolerant and sweet.  Audrey sleeps in the bed with me and the other dogs, hangs out on the couch with me, plays great with the dogs out in the yard, and pretty much mimics everything her canine friends do.  They've really taught her a lot!  I'd like to credit myself... but it's my dogs who have done most of the work in teaching her how to be a great companion for a family.

She had a meet-and-greet with a family a couple weeks ago and really surprised me in how well she did.  She was totally out of her element... but wanted so badly to meet these two people.  Audrey would walk into the living room where we were sitting, then dart away.  Rinse and repeat.  Eventually, though, Audrey walked in and lied down and fell asleep next to them.  She wants, so badly, to be a part of the family - but she's just not sure what to expect.  Who knows what happened to her in her youth.  We really have no idea what caused her to be so fearful - whether it was being left alone and the lack of socialization or the possibility of someone hurting her in the past.  But... Audrey is learning... and she has come such a long way in a short amount of time.  That particular family decided against adopting Audrey... simply because she's probably going to take a little extra work.

However, Audrey went to her first adoption event this last Sunday... and a couple people had inquired about her the previous day.  I arrived at Petco a few minutes earlier to let Audrey get settled and walk around the store.  Apart from going to a couple unfamiliar places, Audrey hadn't been anywhere like Petco before.  She walked on a leash and did pretty well walking through the store.  She never ceases to amaze me!  The first family who came in to visit Audrey loved her for who she was.  They weren't concerned with the fact that Audrey wasn't interacting with them.  They understood that she was scared... and took our word that she's totally different in an environment in which she's comfortable.  They put an application in on her and have since set up a meet-and-greet with Audrey.

I know this might sound ridiculous, but I think they might be it.  Audrey has been acting differently since she met them.  She's been more outgoing at home and extremely lovey dovey.  She wants to sleep right next to me... and is constantly going in for kisses from me.  Fingers crossed that these people are Audrey's forever family!  It's nice that some people can see through the shyness and believe that there's a totally different dog in there.  Good people are out there!  I hate to get too excited... because you never know what's going to happen... but we'll see!

"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say."

Long time, no see.  I've been suffering from writer's block, I suppose, because writing is one of my favorite things to do - especially writing about dogs.  I actually typed a post up a few days ago... and deleted it.  So... here I am...

I totally skipped a chapter of the "Foster Dog Diaries" when I failed to write about Boris, my last foster, and all of my experiences with him.  Perhaps I didn't write because he was one of my most difficult fosters... that happened to come at a time in my life that was fairly new and busy.  You see, around the same time Boris came into my life, I started a new job at vet hospital as a vet assistant/kennel caretaker.  I've never worked at a vet before... so I had a lot to learn!  I STILL have a lot to learn.  But... that's irrelevant.  Boris was a good dog - obedience trained, crate trained, good on a leash, etc.  However, Boris didn't really know how to act around other dogs.  He got on well with Brody and Lyla at first... but he and Jackson butted heads quite often.  I really had to keep an eye on those two.  After a couple weeks, though, Brody and Lyla decided that they didn't really want to tolerate Boris as much as they had at first.  This made life a little bit difficult for all of us.  Lyla's used to having a playmate... and she started to act out when Boris didn't suffice as such.  We stuck it out, though, and Boris eventually found his forever family.  While it was difficult, I'm glad that I was a part of helping him find his perfect family.  He really is a good dog... but Mr. Boris certainly seemed to prefer being an only dog.

Once Boris was adopted, I spent a few weeks without a foster.  Lyla was going crazy without a playmate!  So was I!  But... K9 Justice League had it all planned out.  We were headed down to Paws of Hertford County in North Carolina on January 31st to pull a handful of dogs to bring back home to Virginia for the open foster families of the rescue.  I eagerly awaited the day that I'd meet my new foster!

Of course, I scoured the website day and night to see which dog I might just want to pick.  But... you know how that goes.  You pick one and end up with another!  We made the trip early in the morning and were greeted by the amazing volunteers of PAWS who we have come to know and love.  They are truly amazing people... who work hard and give these animals love when nobody else will.  Talk about a small shelter rising above the rest!  They have done a fantastic job getting the word out about their dogs and cats!  I really adore them.

Once we got to the shelter, we went to work.  My eyes were peeled for my new foster... and Jessica and Tiffany worked hard to pick dogs that matched up well with the available foster families.  Of course, I wanted the dog least likely to be adopted.  There were two shy dogs, Florence and Olivia.  Florence had been in a home for a trial... but do to her extreme shyness, it didn't work out.  I adored both of them from the start... but Florence showed the most potential... so that's who I left with.  We left with a total of 11 dogs.  Ten went into the rescue, and one was transported to a breed rescue.  We renamed my foster dog.  Her name is now Audrey.  The first day was rough.  She was so scared that she would barely move.  While she was petrified, she wasn't aggressive at all.  I could pick her up and pet her... although she really didn't enjoy it!  She curled up in a ball and was like a statue while my three dogs greeted her.  When she came home with me, I don't think she was expecting to be in a house with a whole pack of dogs!  And that's what will save her.  My dogs have already helped her in so many ways... and they are doing their job by showing her that humans give food, affection, and playtime.  It's going to be a long road... but she's already made a lot of progress.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for Audrey's life.

Peace, Love, and Paw Prints

"As we move through life, the force of fate creates events that we only appreciate when we reflect on our existence."

Every now and then, THAT foster dog comes along.  You know?  The one that you just can't stand to let go?  Most people... who have never fostered... are probably thinking that EVERY foster dog is THAT dog.  But when you've fostered... you begin to understand.  Most fosters... you CAN let go... because the need to allow yourself to foster another - to save another life - are much stronger than the need to adopt that most recent addition.  It is when you get the dogs that connect with YOUR dogs that are the hardest to let go.  As a foster mom, I'm often sad about letting them go... but at the same time, I'm so happy that I was able to be a part of their journey in finding their forever homes.  But when my dogs fall head over paws over one of my fosters, it makes me feel terribly sad to let them go.  As human beings, we often think about ourselves - and how bringing a dog into our lives affects us - and how letting them go is such a bittersweet moment.  But what about our own dogs?  How does it affect them?

Each foster dog that enters my home affects my own dogs differently.  As the old man of the family, Jackson takes the longest to warm up to the newcomers.  Brody - well - he wags his tail and introduces himself for a minute... before getting distracted by a toy... inevitably something to fetch... and ends up not caring that much about the newcomer.  Lyla, my foster failure dog, tends to be more interested than anyone.  She throws herself at the newcomer and is more excited than ever!

Well, this time, Lyla fell in love with a foster that I only have for a few days.  His original foster family was going out of town... and needed someone to keep an eye on him.  So here I am.  Brody, Jackson, Lyla... and cats... and all.  Oddly enough, even Jackson doesn't seem to mind Harley.  Brody likes him... and even shares his toys.  Lyla... on the other hand... has fallen in love with him.  They just adore each other!

But... sometimes... life gets in the way of fate.  While all signs point to the fact that Harley belongs in my family... my living situation points elsewhere.  What a shame... because I know for a fact that Lyla is going to miss her "baby" more than anything!

Sometimes... you just have to laugh.

If you’ve ever had a dog before, you know that something is bound to get destroyed at some point.  I can’t even begin to count how many pillows and comforter sets Brody annihilated.  Fortunately for me, while the “little things” have been absolutely chewed up or ripped to pieces, I haven’t lost a couch or the blinds or anything of that extent yet.  But, hey, I am only twenty-five.  I’ve got many years ahead of me... in which I’m sure to acquire one of those problem dogs that gets so freaked out that eating the couch is the only way to make it better.

My biggest loss was when Benji was living with me.  Benji didn’t have a great upbringing, so it only seemed fair that he became anxious when I left him alone in the house with the other dogs.  Due to sheer stupidity, I sometimes forgot to shut the door to my bedroom.  I came home one day to find the power cord to my Mac chewed up into tiny pieces.  Let me also mention that I was struggling to pay for anything at the time... as well as the fact that I’m such an internet addict that the thought of my laptop’s battery dying before the new power cord arrived nearly killed me.  I was irate... but what good would yelling do now?  Oh... and let’s not forget to mention that ANYTHING Mac is pricey!  I immediately ordered a new power cord and crossed my fingers that it would arrive before my laptop died.  I swear that I practically proposed to the UPS delivery man when my new power cord arrived just in the knick of time!  I think I had 17% battery life left... or something close.

On top of that, there were plenty of times the three stooges (Benji, Brody, and Meaty) would just get a little too excited and go crazy on whatever they could find.  I remember coming home one time to find that the dogs had gotten into a  container of powdered chocolate milk... which had been spread so kindly all over the carpet in my bedroom.

I’ve come home countless times to find shredded toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls.  Brody got into the habit of taking anything I left in the sink out while I was gone.  After going through puppyhood with quite a few puppies, I’ve even noticed some teethmarks in my coffee table.

My three dogs seem to have finally settled into their own.  I leave the house, and they sleep.  There are foster dogs floating in and out, too, but I usually crate them while I’m gone.  I’ve learned to block off the carpeted rooms.  I’ve learned not to leave anything in the sink.  I’ve learned to put everything away... unless I want to come home and pick up the 3 million remnants of whatever it was that left out.  Cords are all out of reach, too!  When you have free-roaming dogs, you learn to adjust.  I’ve come to the realization that dogs are dogs, and you can’t expect them to always be perfect.  Our intelligence level is much higher - though I doubt that often - so it’s kind of our job to either crate the dogs or learn to pick up and keep what you want safe out of reach.

The creation of this entry was sparked by last night’s events.  It’s my “birthday weekend” right now, so the last few days have been pretty busy.  I haven’t spent as much time with the dogs as I normally do.  Apparently yesterday was the tipping point for the dogs.  Not only had I been out late the night before, but I also had to leave for a horse show in the morning on Saturday.  I left around 9:30AM and was gone much longer than I had expected.  I got home at about 5:00PM.  Since I don’t have a job, my dogs really aren’t used to me being gone that long.  I finally returned home and got to spend a mere half hour with the dogs before it was time to leave again.  Since I didn’t have much time... and had to get ready for a party... I decided against feeding them dinner a little early... and just feeding them later.  Little did I know... I wouldn’t be getting home until about 10:30PM.  Poor Bentley had been in his crate nearly all day... and I was sure that my poor dogs were simply starving at that point!  When I finally returned home and opened the door, I was greeted by antsy dogs and a living room FULL of white fluff.  The pillow that I always leave on the couch had been murdered.  It looked like it had snowed in my living room!  That pillow has been sitting on that couch for months, and they’ve never touched it.  But... I suppose that was their way of saying, “Mom, you totally neglected us today.  Not cool.”  Running on a couple hours of sleep in the last 48 hours, the last thing I wanted to do was come home to clean up the innards of my pillow.  All I wanted to do was let the dogs out, feed them, let them out once more, then go the hell to bed!  But that wasn’t the case.

I wasn’t mad, though.  I was more amused by the fact that that seemed to be their way of saying, “TAKE THAT!  You left us all day AND haven’t freakin’ fed us yet!  Mommy’s pillow must die!”  I walked into my house full of cotton snow and simply couldn’t help from laughing.  With dogs, those sorts of things are going to happen every once in a while.  There’s no use in getting mad.  Technically... it’s your fault.  You should have put your stuff away! 

Sometimes... you just have to laugh.