Foster Pet Update

There have been a few changes around here lately.

Elton the Shiba Inu/Shepherd mix has been adopted!
Benny the Beagle/Corgi mix has been adopted!
Thumper the Bearded Collie mix has been adopted!
Kirby the funny looking kitten has been adopted!
Pogo the cat is on a trial adoption!
Roo the American Pit Bull Terrier mix is now being fostered by a new foster volunteer.
Cookie the Beagle mix puppy returned to her original foster home.  She came here because she was having some problems with getting along with other dogs, but now she's doing really well so she got to go back to her original foster family.

At this point perhaps you're thinking that I must be getting lonely with all of these foster pets gone.  But don't worry about me -- I'm keeping busy with these additional changes:

Morgan the escape artist Puggle is back at my house because she kept breaking out of the fence and escaping at her foster-to-adopt home.

Morgan and Gonzo

Cooper is a Black Lab mix who was turned into rescue by his owners once he became too big.  He and his littermate had lived their entire lives outside and never had any training, so when they saw their people they would jump up and knock down the kids, so the family decided to get rid of them.  I took Cooper and another foster home has his brother.  Now they're living in homes for the first time in their lives, learning manners and looking for a new family.

Cooper

Bailey is a Golden Retriever mix who was turned in to Animal Control as a stray.  She had no tags, no microchip, and no one ever came looking for her, so we pulled her, had her spayed, a bad tooth was removed, and she has been treated for ear infections in both ears.  She's doing great now and already has several adoption applications!

Bailey

I also had a very short-term foster dog - a Miniature Daschund/Beagle puppy came to stay for a few days, but then she was stolen.  Okay, she wasn't really stolen.  Another foster home offered to take her.  I knew the other foster home would be good for her because she would get more one-on-one attention.  And it would help me to have one less foster and not have to take off work to get her to the vet.  But oh how I miss that puppy!  Her name is now Paisley and she is doing very well in her new foster home.

Adoption Events: What's Involved

Every Saturday, and even some Sundays, we hold adoption events to try to find our foster pets a home.  In case you've never been to a pet adoption event, I thought I'd share with you what is involved. 


Gonzo and Molly wait quietly at an adoption event.

 First, you need crates.  Wire crates are best, because they make it easier to see the dogs and cats than the plastic travel-type crates.  Crate liners (brightly colored fabric cloth that covers the bottom of the tray) are great, especially when you have a dark colored dog.  I have no crate liners, and many other groups don't either, so if you're looking for a good volunteer opportunity, and you can sew, there ya go.  Bandanas are also good.  I usually forget to put these on my fosters, but I remembered on the day this picture was taken.  It's also important to remember to take the leash off of any dog who might decide it makes a good chew toy.  I've learned this the hard way.  More than once.

Whenever possible, hold a dog out of the crate so people can easily notice him or her and pet him or her.  This makes the animals much more approachable to people, and really helps them get adopted.  See, doesn't Cookie look very approachable in this picture?  (We won't discuss the fact that after three adoption events she still isn't yet adopted...sigh).


Cookie, looking approachable

They make all sorts of "Adopt Me" bandanas and vests and collars for dogs - these are always popular.  They also make vests to collect donations, and we often get more donations when one of our dogs is wearing this vest than when we only have the standard donation box available. 


The ever-helpful Roo collecting donations.


Adoption events are mostly the same.  We set up at an area PetSmart store and wait.  People come by and pet the dogs and cats.  Most of them make at least one of the three following statements: 
"I wish I could take him but I already have "x number" of dogs or cats at home."
"If I could afford to, I would take you all home!" (Speaking to the cats/dogs, not the volunteers - I think)
"If my house was bigger/If I lived in the country, I would have "x number" of dogs or cats."

I think maybe they feel guilty for not adopting because most of the animals turn on their best "please save me" faces while they're in their crates.   What the people don't realize is that the pathetic looks are the dogs' way of trying to get people to let them out of their crates and pet them.  The dogs have no idea that people think they're begging for a home. 


Gonzo practicing his pathetic look.

Many new volunteers get overzealous and try to convince every person walking by that they should take home one of these pathetic-looking animals.  I have learned that it's a bad idea to guilt someone into adopting a dog or cat, because as soon as the guilt wears off, the dog or cat will most likely be returned to us!  Still, I have been known to offer cash rewards to anyone who is willing to adopt Ziggy and keeps him (no takers yet).  The most important thing about volunteering at an adoption event is to pay attention to the foster pets and to the people who may be interested in them, because you never know when one of the many visitors will actually be looking for a new member of the family and might choose one of your foster pets!
In addition to talking to people who walk by and answering questions about the foster pets, we also take dogs out for potty breaks (or clean up messes if they aren't taken out in time!), let the foster dogs play with each other, complete adoption paperwork for any adoptions, and just spend time with the animals.  Most of the foster parents who bring their pets stay at these events so they can answer questions about their fosters, and we also have several volunteers who don't foster but are available to help with adoption events.  These volunteers are so greatly appreciated because adoption events are a lot of work, and setting up for the event, taking care of the dogs during the event, and taking everything back down at the end of the day is exhausting.  So if you can't foster but want to help, you can inquire of your local shelter or rescue group if they need help at adoption events. 

Adoption events are a lot of work, but I always enjoy them.  Not only do my foster pets get a chance to find a home, but I get to spend a day surrounded by good friends.  So next time you see a shelter or rescue group at your area PetSmart or PetCo stores, stop by to visit the dogs, drop a dollar in the donation box if you can, and remember that there is a cash incentive being offered to whomever adopts Ziggy.  He'll be waiting with his best pathetic look!


Pleeease adopt me!



Living In Beagle World

It's a whole new world around here.  It started out with just a Puggle mix, or two.  Somehow they kept coming.  First Beagles mixed with Pugs, then a Beagle mixed with Pug and Min-Pin, then an adorable puppy that was a Beagle mixed with no-one-knows-what, and now a Beagle mixed with Corgi.  I'm currently fostering four Beagle mixes and a Ziggy, who has the same scent-obsession as a Beagle.  It's a strange experience having all of these dogs around who are all so much alike.  I enjoy fostering a variety of breeds, but it's kind of fun to have so many fosters that are at least part-Beagle right now.  Here are my current foster dogs:

Gonzo is a Puggle - a Beagle/Pug mix.  This guy will do absolutely anything for food.  He's not picky either - if it's even slightly edible, he'll eat it.  He's my old man - he's only four years old, but he's happy just eating and sleeping most of the time. He puts up with the other dogs, and even the cats sleeping on him and getting in his way, and he never does anything except a slight grumble from time to time. He is my easiest foster dog right now because he's house-trained and listens well, and never does anything wrong.  This means he'll probably not be around for very long.

Molly is a Beagle/Pug/Miniature Pinscher mix.  She is my most challenging beagle-mix.  I blame the Min-Pin in her.  Molly is easily frightened, and she's learned that the best defense is a good offense.  She will snarl, bark, growl, and become aggressive if she feels trapped.  But once she's learned to trust, it's a different story.  She's now so attached to me that she follows me everywhere.  She even sleeps in bed by burrowing under the covers so she can make sure she'll know if I move.  She is slowly learning to trust other people, and may someday find her very own home!

Cookie is a Beagle mix pup who was misbehaving in her previous foster home.  As is sometimes typical of puppies who had to fight for every piece of food that they could get, Cookie came into foster care with some resource guarding issues, where she would guard her food and her crate and anything else that she feared might be taken away from her.  So since I've had some practice with this issue (thanks to Ziggy), and since I had no other puppies for her to bully, I took her in to work with her.  She's doing very well now and will hopefully find her forever family soon.

This is Benny, my newest foster dog.  Benny is supposed to be a Beagle/Corgi mix.  He's definitely part Beagle!  Benny came in as a stray from a very rural area.  He is a little bit shy of new people, but has quickly settled in here and enjoys playing with the other dogs and Charlie the kitten.  We're now working on house-training and I'm hoping to teach him that chewing on the kitten's tail is not a good way of playing.  Charlie the kitten isn't the type to complain when a dog wants to chew on him.

Okay so he's not a Beagle.  But Ziggy has a nose that could rival any Beagle, when it comes to sniffing out food.  I took this picture of Ziggy at his agility class tonight.  If he looks happy, it's because to him agility is all about doing things to get food.  Jump over some jumps and get food.  Go through some tunnels or over some obstacles and get food.  It's all so much fun!

Introducing Cookie

She's about four months old.
She's a Beagle mix puppy.
She loves to play with Charlie the kitten.
She is a little bit shy around people.
She needs a home!