What A Foster Home Intake Coordinator Does (aka Why I Love My Job)

Many animal rescue groups are made up of only foster homes.  This means they don't have a shelter, and every time they rescue an animal, they have to find a place for it to stay until it is adopted.  The group I volunteer with, All Paws Rescue, currently has around 30 active foster homes for dogs.  This means that we constantly have dogs coming into our rescue, being fostered, being adopted out, and then new ones coming in.  Coordinating all of the dogs coming in and going out can be a lot of work, but everyone cooperates to make it go smoothly.  A couple of years ago I volunteered to be the Dog Intake Coordinator (there is also a Cat Intake Coordinator who handles all of the cat intakes and cat foster homes).  Like everything else in our rescue, this is a volunteer position - no one in our group gets paid!  We just do this because we love to help animals.  So the way I help as the dog intake coordinator is to make sure our dog foster homes have what they need in the form of paperwork, supplies, and dogs. When a volunteer tells me they are ready to take on a foster dog, I try to match one to them that is a good fit.  Some of our foster homes can only take in hypoallergenic dogs, or small dogs, or female dogs, or other special requirements, so whenever possible I try to match up a dog in need with the available foster home to make sure it works out for everyone.  However often the dogs that need rescue don't come with information like if they are house-trained, or if they get along with small dogs, or if they like cats.  That is why many foster animals come to my house or another experienced volunteer's house for a short time for an evaluation.  Then when another foster home opens up that is a good fit for that dog, the dog goes to that home and that opens up a space for us to take in another dog to evaluate.  The down side is I end up having to give most of the "easy" dogs to other foster homes, and the only ones that stay with me are those with issues.  But the up side is I get to foster a lot of awesome dogs. 

 

For example, tonight after work I am picking up this dog:

 

His name was Prince and then it was recently changed to Baxter, so at the moment I'm calling him Prince Baxter, until I find out which one he answers to.  He looks so adorable, I'm thinking he'll probably be a very short-term foster dog.  But then again, he could turn out to have issues and be stuck with me for awhile!  I can only hope!

Updates and Adoptions

I’m sorry that I’ve been too busy to update my blog lately! Somehow I’ve ended up with eight foster dogs and a constantly changing number of kittens and cats, which keeps me too busy to write posts or take pictures. So today I’m going to play “catch up” and give you the condensed status of my foster pets:

Scamp the Fox Terrier mix, Socks the cat, and Thor the giant German Shepherd Dog have all been adopted. I still have Charlie the unknown mixed breed who is frightened of new people and barks at them non-stop. I also still have Bogey the Mostly Hairless dog who is frightened of all people, including me. Not surprisingly, I still have Ziggy the deaf and difficult pit bull mix, although he is currently on a two week vacation at a friend’s house, where he gets to be an only dog and go for walks in the park and have a real life. I also have Aridan the German Shepherd Dog who I am dog-sitting for a friend. She used to be a well-trained dog. Now she ignores me constantly, counter surfs, jumps over baby gates to eat the cat food, and chews up metal cans full of spray cheese. Don’t tell her human mom, but I think I ruined her dog. In addition to all of these dogs, I still have Chief, the Beagle. He’s my only “highly adoptable” dog. He’s also my favorite of all my fosters, and the easiest dog I have, so I’m sure he’ll be adopted soon.

Minnie - aka "Bitey Girl"

I took in a few new dogs. It turns out they all have issues. One dog – an eight month old Chihuahua/Doxie mix - was given to me by my neighbors when a family member went to jail and the dog was left without a home. Her issue is called fear aggression. I am calling her Bitey Girl. She’s going to a new foster home tomorrow with someone who actually likes working with little aggressive dogs. I’m very grateful.



Another dog is an Italian Greyhound that was a breeder release. I named her Fawn, and she is terrified of me (it seems to be a theme with my foster dogs lately) and won’t let me touch her. She is only going to stay with me until another foster home can be found. Charlie and Bogey are enough shy dogs for me.

Fawn the Italian Greyhound

A third dog I took in is a brindle pit bull named Mayzie. Her issue is the opposite of fear. She is a typical joyful, excited, highly energetic pit bull. She really doesn’t have any issues except that she is a hard-to-adopt breed.



Mayzie the brindle pittie

And the last dog that I unexpectedly took in is Jupiter. He’s a pit bull mix, and he was given to me by a friend of my neighbors, because the original owner was planning to shoot him and the guy didn’t want to see that happen. He couldn’t keep him but didn’t want him to be shot, so he ended up in my driveway. And now he’s living in my house. And he is capturing my heart. I can write a whole post about Jupiter, if I ever find the time. He has several issues, including being heartworm positive, and having an extremely high prey drive, but I love him anyway.

Jupiter - a dog with issues

As for the cat fosters, I still have Midnight and Murphy, the two FIV+ cats. I had nine kittens and their mom, who have all moved to a shelter for adoption, but then three of them came back because they weren’t big enough to be spayed yet. I also ended up with five more kittens who will be going to the shelter in another week or two. I have sworn to never ever take in any more kittens – at least for the next month.


So that’s my story – I don’t usually do this, but today I’m begging for foster homes to help out with some of these animals. Like most rescue animals, these foster pets do not come already trained. Most of them aren’t house-trained. Most of them will climb on your furniture and try to steal food from your countertops. As foster parents, our job is to work with these animals and make them more adoptable. We work on house-training, and we work on behavior issues like counter surfing. We also work on self-control, for the highly excitable dogs, and on overcoming their fear, for the shy dogs. We truly make a difference in these dogs’ lives, because we aren’t just “warehousing” them until someone comes along and adopts them and fixes their issues themselves, we’re actually working to make them more adoptable with each interaction. Foster homes that have only one foster pet are ideal, since they have more interaction with each foster pet. Right now I have too many foster pets that need some extra help to overcome issues, and they each need someone to step forward and say “I am willing to help.” I’m not the only one with too many foster pets. Rescue groups and shelters around the country are overflowing with homeless animals. They all need help. I can honestly say that fostering is the most rewarding thing that I’ve ever done in my life. I hope that you find that is true for you too.  To find out more about fostering, please contact me. 

My Ziggy Rant

As most of you know, I’ve been fostering Ziggy for two and a half years now. It is more due to a feeling of responsibility (I chose to pull him from the shelter where he was going to be euthanized as a puppy, so I am responsible for his life) than it is because I like having him here. In fact, most people know I would gladly give Ziggy to anyone who would take care of him. I’ve even been known to offer cash rewards to people to take him. Everyone thinks that I love him and I do, but many people also think I’m happy that he’s with me. I’m not. I try so hard to get him a home because he doesn’t fit here and it’s not fair to him or to me that he’s been here for two years. So today, I’m going to not worry about who might read this or what they might think; I’m just going to take this opportunity to whine and feel sorry for myself. I try not to do that often, but after the news from the vet a few days ago, I just can’t help myself.

Puppy Ziggy

For the past two years, I’ve tried to do what the experts suggest when it comes to getting a dog adopted. I’ve promoted Ziggy at every turn, even creating and maintaining his website and Facebook page, and buying him business cards to advertise around town. I’ve tried to stay positive and share all the good things about Ziggy. I’ve tried to make him more adoptable through basic training, working with various professional trainers, earning his CGC, learning tricks, and participating in dog sports. I’ve been honest with potential adopters about his issues, but I haven’t dwelt on them excessively. I know this is true because I constantly hear “I can’t believe he’s not adopted yet” – mostly from people who don’t know him well. I just want to shout “Then you take him!!” But I know they have other dogs, or cats, or children, or breed restrictions, like most of the rest of the world. The truth is, as much as I want him to be, Ziggy is not really adoptable. And since I’m tired of always talking about the good side of Ziggy, today I’m going to break all the rules and tell you about the bad side of Ziggy, and about the reasons that he isn’t adopted yet, and probably never will be.

Basic Hurdles

1. Ziggy is a pit bull – the breed is banned many places.

2. Ziggy is deaf – this makes it more challenging to communicate with him.

3. Ziggy needs to be only pet – most experienced owners have other pets.

4. Ziggy needs an experienced owner due to his behavior issues (see below).

5. Ziggy needs a home with no children – he is not child friendly.

Behavior Issues

1. Ziggy guards food, water, bones, and toys from others. With training, he no longer guards from me, but still guards from all dogs and cats.

2. Ziggy is mouthy, especially when excited. He knows better with me, but sometimes with new people he forgets and tries to grab their hands.

3. Ziggy is a counter surfer. No matter how much we work on this, he still steals food off of countertops whenever he can.

4. Ziggy is demanding. He barks loudly in an attempt to get his way.

5. Ziggy is chewy. He has to stay crated to keep him from chewing furniture, shoes, boxes, TV remotes, or whatever else he can get his mouth on.



Not to mention his drinking problems.



Medical Issues

1. Ziggy has food allergies – he is allergic to almost everything under the sun (and probably a few things in outer space too).

2. Ziggy has grass allergies – he gets red and itchy after lying in the grass, walking on grass, or looking at grass.



"Where's my benadryl?"

And this week at the vet I found out that Ziggy also has a bad knee joint which has ended his agility classes. And when the vet told me that he should avoid stairs and that he needed to be on a glucosamine supplement for the rest of his life, she was really confused when I started laughing hysterically. Because glucosamine supplements aren’t expensive, but it was just one more thing that Ziggy had wrong with him – one more thing that would make him harder to adopt.

My options have not changed. I can keep trying to find him a home, or I can have him euthanized. Please don’t judge me for whatever I decide unless you take Ziggy yourself! Some of you, especially those who rescue, will see the wisdom in giving up and having him euthanized, not only for my own sanity, but also so I can save many, many other dogs in his place. I have other dogs, and I have cats, and he lives in a crate most of his life because he can’t be out around the other animals. It’s not much of a life, and with such a slim chance of him ever being adopted, it’s not much of a future. But those of you who love Ziggy, don’t worry, I’m not at that point yet. I think of that option almost every time I think of Ziggy, which is often, but the truth is I do love him, and I don’t think he is suffering, so I’m not ready or willing to make that decision. I’ll keep doing what I can to make his life happy, and even if he can no longer go on bike rides with me or do agility, we’ll find other ways to spend time together. In the past I’ve contacted many sanctuaries about Ziggy, with no luck, and no other foster home or rescue group has been able or willing to take Ziggy either. So for now I’ll keep trying to find him a home, and keep sharing all the positive things about Ziggy. But I’ll let you in on an inside joke (is it an inside joke if the only person who knows it is me?) Every time I see “Ziggy-the-adoptable-dog” on Facebook, my mind always changes it to “Ziggy-the-unadoptable-dog”. For some reason, that makes me smile.


Please pray harder, Ziggy!



And Then There Were Ten

Ten Adult Dogs.  All living here.  With me.  In this house.  At the same time.  Along with six cats.  Yesterday there were only six dogs here, and life was easy.  Now there are ten, and life is a little bit crazy right now.  Happy, fulfilling, even fun.  But also crazy.

It helps that several of the dogs and cats are short-term fosters.  Three of the cats are going back to their regular foster home by the end of the weekend.  And one of the dogs is pending adoption and should be gone in another week.  Another of the dogs is only staying through this weekend - I hope.  But in the meantime, my life involves a lot of rotating dogs in and out, and even rotating cats.  Here's what happened:

I was down to only six dogs, and all six were doing well.  I received the many e-mails that I always receive, with pictures and bios of dogs that are scheduled to be euthanized.  So I picked out one dog and offered to save her.  Then, I received a good application on Lindsay.  I figured she'd be adopted, and I could save another one, so I offered to take two of the eleven dogs on the e-mail.  I couldn't save them all, but I could save two.  This is how I ended up with Amber and Sox.

This is Amber.  She is a one year old Pointer mix.  She is house-trained and good with everyone.

And this is Sox.  She is also a year old, a Border Collie mix, and the happiest, most playful dog!

 



After agreeing to take these two, a friend told me about a Boxer mix at the local shelter.  He had been there for several months and since he wasn't yet adopted, he was scheduled to be euthanized.  My friend was upset because she really liked this dog.  I wanted so much to help her, but I was up to seven fosters (eight until Lindsay went to her new home).  I couldn't take another one - especially another large male dog who didn't have very good manners with other dogs.  So I talked to the shelter and offered to take the dog for just a few days to do a home evaluation.  This would give me a good idea of what he was like in a home, and help to network him to find a rescue or a foster home for him.  They were happy with this idea and this is why after picking up Amber and Sox from the volunteer who transported them from their animal control facility, I went to the shelter and picked up Sarge.

Sarge is a very large Boxer mix, who was turned in by his original owners because he was too big.  He's very sweet and lovable, and he's already house-trained.  He's okay with other dogs, but he does have some poor manners with them and tends to annoy them because he doesn't know how to interact properly.  He also seems to want to eat the cats.  I think with some training, and a home with no cats, he'll be a great dog. I'm hoping we can find someone willing to foster him or a rescue to take him so he doesn't have to go back to the shelter in a few days and then be euthanized.  If you're interested in helping, please spread the word - interested rescues or foster homes (foster homes must be local but rescues can be anywhere) can contact me at dogfostermom@aol..com for more information.

So at this point I've picked up three new dogs and I take Lindsay to her home visit with her potential adopters.  They want to adopt her, but need to wait another week before taking her.  So she comes back home with me and the three new dogs.  Back to the five other dogs waiting at home for me.  And then as I pull into the driveway and start unloading the car, this uninvited visitor showed up.

"I didn't know I needed an invitation!"

I've seen this dog hanging around for a couple of weeks, but he would never come to me before.  He waited until I filled up my house with new fosters and then decided it would be an excellent time to let me catch him.  So as I'm taking Lindsay out of the car and into the house, he walks right up to me and lets me pet him.  He was getting pretty skinny at this point and I didn't want to just turn him away, so he came in too.  I talked to the neighbors and they thought he'd been abandoned, and since he had no tags or microchip, that seems quite likely.  I live in an area with no animal control, so there was nowhere to take the dog even if I wanted to.  Dogs like him are often just left to starve or be killed by a car or a predator or sometimes they are shot by farmers and ranchers.  I am still looking for his owners, but chances are that this uninvited guest is staying for awhile.

"Can I live with you?"

Fortunately he's a sweet dog and gets along well with everyone.  I named him Oreo, and I've kind of already fallen in love with him.

Still, that puts me up to ten dogs, and lately I feel more like I'm living in a kennel than a home.  Some of the dogs can't be around each other so I have to do a lot of rotating outside for playtime and in their crates for meal-time/'sleeping.  Here's the list of "rules":

Chloe the pit bull can be out with anyone but must be supervised to make sure she keeps calm since she's undergoing heartworm treatment.
Jefferson the Shepherd mix can be out with anyone - he is very playful and gets along well with everyone
Lindsay the Aussie mix can be out with anyone except Ziggy and Sarge
Charlie the Terrier mix can be out with any girls or with Bogey or Jefferson.  He tries to push other dogs around so have to watch him around certain dogs.
Bogey the Shar-Pei mix can be out with anyone.
Ziggy the pit bull can be out with Jefferson, Bogey, or Chloe
Sox the Border Collie mix can be out with anyone except Ziggy - she's very playful and gets along well with everyone
Amber the Pointer mix can be out with anyone except Sarge, Oreo and Ziggy, but she's kind of shy so need to make sure she doesn't get overwhelmed by the other dogs.
Sarge the Boxer mix can be out with anyone except Ziggy and Charlie, but must be closely supervised to make sure he acts appropriately
Oreo the American Bulldog can be out with anyone except Amber because she's not spayed yet and he's not neutered yet.  Haven't tried him with Charlie or Ziggy because of potential conflict.


So as you can imagine, it's a bit of a challenge to keep everyone happy, and give them all the attention and play time that they want.  If the dog challenge isn't enough, I also have to rotate Murphy the cat out with Midnight and Merlin.  Murphy is being mean to the other cats, and I'm thinking he might need to be an only cat.  So in the meantime he has to stay in a separate room, or I have to make sure if he's out he can't get to Midnight or Merlin to attack them.  Hopefully he will find a permanent home soon, or even another foster home that has no other cats, and he'll get all the people attention that he wants.

At times like this, when I have so many fosters, I feel more like a "halfway house" than a foster home.  With the exception of Lindsay and Chloe who are never crated, the rest of the dogs are living a life where they get more attention and training and playtime than at a shelter, but less than they would in a regular foster home with just one or two fosters.  When I choose to save more, it comes at a price for the dogs I already have, and that is the tough choice.  If I didn't have these dogs though, they would be in a shelter or be euthanized, so I tell myself that they are all better off here even if I can't give them all the freedom they desire.  Still I want so much for them to go to an adoptive home or even a foster home where they can be totally spoiled.  Tomorrow is Adoption Day, so hopefully at least one of my fosters will find their forever home!

Anticipation

I always feel a bit excited when I agree to take in a new foster.  Since so many of my foster dogs have found homes recently, I've been able to finally say "yes" to some recent requests for help.  But it's hard to know for sure who I will end up with.  Another rescuer and I went to a shelter together recently.  There were three dogs that we offered to take if they were to run out of time.  The first dog is a cute black/brown Dobie mix who may be rescued by a breed-specific rescue group, but if not, we offered to take her.  The next dog is a young Lab mix who is still on hold to see if the owner turns up - if not, and if he isn't adopted, we may get him too.  And the third dog is a beautiful Border Collie who is running out of time.  We're waiting for the Border Collie to be cat-tested to see whether I will get him or my friend will get him.  So worst case, we may be getting three dogs from this shelter.  Then there's the lady in southern Missouri who often sends us dogs.  She has a Beagle-Corgi mix and another Beagle who need rescue.  They'll be here in a week or two I think.  So we're up to five dogs - between the two of us, that isn't bad.  And we have another foster home who can take one of the dogs probably.  But of course as soon as we agree to take these dogs, other dogs start coming in.  My friend received a request from a friend of hers who had picked up two dogs on the highway - they'll be here in about three weeks.  And I received a request from a friend who had a stray dog show up at her house - he'll probably be coming my way.  And oh yes, there are two returns coming back in the next few days.  Let's see - that puts us up to ten new foster dogs between the two of us.  Of course that's a worst case scenario - most likely we'll end up with only four or five of these dogs, and hopefully by the time we get the last of them, we'll have had a few more adoptions to give us more space.  But in the meantime, I'm going to stop scouring the Internet for deaf dogs needing help, and start stocking up on dog food.  I just hope one of these new foster dogs shows up soon, because I am impatiently waiting!

All About Arnold

This is Arnold:

 He's an American Pit Bull Terrier.  Possibly mixed with manatee. 

Can you see the resemblance?

 Here are some other reasons that I believe Arnold may be part manatee.


1. Manatees are quite gentle. So is Arnold.

2. Manatees are agile. Arnold has taken some Agility classes.

3. Manatees often have scars due to boat collisions. Arnold has scars too.

4. Manatees like to eat plants. Arnold does too.

5. Manatees spend most of their time feeding, resting or traveling. So does Arnold.



All in all, I think it's safe to say that Arnold is definitely part manatee. He's being fostered by the trainer who is working with Ziggy and me. She claims he is 100% pure American Pit Bull Terrier. Her dog, Jack, is Arnold's littermate, which is how she ended up fostering Arnold when his family had to move to Ohio -to a city that doesn't allow pit bulls.  I haven't seen Jack yet, so I'm not sure if he looks like Arnold. But if he does, I might have to give her the bad news that her dog is also part manatee.


In spite of his dubious heritage, Arnold has done quite well for himself so far. He has been Temperament tested and certified through the American Temperament Test Society. He knows basic obedience (both on and off leash) and is currently enrolled in class and working towards his AKC Canine Good Citizenship. Now if he can just find a home with a family who doesn't mind his mixed-species heritage, he'll be all set!

They Were Not My Puppies

I heard about two puppies, dropped off at a local vet's office when they were just four weeks old. I knew that was much too young for puppies to be away from their mother. They should have still been nursing, and needed their mom to learn proper dog behavior and discipline between the ages of four and eight weeks. But there they were, homeless and out of options. The vet's office found someone to keep them for a few weeks until the rescue group I volunteer with had room. Then when the President of our rescue had room, she took them in. Unfortunately, two of her other foster dogs decided that the puppies made excellent chew toys. That's where I come in. I have been unable to foster (except for the special exemption we got to keep Ziggy) due to subdivision restrictions on number of pets. But young puppies that can stay in a spare bedroom and never be seen or heard? I decided those are exempt too. Especially if I'm just dog-sitting them for a few days. So when I heard about the case of the Puppy Chew Toys, I jumped in to help.



Tucker - likes to make puppies scream!



Tucker is one of the foster dogs that was using the puppies as a chew toy. He wasn't trying to hurt them, and in fact didn't hurt them - but he did like to pin them down and listen to them scream. And if you thought Noelle was bad? You should hear these puppies cry! They had enough challenges facing them with being separated from their mom so early, so we thought they'd be better off at my house for awhile, assuming I could keep them away from the Zigster.

 

So a few weeks ago I brought home Scary Puppy and Good Puppy, and made it VERY clear to their real foster mom that I was only a temporary holding facility. I would regularly e-mail her with updates that started with the subject line: YOUR puppies... and make sure that anytime I referred to them, I didn't use their names, just the phrase YOUR puppies.  I think she got the message. Unfortunately, I didn't. In spite of refusing to claim them as my foster dogs, I somehow went and fell in love with these two puppies. We quickly fell into a routine. They stay in the ex-pen in the extra bedroom while I'm at work, and then at night, after everything else is done, I block off the kitchen from the other dogs and they get to run around and have play time, followed by cuddle time on my lap. They're now nine weeks old and ready for adoption, and in spite of all my statements to the contrary, I want to claim these puppies as my fosters. Basically this just means that I'll be responsible for any follow-up with their adoptive homes, and if they ever have to be returned to rescue, I'll take them back and foster them again until they can be adopted. There are a couple of reasons I didn't want to claim these as my own fosters. The first was my worry that due to being taken away from their mom so early, they may have some behavioral issues as they grow. I'm happy to say that so far I haven't seen any signs of that. The second worry is that trying to adopt out a big black dog that looks like a pit bull is not at all easy, and if these pups are ever returned, I could have them for quite awhile. If they have developed behavioral issues in the meantime due to a lack of training or socialization, that would be a real challenge. So I was trying to be selfish and cautious and avoid future responsibility for these puppies that I had never originally planned to rescue. But they went and stole my heart, and now if they do ever have to be returned, I want to take them back to make sure that they are safe and well cared for and loved. I know that their first foster mom would take excellent care of them, and if I'm full with fosters at the time I get any return, she's always the first person I call. But in spite of my best efforts, I now feel responsible for these two little girls. No, more than that, I feel so much love for these two that I WANT them at my house - now and in the future - at least until the right adoptive home can be found. So I'm hoping that their original foster mom will let me claim these two as my own fosters, even after all the e-mails I sent her reminding her that they were actually her fosters. If they're not adopted quickly they may have to go back to her house for awhile since they're getting big enough to start being housetrained. But no matter where they go - another foster home, or an adoptive home - in my heart they are now and will always be MY puppies.



Zoe (aka MY puppy)



Venture (aka MY puppy)

Ziggy Prepares for Boot Camp

I can't even put into words how much you all mean to me. So many kind words, and thoughts and prayers and such compassion. And donations as well, to help pay for Ziggy's rehab - I am amazed at your generosity and thoughtfulness. This has been incredibly difficult for me, and there have been times I consider not fostering anymore, or not blogging anymore. The last thing I want is to make people afraid of fostering, or to make people afraid of pit bulls. But seeing that my blog helped someone want to rescue deaf dogs and pit bulls - what greater compliment is there? I have always made this blog about my experiences, both good and bad, of fostering. It's not a blog to get my foster pets adopted, because otherwise I couldn't post pictures like this:

Anyone want to adopt a dog who gets his head stuck in a ball?  Anyone?

And it's not a blog to recruit foster homes, because otherwise I couldn't share pictures like this:

Nope, no dogs in this house.  I just randomly throw stuffing around...for decoration. 

 I hope that my love of fostering shows through, even when I talk about the hard parts of rescue. And I thank you guys for sticking by me even when I have to share really sad news. I still have hopes of a happy ending for Ziggy, and this blog will no doubt continue to reflect those hopes in continued Ziggy stories. We're still waiting on a date for him to be admitted to the rehab facility, but it may not be for a month or two. So in the meantime, I'll continue to prepare Ziggy for boot camp, and hope for the best. Thank you, so much, for your understanding, and please know that as I joke about Ziggy going to boot camp, I do so because Ziggy taught me to find humor and joy in every part of life, wherever possible.  What better lesson could he teach?
 

Okay, what's this Boot Camp thing?

You want me to WHAT?!

Okay, if there is food involved, I'm in!

The Secret Of My Survival

I thought about titling this post "The Secret of My Success".  But honestly I don't think you can really call anything about my life a success.  Except for the foster pets that get adopted.  They are each a success story.  So I decided to go with the more accurate title of "The Secret Of My Survival". 

Sometimes people ask me how I manage to work 40 hours a week, care for my own pets, volunteer at adoption events each weekend, foster multiple dogs and cats, and still have time to write blog posts.  It sounds like a lot, but I have a few secrets that I will now share with you.   

The majority of the credit goes to one person - my husband.  If Dave had his way, I would only foster one dog at a time, and no cats.  When we first discussed fostering, he had no idea what he was signing up for.  But he makes the best of it.  He shares equally in the responsibility for the dogs (the cats' care is all up to me - he draws the line there!)  We usually work different shifts, so he has the dogs most of the afternoon and early evening while I'm at work.  He spends time with them, makes sure they get dinner, and even plays and wrestles with them. He's the one that helped Ziggy invent the Ziggy Dance!  (Side note: The Ziggy Dance is catching on in Las Vegas now!) I would not feel good about fostering so many dogs if he wasn't around, since many nights after work I'm either running to the vet's office or doing a home visit for a foster pet or attending a fundraising meeting or bribing someone to cook for me.  With Dave there, I don't have to worry about leaving the dogs alone all day while I'm gone. 

Speaking of cooking - I don't.  Neither does my husband.  We also don't go out to dinner at a restaurant very often (maybe once a month).  You might be surprised how much time you can free up if you don't cook or go out to eat!  Fortunately Dave and I work different shifts, and when his daughter Rachael isn't here, we pretty much fend for ourselves for dinner since we eat at different times.  So last night for me that meant a Pepsi and two pieces of buttered bread for dinner.  Hey, I heated them in the microwave first - yum!  Oh, and I had a chocolate chip cookie for dessert.  Maybe two cookies - I can't remember.  Anyway, my eating habits aren't the best, but on the plus side it does leave me more time to take the dogs for walks or clean the cat litterboxes.  Besides, no one ever said cereal for dinner was a bad thing.  Did they?

Work.  It pays the bills.  And I'm fortunate to have a job and a boss that are very flexible.  First, they let me fill up my cubicle with pictures of foster pets (the pictures seen here are foster dogs I had last year, photos credit: krazykatlady).  Second my wonderful boss (I'd say that even if she didn't occasionally read my blog!) lets me change my hours and come in late on days that one of my fosters is sick - or has an accident in the house - or finds some other way to make me late for work which happens on a regular basis.  I am very grateful for the flexibility since fostering presents many unforseen circumstances in life! 

So every evening I try to fit in some time for playing with the dogs, petting the cats, doling out medication to anyone who needs it, scooping litter boxes, cleaning the house, taking pictures, and playing Farmville.  Sometimes I even take the dogs for walks if time allows.  As long as it doesn't cut into my Farmville time.  Hey, just being honest here.  And in the spirit of honesty, I'll tell you about my blog posts.  I cheat.  Since the majority of my free time is on weekends, I write most of them on the weekend and schedule them to automatically post each day during the following week. I also don't bother actually planning what I'm going to say.  I pretty much just look at the pictures I've taken during the previous week, type whatever I'm thinking about, and that's what you get to read.  Most of the time no planning or editing or improving actually takes place (as you may have noticed).  So I hope you'll forgive me for that.  As you can tell from reading my posts, it's not so much about success around here as it is about survival - and  hanging in there until each foster pet gets his or her own success story. 

Coming soon - Barney Rubble (the cat as old as the cartoon character) and one or two new foster dogs!

Puppies Galore

Last Saturday the rescue group I volunteer with had two puppies adopted (Freckles and Buddy).  In the same day, we also took in ten new puppies, not including my two five-month-old foster pups.  Sadly, there is no shortage of puppies needing homes in our area.  On the plus side, this means I get to post lots of puppy pictures today!

This happy puppy is Daisy.  At the same time as I was talking to Freckles' adopters about him, I noticed one of our other volunteers talking to a guy with another puppy.  Next thing I knew, the guy was signing the puppy over to us.  I didn't hear the whole story, but I am glad that one of our foster families was able to fit in this sweet girl and she'll never have to know what her life would have become if she'd ended up at a shelter.

The next nine puppies are all from the same litter.  And one foster mom took home all nine of them.  The same foster mom that is still fostering the infamous wall-eating dog Duke.  She's crazy, I tell you, and I'm so glad that she is, because these puppies were going to be shot if we couldn't take them. 

I love these puppies.  They're having a blast in their foster home - running all over and throwing wild parties.  These are nine very lucky puppies to end up where they did, thanks to many different volunteers who made calls on their behalf, and transported them to us, and thanks to a wonderful, Most Awesome foster mom who does more than I can imagine to save dogs and give them a happy life while they're waiting to be adopted.  Hopefully we'll have lots of people wanting to adopt some very cute puppies very soon!

Why I love fostering....

One of the best parts of being a pet foster parent is hearing back from the new owners after the pets are adopted, and learning how well they're doing.  It reminds me why I do this.  Thanks to some previous adopters for sharing your stories!

"I just wanted to check in and let you know how Cooper (Rowdy) is doing. He is doing wonderful, he loves to play with his brother Toby and they go non-stop, but when he crashes.....he crashes and there is no moving him. He loves our Select Comfort bed...he is a 50. He really adjusted well and never seemed scared or uneasy about being here, he loves the grass in the yard...but not on hot days, he likes it cool."

"We love this dog! He has immediately become the baby in our family. Thank you very much for helping make this happen. We have renamed him Sherman. He and our beagle, Sadie, get along fine. Also so you know he got a clean bill of health from our vet at North Main Animal Hospital. Lisa wanted me to attach some pictures for you so there should be an attachment. Thank you once again,"

"Here are some pics of Puffin. She has really settled in at our house. Just wanted you to see how well she is doing."

"I just wanted to send you a quick note and let you know that your Bear is doing so great! I apologize for not sending this until tonight. I have to say how impressed I am with his obedience. He did have a couple accidents the first night, which was expected, but we now know his signal - he goes to the door, sits down and just stares at it (really cute). He knows how to sit and lay. He enjoys sleeping under my bed when he has had enough play time and needs a nap. I was also astonished that he doesn't mind going into his crate at night and when I go to work. When we got our other dog 3 years ago, I recall him crying, crying, crying for about a week straight when we put him in his crate for bedtime. So I owe you a big THANK YOU for potty and crate training him so well."

I thought now is a very appropriate time for this reminder of why I love fostering, in light of some recent happenings at my house.  I'll share all about it soon. 

Phoenix

Not the city... the dog.  Phoenix is her name. 

I love this dog.  She has some very special doggie qualities: 
- She is always happy to see me.
- She looks at me like I'm her favorite person.  (She looks at anyone willing to pet her the same way - and since I'm always willing to pet her when I see her, I just might be one of her favorite people!) 
- She can happily lay on her back and get a tummy rub for hours!

As wonderful as she is, Phoenix has still not found the right home.  She prefers to have all of the attention to herself, and therefore needs a home without other dogs - or at least a home where the dogs will leave her alone!  She also thinks cats are snacks.  Really fun, edible squeaky toys.  They're not - but you can't convince her of that!  Therefore, Phoenix has not had a lot of luck finding a home at PetSmart.  Oddly enough, the majority of people who go to PetSmart already have other dogs or cats, so they aren't interested in adopting a dog who would like to be an only pet. 

They don't know what they're missing.  Phoenix is awesome.  She's the kind of dog that makes you feel good every time you see her.  Because she is always happy to see you!  She's a couch potato most of the time, although she does like to go out and run occasionally.  She's house-trained and at four years old, she's well past the chewy puppy stage.  Why do I tell you all this?  Because although Phoenix is currently in a wonderful foster home, her foster mom will be traveling a lot during the month of February, and Phoenix needs to find another temporary home for the month.  Can you help?  Maybe spread the word to friends or family who don't have any pets?  Phoenix is a great short-term foster dog - a very easy dog to try out for a month, for someone thinking they may want a dog.  And even if they don't want a dog, if they're willing to keep Phoenix just for the very short month of February, that would be a great opportunity to help out a local pet rescue group - and a very special dog.  If you'd like more information on being a temporary foster home for Phoenix, please contact me. 

Joys of Fostering

10. Adopting a pet.  I fostered over 50 cats before I adopted Merlin.   I can't properly put the reason why into words, but Merlin and I have a special connection.  If a friend or family member was looking for a cat, and I hadn't adopted him, I'd still probably recommend Orca or another cat over him.  Because he's not the best cat in the world.  It's just that he's the best cat in the world for me.  And I never would have known it if I didn't foster! 

9. Knowledge. I love to learn new things. Especially if it has to do with dogs and cats. And fostering gives me a great opportunity to learn. I can practice my dog-training skills that I'm learning from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute on my foster dogs. I get to learn about all sorts of dog breeds, and see their breed differences first-hand. I have access to many different experts, and take advantage of the opportunities I get to ask them a lot of questions. Because of fostering, I now feel comfortable reading a dog's body language and can communicate much more effectively with them. And I love that.

8 Diversion. I am never bored. I can't imagine ever being bored at home again. There is always something to do. A dog wanting to play fetch, or a cat wanting to cuddle, or a blog post to write, or a room to clean, or paperwork to be filled out, or countless other things to do. No matter if I'm in the mood to work or to play or to relax, there are many options available to keep me busy at all times - even if it's just busy cuddling with a pet while I relax on the couch.

7. Sprung from a Shelter. The joy of watching a dog feel grass again and have room to run, after being in a shelter that doesn't allow the dogs to go outdoors, is wonderful. If you haven't seen it, you can't imagine the pure joy they experience. Their joy just overflows to everyone around them, and people nearby can't help but to stop, watch and smile as the dog runs, then stops and rolls in the grass, then gets up and runs again, all with a giant grin on their face.

6. Blogging. I started this blog just as a way to record the various dogs and cats who came through my house. I don't do scrapbooking or photo albums, so blogging seemed like a good option. Now it's turned into something bigger, as there are actually people who look forward to reading this. And I really enjoy writing about my experiences with fostering. My blog would be pretty boring without any foster pets. I am always looking for interesting experiences to share with you. For example, I debated getting a live Christmas tree this year. I figured it was sure to get knocked over by the dogs or cats. But then I thought - well, it'd be something to write about! So I have a tree. Which I am amazed to report is still standing. So far.

5. Puppies and Kittens. Most kids can't resist adorable puppies or kittens. They see them, and they just HAVE to play with them. Some adults are like that too. I'm one of them. I want to pet and play with every puppy and kitten that I meet. So fostering is awesome! Because I can take the cute puppy or kitten, and play with it, and then adopt it out before it grows up, and go bring in some more! I always get the youngest, cutest model and never have any guilt for trading them in for the next youngest, cutest one to come along.

4. Faith in Humanity. As I said yesterday, doing rescue means a lot of dealing with the public. And one of the joys of fostering is learning how many people out there really do care about the animals. The people who adopt an older pet, or a black cat, or a special needs pet, just because they know those are the most needy. The people who stop and put a few dollars in the donation jar on their way inside PetSmart. The people who donate items for the pets in shelters or foster care. The people who attend fundraising events, or transport animals to foster care. There are so many ways we all work together to save animals, and fostering gives me the opportunity to meet many of those people.

3. Entertainment. Foster animals provide constant entertainment. Have you ever watched a cat chase a feather toy? Or play with a toy mouse? It's better than TV. And dogs playing together, or chasing a laser light, are hilarious as well. Not a day goes by that I don't laugh or smile at something that one of my foster pets does. And that makes each day a pretty good day.

2. New Friends. I have made so many new friends through fostering and volunteering. Real friends, that I do things with outside of adoption events - almost like having a social life! Many of them are fellow volunteers. A few are adopters that I've met at adoption events. They all love animals and don't mind listening to me talk about them constantly. As someone who used to be really shy, fostering and volunteering has helped me to make friends that I would never have met otherwise.

1. Saving a life. The number one joy of rescuing. Because the feeling you get from knowing YOU made a life possible that would otherwise have ended is just amazing. Each foster pet becomes a part of my life that I will never lose, no matter what. And sometimes, I get to see my fosters again at a later time, and when they remember me and greet me happily, I think the feeling is mutual. But even when they don't seem to remember me (darn cats), i still have that same joy from knowing that I made a difference in their life - I made their life better than it was before. And to me, that's what fostering is all about.

Challenges of Fostering

Okay, by popular demand, here are my top ten challenges of being a dog foster mom:

10. Damage. Such as a chewed up cell phone, half-eaten cowboy boots, damaged drywall and baseboards, de-stuffed pillows and comforters, countless torn socks, leaky chewed-on ink pens, spilled water vases, scratched up walls, and missing (and presumably eaten) loaves of bread, bags of chips, and occasionally hamburgers. This is mostly preventable with good supervision, but accidents do happen, and sometimes one of the foster pets (or Noelle) gets away with something while I'm not looking. And with a constant stream of new dogs and cats - many of whom are not familiar with good house manners - it's a constant challenge.

9. Compassion Fatigue. Compassion is not only having a feeling of sympathy and sorrow, but also having a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. But after seeing the need, day after day, and year after year, most people get burned out and just lose that desire. I've only been doing this for two years, and already it doesn't bother me as much to turn away a dog as it used to. I have to stay focused on the dogs that I can help, which can be a challenge in the midst of the many requests I receive that I am not able to help.

8. Cost. Pets are expensive. I'm sure most of you reading this have pets, and you already know that. Fortunately rescue groups are able to cover the big expenses - vet bills. Many rescue groups also provide dog and cat food. Which is great because I couldn't afford to foster so many pets otherwise - food is also expensive!! But there are many other expenses that come along with fostering. There are the crates, and the dog and cat beds... the dog toys and cat scratching posts and dog chew bones and cat litter. I could do without some of these (not the cat litter), and other things are donated, which is GREATLY appreciated. But it's amazing how much money I still manage to spend on my foster pets. Fortunately I have a good job and no social life, so I don't have a problem spoiling my fosters.  Or buying toys for them to get their heads stuck in.

7. Politics. When I first got into rescue I questioned why there were so many separate groups, and why they didn't all work together. I was naive, and had no idea how many differing opinions people had about a wide variety of subjects related to animal rescue. While I've been fortunate to work with two very good rescue groups, I've met many different people from many different rescues. And in the past two years I've been told more than once that I'm doing certain things wrong. And I've heard a lot of complaints about other rescue people and how they do things. I've even heard people say that people are doing rescue for the wrong reason. I still haven't figured out what the wrong reason would be. I can't imagine anyone going through all the challenges of rescue and still rescuing, for any reason other than they want to help save lives. Sometimes the politics of small organizations full of highly committed, emotional people can be a real challenge.

6. Unwanted Foster. Many times I offer to take a dog or a cat without ever meeting them, or even seeing a picture of them. This is always scary, because I don't know what I will end up with. A pet with long-term health issues? A foster that I just don't feel a connection with? It happens occasionally, as much as I hate to admit it. And when that same dog or cat is not very adoptable, I'm stuck with them. For months, or longer. Again, I've been fortunate to work with groups who are great about helping out in that situation. But there are never any easy answers for pets like that. So it's one more challenge to fostering.  And by the way, this photo is of Noelle, our long-term foster who we loved so much we finally adopted.

5. Mud and Worse. I bought a new carpet cleaner yesterday. My last one lasted less than a year. It got a lot of use because of my foster pets. I've learned that dog vomit has some amazing adhesive properties, and that if I could identify them, I could probably invent a new type of glue and make a ton of money.  Until then, it just adheres to my carpet and gives me a lot of opportunity to use my carpet cleaner.  Many dogs have a reaction to the anesthetic used during spay and neuter surgeries and they end up vomiting after the surgery.   So I see more dog vomit than most people.  I also clean up accidents from un-housetrained dogs on a regular basis.  And of course there's the occasional cat who forgets to use the litterbox.  All in all, I spend a lot of my time just cleaning up after my pets.  Which is the excuse I use on a regular basis to justify to my husband why I don't have time to cook dinner for him. 

4.  People.  People can be on the best and worst list of fostering challenges.  Because as much as we do this to save animals, this is truly a people-oriented job.  We can't save more animals until we adopt them out, which requires good people skills.  We can't function without donations, which come from people.  And we wouldn't be needed at all if people would care for their pets properly.  If we could teach everyone to spay/neuter their pets to prevent unwanted litters, and to make a lifelong committment to their pets, we would put ourselves out of a job - which is what every true rescue person wants.  But if we only save animals and don't want to deal with "the public", we hurt our own cause.  Still, dealing with people is one of the biggest challenges for many rescue people.  And its totally understandable when we hear things like "come get this dog today or i'm gonna shoot him".  And "my cat has kittens, can you take them again? Yes its her fourth litter, and we got the voucher for her spay surgery you sent us last time, but we haven't had time to get her spayed yet."  Many people still see animals as throw-away possessions, not living beings.  So we have to continue working to change that. 

3.  Saying Good-bye.  Did you expect that to be the number one challenge?  It's definitely one of the hardest parts of fostering.  My most recent temporary foster - the Min-Pin/Pug puppy - was adopted tonight.  And I miss her.  But I know she's in a wonderful home - one of those homes that I feel really good about - and I'm happy about that.  I take in each new foster knowing that I can't keep them, so that makes giving them up a bit easier.  But still it is never easy.

2. Returns.  Everyone who adopts from me signs an adoption agreement that requires them to return the pet to me if they ever can't keep it.  When I take in a foster pet, I am committed to that pet for life, and I always want them back if their adoptive family can't keep them.  But returns are also a challenge because they are one more pet that you weren't expecting right then.  They also sometimes come back due to a problem - perhaps the dog snapped at a child, or the cat stopped using the litterbox.  So that's one more thing to have to resolve in order to be able to place that pet up for adoption again.  Some returns are understandable, and I wouldn't hesitate to adopt to the same person again if their situation changed.  But others are very frustrating because the new owners didn't take the time to try to resolve an issue, or simply decided the pet was inconvenient and wanted to give it back. 

1.  Losing a Pet.  This doesn't mean losing them like they run away - although I worry that will happen!  But when you do rescue, you will eventually face this challenge.  I have not faced this with any of my own fosters yet, and I dread the day I do.  But I have faced this with a dog that another rescue volunteer fostered.  The dog was taken in as a puppy, and as he grew he showed more and more behavior issues.  At her request, I also evaluated the dog and agreed with her that he was unadoptable, and together, along with the vet's recommendation, we made the decision to have him euthanized.  And I still think of him often.  Because that is never a decision that is made lightly, and it is an awful decision to have to make.  I think for me its the greatest challenge of fostering. 

Wow - that was depressing.  So okay, I'm getting to work on the flip side - the top ten joys of fostering - coming tomorrow!