Almost-Adoptions

Leche is still here. She’s had two almost-adoptions in which her status changed to ‘adoption pending’ for nearly a week, and then the adopter never followed through (or even came to meet her). This is why, people, if you see a dog you want to adopt and it’s listed as ‘adoption pending,’ you should still apply. Adoption pending can, too often, never finish pending.

Many potential adopters are looking on multiple sites and often have multiple applications submitted at the same time. That’s normal. And on occasion, people apply on impulse, but in the cold gray light of day, they think, Maybe I really can’t handle a gorgeous Husky dog who is probably smarter than me.

So, Leche is still looking for her real forever family. And meanwhile, she’s keeping me on my toes. I’m even more convinced she understands English and that she has powers of perception that the average dog doesn’t have.

For instance, I have a bin of treats on top of Diamond’s crate. And Diamond being a respectful, submissive dog of short, broad stature, has never once attempted to get to that bin.

When I am in the office with the crates, and Leche is loose, she never even gives the bin a passing glance. But should I step away for a minute to attend to Hazel or get something in the adjacent kitchen, she makes a silent bee-line for the bin and quietly slips out the bag with the highest value treats in them and then heads out the dog door for the hills (with me slamming through the babygate and chasing her out into the yard to retrieve the bag).

Leche is always up for a car ride; in fact, she generally leads me to the door of any car we pass as if we might be able to just pop in and go for a ride. Or maybe she just wants out of here. Hard to say.

She continues to gravitate toward children but is delighted to meet anyone. At a recent winery visit, she met several dogs, and that went well too. So I’m gonna venture that she’s dog-friendly, but only cat-friendly in the sense that she’d be happy to snack on a cat. Once again, if I’m in the room, she is respectful of Hazel, but if I look away or Hazel happens to hurry in her movements, Leche is on the chase.

As much as Leche challenges me to exhibit my best dog management practices, she is a delight to be around. Watching her pounce on crickets while we walk or silently stalk the cows we pass always makes me smile.

A reader recently commented that Huskies are a lot like cats. I’ve had time now to reflect on that, and I’d have to agree. Or, at least, Leche is. She is independent, graceful, and completely unfazed by my disapproval of anything she does (like steal the treat bag or walk on my desk). She is incredibly agile, moving on silent feet up in and out the dog door or onto/off furniture (when I come back in sight), but thankfully not over the fences.

She will need an adopter who knows about Huskies and one who enjoys the challenge of a very smart, athletic, energetic dog. She will always be up for any adventure, so she’d be a great running dog or hiking partner or travel companion. As far as Huskies go, she still is on the quiet side. I rarely hear a peep out of her. She howls when she hears my dogs running outside the cottage and sometimes chirps at me when I’m slow with the dinner bowl, but otherwise, she silently watches everything around her, perceiving so much more than the average dog.

Leche is available for adoption through Operation Paws for Homes. If you think Leche is the dog for you, apply here.

And a bit of news: I have a new book coming out soon!

Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues is a book about hands-on solutions for shelters and the reverberating impact of individuals. For many, it’s a primer on what is happening and an invitation to get involved. But for the shelters, it’s a blueprint for creating a shelter that provides shelter in the truest sense of the word, and serves as an important community resource. It’s about saving the dogs, but also about saving the people who have struggled too long without the resources and support they need.

Over the course of 150 visits to shelters and rescues in 13 states, we’ve learned a lot. This book draws from those experiences and conversations with hundreds of Animal Control Officers, Shelter and Rescue directors, advocates, veterinarians, and volunteers. We’ve met thousands of animals in dog pounds and million-dollar shelters. We’ve seen the struggle and the heartbreak. It’s time to offer solutions.

The book is full of stories of shelters that have found solid ways to save the dogs in their care. It shares ideas for leadership, veterinary access, and community engagement—the three things we believe are critical if we want to solve our current crisis.

We want to put copies of this book into the hands of the people on the front lines of the shelter and rescue crisis and give them the ideas and inspiration to change the story. We are in the midst of an Indiegogo campaign to raise the money to do that.

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

If you like what you read and want to support my writing, consider buying me a cup of coffee.

For information on 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. We are currently in need of chicken and chicken-byproduct-free, high-quality food and treats, and chew toys for Diamond. Oh, and large bed cover replacements (any size – we can cut the memory foam pieces I have to fit).

If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visits BringDogs.com to learn more.