It’s an Adopter’s Market

It’s a tough time to be a dog looking for a home. Especially if you’re labeled a ‘bully breed’. And also if you’re ‘older’ (five years or more). And if you have opinions about other dogs, that makes you a tough sell as well.

Adoptions are down all across the country, so basically it’s an ‘adopter’s market’ which means you can find a pretty darn near perfect dog right now just about anywhere. Or a puppy – lots of them are available too.

I’ve tried to explain this to Gracie Lou when she looks at me with her big sad eyes as I close her in her crate at the end of my work day and head into my house and my own dogs. I sit with her every evening after dinner for a cuddle (her favorite time of the day). We talk about the family that’s out there somewhere looking for her.

The one that will cuddle with her more than fifteen minutes a day while scrolling their phone to catch up on the news.

The one that will pay attention to her and take her on outings (she loves going places in the car), instead of sit at their desk working on a computer all day.

The family that will laugh at her silliness, and invite her up on the couch to watch TV.

Who will teach her tricks and feed her treats and share their days with her.

Yesterday I gave her a new collar – it’s a pretty orange and purple pattern that sets off her snow white coat quite well. She smiled big, almost appreciatively as I fitted it on her. Really, she is just grateful for any kind of attention.

Because Gracie Lou isn’t technically ‘with’ a particular rescue organization (she’s my ‘freelance’ foster dog), it does make it harder.  We could use your help getting the word out. We’d also welcome your suggestions for how to get her availability in front of more people.

I’d love to get this girl home for Christmas, so I’ll be posting regularly. I’ve discovered that Gracie Lou loves to dress up (or she tolerates it well), so I’m putting together lots of images to share. She could probably make someone famous on Instagram. Please share those when you see them, and react, comment, etc. so that the algorithm shoots Gracie Lou up to front and center. I’ll be posting primarily on my Writer page because it’s a public page, but I’ll also put them in the Another Good Dog group, so you can find them there too.

Here is Gracie Lou modeling both sides of this reversible jacket:

Gracie Lou Stats:

Spayed female, 5 years-ish, Bulldog mix (best guest based on her stocky, short build), housebroken, crate-trained, doing well on a leash, loves to lounge in the sunshine and roll in the grass, happiest curled next to you on the couch, up to date on shots, heartworm negative (and on preventatives). Quiet. Excellent with people of all kinds. Unsure of other dogs, and might chase a cat (or might not, I don’t have a tester-cat). For more information, contact me: carasueachterberg@gmail.com.

Thanks!

(and if you’re waiting for a puppy update – it’s coming! Eyes opened today, so we’ll be getting pictures and next week’s post will be their public debut! Meanwhile, you can catch near daily live videos of their growth on the Another Good Dog facebook group)

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

For information on me, my writing, and books, visit CaraWrites.com.

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

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 and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds.

If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs . Or its follow up that takes you to the shelters in the south One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.

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

If you’d like to support the work we do (and save the rescue and me some money), shop our Amazon wishlist.