Diary of a Rescue Week Seven

And that was that. Hard to believe all the puppies are now in their forever homes. Mia has been spayed and is waiting for the right adopter to find her. She’s happy and healthy in her new home. Hard to believe it was 50 days ago that I picked up the little family on a gray, rainy day in Winchester.

I don’t know if I’ll chronicle another rescue, but while this pandemic has gone on, it has provided an excellent distraction for all of us, so you never know. We move to ‘yellow’ at the end of this week, but from where I sit, that doesn’t change much.

We’ve just picked up a new foster dog who is a special guy I met while traveling in Tennessee for Who Will Let the Dogs Out in March. I’m excited to share his story and to get to know him better.

This is the end of this rescue (for me), but you will likely still catch updates from the adopters, plus the adoption of Mia, on the Another Good Dog Facebook group. Thanks for following along! Below are the last entries for the rescue of Mama Mia and the Broadway Babes.

Diary of a Rescue Day 42:

Stuck inside for another cold rainy day…so I hauled out our winter play station we use when it’s too cold to get out. It’s usually set up in a box in the living room, but desperate times call for modifications.

Now they have a tiny bit more space to run and I have another space to clean. Count down is on, though, so it isn’t so bad when I know the end is in sight.

Last night I dewormed them once again for good measure. Tomorrow’s project will be baths and nail clipping in preparation for an important date they have tomorrow night!

#puppyfun is winding down.

Diary of a Rescue Day 43:

The puppies had a big day! It started early with their first baths. They are definitely not Labradors- no one liked the water. In fact, afterward, they piled on the puppy bed and maybe for the first time ever, wanted nothing to do with me. I think water may be their kryptonite.

Everyone now has a shiny new nylon collar. (All are the same color as their whelping collars except Pippin who is now rust and Jane who is now gray.) Next, they had their nails trimmed and everyone got a tiny treat to make the torture bearable. I ran extra clean ups all day and gave them extended time in their new play annex to prepare them for their important photo shoot this evening!

For my high school senior and his girlfriend (who have both spent a lot of time with these puppies) it was prom night. Before dinner and dancing in our living room/ballroom, they wanted to pose for pictures with the puppies.

It was a special night and probably a more memorable prom than most people’s proms. It was fun that the puppies got to be a part of it.

#puppiesmakeeverythingbetter

Diary of a Rescue Day 45:

The pups are absolutely ready to go home! They have outgrown their space and the cold weather is driving that fact home.

Today I found nine de-stuffed toy carcasses from past foster dogs and puppies (and Fanny) and put them in the dog bed so they will get infused with puppy smell. I will send one with each puppy when they leave for their new home. Hopefully, it will bring a bit of comfort if they miss their siblings.

#countdowntoadoption it’s almost #gotchaday

Diary of a Rescue Day 47:

They are all ready to go! Vaccinated and dewormed, bags packed (food and for the transition and smelly toy remnant for comfort, lots of info for adopters), and sleeping soundly after a big, busy day.

Hard to believe it’s time to say goodbye, but the first one takes off in less than 12 hours. I’m sadder than I expected to be. Probably because I’ve spent more time with them than any other litter and because we almost lost them.

These are such lovable, sweet pups. I will miss them. And it still feels weird to launch them without having gotten to know their adopters. I’m trusting the process.

I spent extra time with them outside and took lots of pictures today. Fostering is always bittersweet, but I am glad I can do it.

#fosteringsaveslives

Diary of a Rescue Day 49:

Only One puppy left! Seven took off for forever homes yesterday and one more today. Whoosh! That happened so fast!

So many great adopters- thanks to Kassie, the amazing Adoption Coordinator (and a whole bunch of awesome reference checkers!). They’ve even created their own Facebook group so they can share pictures and news with each other, family, and friends.

Pippin is still here (and mightily lonely despite the efforts of my kids and their friends!). She is staying in the OPH family and being adopted by another foster family on Saturday.

We need a breather before the next bunch. We’re welcoming just one foster dog Friday night, but he’s a special one! The fun really never ends.

#fosteraddict #choosetorescue

Diary of a Rescue Day 50:

They are all launched! After a day of crying whenever anyone wasn’t carrying her, holding her, or playing with her, I took Pippin with me to meet the transport with my new foster dog and met up with her adopter at the same time. Emily is an OPH foster and the transport location was closer to her. Pippin, now Carlee, is headed for her happy life.

Thankfully, I lots of helpers to comfort Pippin for her first 36 hours without siblings – my kids, their friends, plus a couple of my friends too – thanks Kristy Dongas Anelli and Tanis Yoakum for spending a little time keeping her company.

As I was scrubbing out the puppy room yesterday, washing toys and bedding, and packing everything away, I also followed the saga of another OPH foster whose mama dog was giving birth. Much like when I meet young mothers with babies, I thought, “How adorable, but thank God I’m finished with that!”

We are taking a little break and enjoying the company of a single foster dog for a while. He’s a special one. He spent the first portion of his life on a logging chain, so there is much to teach him about living indoors. He’s a fifty-pound beefcake who thinks he’s a lapdog.

You can follow his journey on the Another Good Dog blog.

Thanks for joining me on this rescue. I promise to post one more diary entry when Mama Mia finds her forever.

#fosteringsaveslives #togetherwerescue

If you think you might miss the Broadway Babes – take home a reminder! Or a set of notecards featuring The Broadway Babes and the photography of Nancy Slattery!

Order by emailing me (carasueachterberg@gmail.com) or by including your mailing address in the notes of your paypal payment (paypal.me/caraachterberg1).

Each set of 12 notecards is $25 (and includes shipping). All proceeds go to Who Will Let the Dogs Out, an initiative of OPH that works to raise awareness and resources for shelter dogs. Here is a sneak peek of a few of the photos in the notecard set:

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.

Many of the pictures on my blog are taken by photographer Nancy Slattery. If you’d like to connect with Nancy to take gorgeous pictures of your pup (or your family), contact: nancyslat@gmail.com.