Diary of a Rescue Weeks Eleven and Twelve: This has gone on Long Enough

When I started this diary, I thought it would go for about ten, maybe twelve weeks. I figured eight or ten weeks until the puppies went home and then another week or two after that for the adorable mama I saw in the photos to be adopted. As you all know, nothing went according to plan. And now, here we are at just over twelve weeks and Daisy has not had a single adoption application.

Which doesn’t make sense to me because while yes, she has a few quirks (fear of men being the biggest one), otherwise, she’s a sweetheart of a dog. She will undoubtedly LOVE her mama if she ever gets one. She’ll be a great hiking buddy and a silly, sweet, best friend.

Daisy’s presence here, combined with the work of caring for a mama dog and litter, and managing Flannery’s energy, is weighing on me. I want to do a good job with all three (technically eight) of my fosters, but there is only one me. And not to be a complainy-Jane, but I’ve had enough. Someone needs to come adopt a dog (or two).

I am doggedly working on a manuscript, determined to finish it and get it to my agent by the end of this month. The way the wheels of publishing work, even if I do manage to get it finished by the end of the month, by the time you factor in re-writes, the eventual sale of the manuscript and the lengthy publication process, it will be 2021 (if I’m lucky) before my next novel hits the shelves. I miss being a fiction writer. Right now I feel like a full-time foster dog mom.

Because basically I am.

But I don’t want your pity (don’t deserve it because I volunteered for this), what I do want is your adoption applications. Daisy needs a home. A real home. So does Flannery (but more about that in the next post).

If you aren’t following along with my sporadic Daisy updates on Facebook, here they are in review:

Diary of a rescue day 71:

We took Daisy and Frankie for a walk together. Frankie was nervous about Daisy being so close but they did great. She wanted to engage him, even licked his face once. When we got back we walked into the house together. Nick asked Frankie to sit and gave him a treat. Daisy leaned forward, wanting a treat too and took a treat from Nick. Made my day.

It seems as though Daisy has turned some kind of corner. I’m hopeful she will keep getting better and better with the other dogs. I hate that she lives alone in the kitchen or out in the playyard. What I hope most though is that her real mommy finds her soon. She is so ready.

#anothergooddog #gettingthere #chooseme

Diary of a Rescue Day 73:

Tanis stopped by today. Daisy was overjoyed to see her- covering her with kisses and nuzzles and then racing around with the zoomies like she was showing off.

It makes me so happy that I am not Daisy’s only person. I suspect she might have a similar reaction to Susan.

On Thursday, Daisy will go to boarding for three days while I am away. I think she will be fine there- maybe a little scared but safe. The rescue coordinator at the shelter where she originally came from told me Daisy did fine at the shelter so I’m hopeful that a few days at a boarding facility won’t be the worse thing for her.

Fingers crossed her mama finds her soon.

#areyoumymother? #opttoadopt Daisy B

Diary of a Rescue Day 76:

I am away on a girls’ weekend and Daisy is at boarding. I haven’t gotten any reports, but I assume she is anxious but fine. Still, I worry a little.

At this point, though, I realize that this will be a necessary part of fostering Daisy as I can’t stay home all the time or expect my friends to come to my house three times a day to care for her when I’m gone.

I have to mention here that Daisy has not been a typical foster. So, just in case you’ve thought about fostering, don’t base your decision on this diary. I’ve only had five dogs (that weren’t nursing puppies) out of 145 who stayed longer than a month or two, and most have only stayed a week or two.

That said, this happens sometimes and it can be a bit hard on the heart to see the long lists of dogs in need of rescue and not be able to save one because you are months into saving your current dogs. (Flannery is still here too.)

Since I can’t take in a new foster dog, it’s on you. There are so many dogs that need you – maybe fostering would be a great family summer project! If I can personally twist your arm, feel free to message me!

Diary of a Rescue Day 79:

Just a girl and her antler…..

#opttoadopt #DaisyB (antler included)

Diary of a Rescue Day 80:

Daisy is home again. She did fine at Lakeside and they took good care of her. I have been uber busy catching up on work and dealing with some health issues with mom and pups, plus my traveling husband and busy kiddo, not to mention the spring garden and foot-high grass, so she has spent most of the time since I picked her up in our puppy play yard.

Hopefully, I’ll have time to get her out for a walk again on Wednesday.

I’ve said it before that five dogs is a bit too much for me and definitely feeling that stress again.

#somethingsgottagive #Daisyneedsafamily

Thanks for reading!

If you’d like to know more about my blogs and books, visit CaraWrites.com or subscribe to my occasional e-newsletter.

If you’d like to know more about the book, Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs, visit AnotherGoodDog.org, where you can find more pictures of the dogs from the book (and some of their happily-ever-after stories), information on fostering, and what you can do right now to help shelter animals! You can also purchase a signed copy or several other items whose profits benefit shelter dogs!

If you’d like to know how you can volunteer, foster, adopt or donate with OPH, click here. And if you’d like more pictures and videos of my foster dogs past and present, be sure to join the Another Good Dog Facebook group.

I love hearing from readers, so please feel free to comment here on the blog, email carasueachterberg@gmail.com or connect with me on Facebook, twitter, or Instagram.

 Best,

 Cara

Released August 2018 from Pegasus Books and available now