Diary of a Rescue Week Five

There aren’t as many entries this week because, well, everybody’s fine. The cuteness and the mess continue to escalate, but otherwise, no news is good news, right?

This week the puppies were offered to the people on the ‘Puppy Waiting List.’ After they make their selections, the puppies will be added to the rescue’s website.  I’m excited to get to know the people who will be taking these precious pups home in less than two weeks!

Here are this week’s diary entries for the Broadway Babes. If you’d like to read them in real time (for their last week and a half!), be sure to follow my public Facebook page, Cara Sue Achterberg, writer.

Diary of a Rescue Day 29:

The puppies are more and more active every day. They need a new selection of toys several times a day. This weekend since it will likely be too cold for outside play, I’m going to introduce a few new obstacles like a crate and boxes and whatever else I can think of for them to play in.

With this stay at home situation the challenge is on all of us to keep our pets and children engaged and growing despite staying put. There are pluses and minuses to all of it.

I got another good report on Mia- she is already housebroken and using a bell to communicate when she needs to go out. She is enjoying regular play with Katie’s dog. She’s gained weight and looks healthy and happy. I’m so grateful for the care and love she is getting allowing me to focus on the puppies

I hope you are fairing well. Taking care of you and yours.

#fosteringisajourney grateful for my #rescuefamily

Diary of a Rescue Day 30:

The puppies had their first time outside in the play yard. They loved it- and then slept pretty much the rest of the day!

I added a crate to their space today (with the door zip-tied open). So far only a few of them have ventured inside.

To keep them thinking and expanding their tiny minds, I try to give them new experiences every day- new toys, new obstacles, new sounds, usually there would also be new people too. It’s supposed to rain for the next 24 hours so I’ll have to get creative.

Quarantine is tough on all of us- especially when it rains.

#staysafeandsane #puppychallenges

Diary of a Rescue Day 31:

The pups had their follow up appointment at the vet today. She thought they looked great – growing, healthy, and nearly all of the heart murmurs had resolved and were likely caused by anemia.

They did still test positive for hookworms but, obviously, they are not as bad as they were. Most likely the leftover worms were at different stages and continued to develop or the pups managed to pass it back to each other. Not really a surprise considering how dangerously infected they were. It is a constant battle to rid puppies of worms – even heathy puppies.

The good news is that there were no other types of parasites! Tonight they will start a six-day course of dewormer that should knock out whatever is left.

Since they got a (qualified) clean bill of health, their Adoption Coordinator will send their info out to our Puppy Waiting List and see if anyone wants to adopt any of them. After that, they’ll be added to the website for others to apply.

Before I left for the vet, I ran up to Mia’s new foster home to drop off dewormer and pick up her stool sample to take to the vet. She looked great! And was overjoyed to see me. Katie is doing an awesome job with her – she has filled out and her coat looks great.

#healthypuppies #getthemadopted

Diary of a Rescue Day 32:

The puppies had a little outside play time with OPH volunteer, Ronni. I stayed at a social distance but they certainly didn’t!

Outside time is awesome because we are entering what OPH litter fosters call the poopcapalypse – the result of six days in a row of a strong dewormer. Clean up this week is what helps me happily send them all away on adoption day!

#puppy #fosteringisnotforwimps

Diary of a rescue Day 33:

The pups had lots of outdoor time today! And lots of visitors who hung out with them in the play yard. Haven’t heard yet if any of them have potential adopters but that fun begins momentarily. Gotch Day is May 13th!

#opttoadopt #Broadway Babes Operation Paws For Homes

Thanks for reading!

Cara

If you’d like regular updates of all my foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips from OPH training, be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog.

For information on me, my writing, and books, visit CaraWrites.com. I have a new book, One Hundred Dogs and Counting: One  Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues, coming out in July. If it sounds like something you’d like to read, I’d be beyond grateful if you’d consider preordering it. Preorders contribute to the success of the book, not only giving me and my publisher some peace of mind but hopefully attracting media attention.

And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org.

Our family fosters through the all-breed rescue, Operation Paws for Homes, a network of foster homes in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., and south-central PA.

If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs . It’s available anywhere books are sold.

I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.