Have I Gotten Myself in Over My Head?

Have I gotten myself in over my head? This is the question that rolled across my mind early this morning when I couldn’t sleep.

The last time I had this many dogs in the foster cottage, I was overwhelmed.

In fact, it was also four dogs and four puppies. Of course, those were basically feral dogs and worm-riddled puppies, so the physical work was overwhelming. After the seventh or eighth poopified crate, I’d come pretty close to quitting this whole foster gig.

This Sunday, Pilots & Paws will be flying my new pack to Winchester from Memphis. It includes Dani, a fifty-pound HW positive 2-year-old.

She will be joining Diamond and Wishbone in my office. Nick and I have exactly two days to figure out how to fit three large crates in the same space since all three dogs are 50-pound pups (and all are gray/white beauties – I seem to be developing a type). Let’s hope nobody is a singer.

We’re figuring out how to set up the puppy room for the special mommy coming on that flight with her four brand-new babies. Lima Bean has an injured leg that she drags, which will need to be amputated once the puppies are weaned. Meanwhile, the dragging is causing more damage (worn nails which bleed), so figuring out how to keep her from worsening her situation will be an ongoing challenge. Normally, we’d pull out the whelping box, but I don’t want her to have to drag herself over the rim of it.

Wait! I don’t think I’ve shared any of the pictures of the renovated puppy room! Nick did a great job – tearing out the floor and walls and rebuilding from scratch. He also turned the door of the puppy room into a ‘dutch door’ so I can leave the top half open for more air and easier checking on the puppies. He rewired the room and semi-permanently installed the puppy cam, added additional shelving and made the other door (to the outside) functional again. Amazing, right? Lucky to have him

From the videos and pictures I’ve seen, Lima Bean is a sunny girl with a sweet personality who is taking the loss of her limb in stride and doing a great job as a first-time mom (she is pretty much a puppy herself) to four adorable butterballs (Kidney Bean, Soy Bean, Pinto Bean, and Green Bean). Her sunny disposition is even more remarkable considering she has severe ear infections, is covered in scars/cuts from a flea infestation (which has been treated), and has tapeworms.

She was found as a stray in Memphis, so no one knows what happened to her leg. The vet’s notes indicate that the injury was likely caused by being dragged by someone or something. I haven’t even met this pup and I tear up thinking about what she’s been through.

It will be a lot, so I’m clearing my calendar and planning to devote the next week to getting everyone settled and as healthy as I can get them. As soon as those puppies make it to three weeks (they are currently ten days old), I’ll be working to get them on solid food so that if Lima Bean’s amputation needs to happen sooner than later, we’ll be ready.

All of these dogs were rescued from the euthanasia list at Memphis Animal Services by Team Memphis and X-Port Paws. X-Port Paws is a tiny rescue that saves BIG, but they could use your help paying for the heartworm treatments of Wishbone (this week), plus Dani and Lima Bean (oh yeah, did I mention she’s also heartworm positive?). They will also have to pay for Lima Bean’s amputation and spay surgery, plus whatever the puppies need (vaccinations, dewormers, microchips, etc.) If you have a few bucks to spare, please consider donating to XPort Paws. Here’s the link:

And if you’d like to do a little Amazon shopping for my pack, I could really use puppy food – I used up almost all I have trying to get weight on Wishbone. We also need laundry detergent, safeguard dewormer, large dog beds (or just bed covers – I have a memory foam bed topper I can cut to fit), and chicken-meal free food for Diamond.

Here is the link to our Amazon wishlist:

Deep breath. I know I can handle this. And I want to. Right now, there are too many dogs dying all over this country, but in Memphis the numbers are heartbreaking. I can’t save them all, but I can save the eight in my cottage. So, that’s what I’ll be doing for the next few months, if anyone is looking for me…

Until Each One Has a Home,

Cara

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

My newest book, 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

• Wet and Dry puppy food
• chicken-free and chicken-byproduct-free, high-quality food & treats (for Diamond
• large dog beds (or cover replacements any size – we can cut the memory foam pieces I have to fit)
• probiotics and salmon oil
• Martingale collars in size Large
• Dyne (for putting on weight)
• Laundry detergent

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.