Things are moving very slowly in the dog adoption world. Which means dogs are backed up at shelters all over. And we all know what that means.
My adorable, sweet, smart, healthy puppies are twelve weeks old today, and neither has any interested adopters. This seems crazy to me. But it speaks to the times.
It seems unlikely that everyone who had ever planned to adopt a puppy has adopted one. It’s more likely that I just can’t find them. Which guts me because as long as they linger here, I have no room to save more puppies.
As I watch the nonstop pleas for help from shelters and rescues, and choose who my next fosters will be, it feels a little like playing God.
Why this dog and not another?
That’s a question I can never answer.
They all deserve to be saved, but we can’t save them all. That’s a hard fact.
It comes down to advocacy, timing, and probably a bit of luck.
I know that’s how I ended up with Dani and with Lima Bean and the Beanie Babies. It was a determined rescuer named Anne who unrelentingly pushed Dani on me.
Lima Bean and pups made it out alive because of another litter of puppies who didn’t the week before. Hearing of their deaths motivated me to find a rescue willing to pull unknown puppies on my word alone (X-Port Paws).
Then I watched the Team Memphis group chat, where they advocate for dogs on the euthanasia list at Memphis Animal Services. Lima Bean and pups appeared the next day, and I immediately said, “We can pull.”
It is a heartwarming story, right? But since then, I’ve watched on that same feed as they share mamas, puppies, and so many dogs who have since been killed for lack of a rescue.
It’s easy to be dragged down by these facts, but I refuse to be.
Instead, I will celebrate these wins. We (that’s all of you who have donated and helped) are saving these lucky dogs. This is a win.
We can’t let the enormity of the problem render us impotent. It’s the old starfish story again. You know – saving one starfish doesn’t make a difference but it makes a difference for that one starfish?
Except that saving this handful of dogs does matter to more than just these dogs and their future adopters. It matters to everyone who is following their story. It matters to the people on the ground in Memphis who are working so hard and saving so few. It matters that we don’t give up.
Things will get better. I believe this. Just as I know these puppies will eventually find homes. (If that would be your home, msg me for adoption info)
As long as we don’t give up, or worse, not care, we will inch forward in creating a better world for all of us – people AND pets.
If you’d like to learn more about our shelter crisis, grab a copy of my latest book or visit WhoWillLettheDogsOut.org.
And if you’d like to help us with the bills we are racking up treating Dani and Lima Bean (for heartworm treatment), consider donating to X-Port Paws.
Meanwhile, we have an incoming foster dog this weekend! Once again, X-Port Paws is stepping up to save a life. I can’t wait to introduce you to Lucie Lou.
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 it’s a 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 probiotics, vitamins, bully sticks, flea/tick preventative, size large martingale collars, and tough-chewer toys.
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.
Another Good Dog™ 