Dog Crap

Growing up I was mostly a cat person. We had dogs, but they weren't something I wanted to deal with once I was on my own. In college I got a cat named Lucy who I regret adopting to this day. Not because she was a psycho cat (although some of my former roommates may beg to differ) but because I was not ready or equipped to take on the responsibility that comes along with having a pet.

Long story short, I moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets, got busted, fined and had to find somewhere else for Lucy to live. She went to stay with my parents and being that they live out in the country and I never paid to have my cat spayed - it was only a matter of time before the naughty little harlot found herself a barn cat and got knocked up.... and had ELEVEN kittens which were eventually brought to the local humane society, along with Lucy. Talk about being part of the problem rather then the solution.

Volunteering for rescue organizations and the fostering I've been doing is pretty much a direct result of the incredible guilt I have felt through the years for being pretty much the worst pet owner ever when I was young and stupid. One of the first things I wanted to do when we got the house was foster animals and hopefully find pets of our own through doing so. Taylor wanted a dog and I wanted a cat. Enter "Baby" the cockapoo:

Fostering this freaking dog was almost the death of me. Another long story short, I fell in love with her, converted to being a dog person, decided I wanted to adopt her, almost didn't get to, cried like a bitch, did get to, and changed her name to "Maybe". (note the rhyme factor/Arrested Development reference) She is the snuggliest, smartest, cutest, most awesome dog ever - and that is a cold hard fact, not just my opinion.

Then it was time to find Taylor a four-legged companion, enter Buddy the Brittany Spaniel:

 

This poor guy came to us from another rescue and he was in pretty rough shape. He had just been neutered, had a double ear infection and had one of his upper canines pulled the day before we got him - and he's only 3 years old. We think he was kept in a cage most of his life and chewed on metal, wrecking his teeth. He was pretty skinny and mangy, I didn't really want to keep him but Taylor did and he has since become the second awesomest, cutest, (not smartest), snuggliest dog ever and he is now looking and feeling great.

Our happy puppies

Because I am a complete maniac, I have decided to continue to foster dogs despite the fact that I completely sucked at fostering the first two. Not because I'm a bad foster, but if you look up the word fostering, it distinctly says that you provide a home for a living thing UNTIL they find a permanent home. I did not succeed in this. In the business we call this a "foster failure". Many of my dear ones have expressed their concern about the slippery slope to animal hoarding that I appeared to be on. 

Nonetheless, I have successfully fostered two dogs since adopting Buddy and a third that is with us right now will be going home with her adopter next week after she is spayed. Allow me to introduce them all to you. Say hello to our first successful foster, Allison the mutt:

This little nugget was with us for about two weeks, found her a great home. We still keep in touch. She was rescued from a flood in Missouri with her mom and 4 siblings. They were brought to a high kill shelter and Secondhand Hounds rescued them from there. Here is a picture of Allison and her mom at a Secondhand Hounds adoption event:

I'll use this as an opportunity to say that Secondhand Hounds is the best rescue org I have come across and I hope to volunteer with them for a very long time. Someday I will go into more detail about them.

Next came Mr Rusty the yorkie mix. What a character.

A lot of people ask me how I can let them go after bonding with them and having them at my house for so long. I tell them - having three dogs sucks. I don't know why but two is fine, throw that third one in there and it's a freaking mad house. Also, I cry every time I let one go. Some are easier than others. 

Example: this is the dog I am fostering right now, Fallon the Morkie:

She is awesome. I love the shit right out of her and I know I'm probably going to be a mess for days after she leaves. Just look at that face!

Fallon came from a puppy mill along with 35 other little babies that would have been auctioned off, had we not taken them in, and probably ended up in other puppy mills to be bred until it killed them. She has been an absolute joy to and if I didn't have Maybe I'm pretty sure I'd have to keep her. I am seriously going to cry when I have to let her go.

It's going to be hard to watch someone drive off with her, but puppies are a lot of work and I really need a break from fostering after she's gone. I'm totally going to take one this time too (as long as SHH doesn't send me any more pictures of cute puppies that need to be rescued on Thursdays after I've been drinking with my neighbor).

Fostering has been an awesome adventure and I'm sure I'll have to rant about puppy mills and how you shouldn't adopt from pet stores at some point on here, but for now I'll just say that this experience has made me feel pretty damn good about myself and I will leave you with a website to share with anyone you know that may be thinking about adopting a pet.

http://secondhandhounds.org/adoptable-animals/