And We Have a Win!

I’ve been schlepping the foster dogs all over Shenandoah County looking for adopters. Happy to report that we finally got one home.

We met Lucie Lou’s adopters as we were leaving an impromptu adoption event at a nearby winery. It was just Nick and I, so we only took Lima Bean and her puppy Green Bean. Lima Bean stole the show, dragging Nick to visit group after group. She seems particularly fond of men!

And Green Bean did well too, especially with the handful of kids that were there. But no one was interested in adopting, until we were on our way out, basically dragging Lima Bean because she definitely did not want to leave all her admirers.

Lima Bean couldn’t resist stopping to greet a couple she hadn’t met yet, and we chatted for a minute. Dave, the husband, mentioned that they had an elderly yellow lab who was really struggling and that he was recently retired and kind of in the market for a dog to be his buddy on their 300 acre farm.

I immediately thought, “Lucie Lou!” We hadn’t brought her with us because sitting still and charming people at a winery was likely not in her wheelhouse (yet). She is a young, exuberant, busy girl who needs activity. Again and again, when people have met her since her arrival a few weeks ago, they’ve said, “She’d be a great farm dog.”

She’s incredibly loyal and a great listener, but she needs to be active. I don’t know for sure that she has border collie in her genes, but she sure acts like it.

Dave seemed interested in the idea, so I gave him the half sheet of paper I’d brought along with descriptions of all the foster dogs and my contact information.

Driving home, Nick asked, “Do you think he’ll call?”

I shrugged. It’s impossible to say. Sometimes at an event, we meet people who seem to instantly bond with a dog, love at first sight, but they never actually reach out to make the adoption happen.

Dave texted the next morning, and a few days later, I drove Lucie Lou to his family’s farm in West Virginia. Lucie Lou didn’t get sick on the hilly hour drive. And once there, she was calm meeting the cats, wary of the enormous geese, who were bigger than her, indifferent to the chickens, and instantly smitten with the college age daughter. She wasn’t sure what to make of the elderly dog, but by the time we left seemed to understand he was different than her playmates at home.

Lucie Lou’s new home is a beautiful farm that has been in the family for three generations. It reminded me of our little farm in PA (only ten times as big with ten times as many animals/plants). She’s just the kind of dog I had been looking for when we started fostering.

Trying to balance finding adopters with also enjoying our kids who were visiting for the weekend, we planned two outings this past weekend. On Saturday, we took Lima Bean and the puppies to a winery. There was a big crowd, but zero interest in our pack.

On Sunday, we took all the boys (Green Bean, Pinto Bean, Bumble, and Buzz) to a local brewery for an official adoption event (with a real sign I made that afternoon).

A couple at the table next to our set up, were charmed by Buzz. Asking about how to adopt, how soon they could have him. The husband especially seemed enamored, even when Buzz had a little explosion at another dog who arrived at the brewery. He held him and posed for pictures. I handed over an adoption application. But it’s been 48 hours and nothing.

The family that actually filled out an application for Pinto Bean on the spot, backpedaled the next morning when I reached out about next steps.

There was one other guy we met just before we packed up who was interested in Bumble. He asked if he could bring his ‘territorial corgi’ over to meet Bumble, and I said I’d insist that he do so if he was interested in adopting. He shook my hand, gave me his name, and said he’d reach out.

Maybe one of those will pan out, maybe not. They were all drinking, so that has to be a factor. I know I try not to agree to foster a dog if I’ve had a glass of wine or two. It’s never a good idea, although it is how I ended up with Buzz!

This morning, after meeting up with Dave to hand off Lucie Lou to her new life, I drove home thinking what I always think when it comes to fostering and finding adopters and rescue in general, — “All I can do is all I can do.”

Who knows how long the current pack will be with us, but hopefully, come Labor Day, a few mre will find their families. August has historically been a slow month for adoptions (at least in my experience). To confirm this, I looked back at the blog this time last year and found the post, When Puppies Don’t Leave. Looking further back, there seemed to be lingering dogs, but somehow I managed not to foster too many puppies who needed to find homes in August. (note to self)

The currently available dogs looking for homes:

Pinto Bean

Green Bean

Buzz

Bumble

Lima Bean

If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about any of these dogs, please reach out: fosterdogcottage@gmail.com.

Nick and I are headed out on a much-needed vacation (without dogs!). We are driving down Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking and exploring the length of it for eight days. Ian, my best dog-sitter will be here in charge of our three and all five fosters. We are so lucky to have a son who can handle it. Of course, he hasn’t really known any other life since he grew up fostering dogs.

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, bully sticks, 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.