Flying to Safety

Wishbone, our newest foster, flew in last night.

He makes a nice matching set with Diamond, my other foster. He is the same size as her but weighs about 25 pounds less. He is quite literally a walking skeleton. It’s easy to feel all of his bones.

It’s hard to say what his heritage is, but he has the big sad eyes of a hound and longish ears that are torn. One is literally in tatters. He’s kind of lanky, but once he fills out, I’m sure he’ll look like a different dog.

Wishbone was found on the streets of Memphis, pretty close to death. He was even more emaciated than he is now – which is painful for me to imagine as I run my hands gently over his bones. He was covered in ticks, fleas, and infested with hookworms. He was also heartworm positive.

Lucky for him, he was found by a teenager named Avery and mother, Dena, when they were out feeding strays on the streets. They saved his life. Like Jolly Jack, he was one of the thousands of stray dogs left on the streets of Memphis. Knowing his survival was unlikely at the shelter (Memphis Animal Services currently has a distemper outbreak and is closed to the public – the third time in four months), they got him veterinary care on their own.

Advocates connected them with X-Port Paws, who reached out to me to foster. Avery and Dena fostered Wishbone, while X-Port Paws got the necessary vet work he needed with help from Memphis advocates who helped them find transport for Wishbone to come north.

Last night two amazing pilots, Billy and Jesse, from Pilots and Paws spent their entire day (and night) ferrying dogs from Memphis to safety in Kentucky, Ohio, and to us in Virginia.

When Nick and I loaded him up in our car to take home, Nick said, “I guess that’s why they named him Wishbone – he’s all bones.”

Wishbone rode quietly on the drive from the airport, curled up on the bed in the back. His big, soulful eyes watched me.

I assured him that we would take care of him, but to him, I’m likely probably just one more human shuffling him from place to place. He has a hard road still, yet he still seems so very trusting. I wish there was some way to convey to him that ultimately he will land in a forever home, and these months of rescue will be long forgotten.

Wishbone seems to be housebroken, and he is neutered, so somewhere along the line, he was someone’s pet. He was probably dumped, like so many of the dogs on the streets of Memphis. Maybe because the shelter was closed to intake or maybe because people know that most dogs at Memphis Animal Services only have about 2-3 weeks before being euthanized for space.

Now that Wishbone is settling in, we will pamper him for the rest of the month until he’s ready for his Heartworm Treatment. Hopefully, by that time, we’ll get some weight on him, rid him of hookworms, and get to know him better.

Clearly, fostering saves lives. Without the team of people in Memphis who worked so hard to save this guy, and Billy and Jesse who flew him to safety, and without X-Port Paws who were willing to step up for Wishbone financially (they could use your help – donate here), he would be one more dog dying in Memphis.

And, friends, there are just too many dogs dying in Memphis. If you are part of a rescue that can help, or if you are an individual who can foster, reach out—I’ll connect you with the people you can help save lives.

Speaking of saving dogs from Memphis….Jolly Jack found a home with an adorable couple right here in Virginia! Happy ending for my happy pup.

It amazes me how many people give so much of their time and hearts and treasure to save dogs that do not belong to them. Right now, with the challenging situation in communities all over the country, it is ordinary people who are needed to step up and save our animals. The shelters are overwhelmed, and they cannot and should not be expected to do it themselves.

If you’d like to help, here are a few options….

FOSTER for your local rescue or shelter (reach out if you need help, advice, arm-twisting)

VOLUNTEER for your local shelter – dogs desperately need human contact, even if it’s just a few minutes.

DONATE to the people doing the hard work of rescue, like X-Port Paws who saved both Jolly Jack and Wishbone.

LEARN MORE about what is happening and how you can volunteer by visiting Who Will Let the Dogs Out and/or donating to our work. (If you do donate, just be sure to set the ‘custom tip’ amount to zero unless you want to also donate to Pledge our giving platform.)

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.

Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues is a primer for those new to the cause, an invitation to get involved, and a source of inspiration for those already working tirelessly to save lives. With stories of successful shelters, innovative strategies, and the key ingredients for success—strong leadership, veterinary access, and community engagement—it’s a celebration of what’s working and a call to scale those solutions nationwide. Learn more and get your copy and/or send one to a shelter or rescue on our website. Also available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.

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, puppy treats, large dog beds (or 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. Visit BringDogs.com to learn more.