Category: adopters

adopters, puppies, returned dogs

The Leftover Puppy

Cara Achterberg

Nick keeps referring to Alex as the ‘leftover puppy’.

In my last post, I told you about Becca, who I thought was my ‘last puppy.’ But as is too often the case in puppy adoptions, there was another shuffle, and in the end, I still have one puppy. Just not Becca.

Alex was briefly adopted (for just over 24 hours) but it was not a good fit for the other dogs in the household, so he is back.

To be honest, I’m not a fan of the name Alex, but Leftover Puppy isn’t any better.

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adopters, euthanasia, fosterdogs, fostering, fostering dogs, Husky, oph, puppies, shelters

Last one left is a….wonderful puppy.

Cara Achterberg

Last one left is a….wonderful puppy.

I never really know why a person picks one puppy instead of another. I suppose it’s kismet or karma or whim. What I tend to believe is that there is almost always adoption magic afoot. People tend to find the dog they need (and vice versa).

I have only one foster puppy left looking for her forever family. And she is a gem. Becca is crazy smart but eager to please and VERY food motivated, so training this baby will be fun. The sky’s the limit. With her long legs and athletic body, I’d bet she’d be an ace at agility.

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adopters, Breeds, foster dogs, fostering, fostering dogs, Husky, oph

Life with a Foster: Routines Make All the Difference

Cara Achterberg

Life with a Husky cannot possibly be boring. The more time I spend with Leche, the more I think either she’s exceptional or Huskies are just smarter than regular dogs. Her memory and her cunning ability to understand when I’m paying attention and when I’m not, have floored me time and again.

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adopters, canine health, dog rescue

Lingering Foster Dogs

Cara Achterberg

Dogs just aren’t moving. Like everyone else’s, my foster dogs linger as adoptions have slowed down all over the country.

There are lots of theories about why this is happening, and I wrote about that this week on the Who Will Let the Dogs Out Blog.

‘Ann’ had a healthy baby boy and is doing well, but it is still undertermined whether she’ll be able to find work and housing that will allow Diamond to finally go home. This sweet girl is challenged by allergies and we are working through it, but treatment ideas are welcomed. She is red and itchy between her toes, and it’s quite a torment for her. I’ve cut out all chicken and chicken by-products in her diet, and that has helped but not eliminated the issue. She’s not a fan of probiotic wipes, but we’re trying that too.

Nancy was here to join me on the latest shelter tour and took some great pictures of this sweet, wiggle-butt:

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adopters, foster dogs, fostering, Pit bull, puppies

Fostering Has Taken a New Turn

Cara Achterberg

My fostering has taken a new turn. But before I tell you about that, let’s celebrate that all my puppies (and their mama) found wonderful homes!

Not long after the puppies arrived, I spotted a post on Facebook. It was from a local woman who was trying to help a friend with her dog. The friend’s life had (in her words), ‘taken a left turn.’ She was pregnant, and she and her dog were now homeless. She had an opportunity to move into a shelter program, but couldn’t bring her dog.

I’ve seen posts like this before and read all the statistics about how sometimes people will forego entering a shelter program because they would have to give up their dog. Most of the time, I scroll past, feeling that there’s nothing I can do. I’m too busy helping other dogs.

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adopters, dog rescue, foster cats, foster dogs, fostering dogs, mama dogs, oph, puppies

When Foster Puppies Don’t Leave

Cara Achterberg

It seems these foster puppies are not going anywhere, anytime soon. Only one has an approved adopter and is scheduled to leave this afternoon.

Now the challenge for me is to keep these little darlings engaged and happy and, hopefully, learning a few things beyond how to drag their sibling around by the collar or scale the puppy pen fence.

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adopters, foster dogs, Long Term Dog

Gracie Lou, Another Good Dog

Cara Achterberg

All last week while Gracie Lou was here visiting, I meant to write a blog post.

(Did the Fourth of July being in the middle of the week throw you off as much as me? I kept thinking it was Sunday, but it was Friday, then Saturday, finally Sunday.)

Anywhooo, I can’t let this opportunity to shine a light on this special dog go by unheralded. I’m still stumped as to why I haven’t been able to find a home for this precious girl (or Marley for that matter…).

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adopters, fosterdogs, fostering

Team Bonnie

Cara Achterberg

Bonnie and I have had a quiet week.

I was tempted not to write at all, but didn’t want to miss the opportunity to put out more Bonnie propaganda. Not that it’s propaganda, but any/all exposure is good because you just never know when the right person will catch of glimpse of her and think – ‘Yes! That looks like a great dog for me!”

I looked up propaganda to be sure I was correct in my assumed definition…

Propaganda is the dissemination of information—facts, arguments, rumors, half-truths, or lies—to influence public opinion. Deliberateness and a relatively heavy emphasis on manipulation distinguish propaganda from casual conversation or the free and easy exchange of ideas.

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adopters, Dogs with Issues

Bonnie and Clyde

Cara Achterberg

I’ve been waiting to tell you this story. The puppies were much too distracting, but now that five of six puppies have been adopted (and the sixth will go home on Sunday), I can tell you about Bonnie and Clyde.

The other reason I’ve waited is because I wanted to give them time. Their minds were so completely blown when I first brought them home and I didn’t think it was fair to assess them until they had the opportunity to settle in and be treated like the good dogs they are.

Bonnie and Clyde were born in a house rented by an elderly woman. She kept all of the dogs in a small ten by ten room off her kitchen closed in with a piece of plywood. She had illusions of breeding ‘Scotch Terriers’ to make money. Her story is not unusual. In fact, it’s the reason so many shelters are overwhelmed by the number of puppies coming in.

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adopters, foster dogs, puppies

Knowing Where They Come From

Cara Achterberg

I don’t usually know where my foster dogs come from. Well, that’s not exactly right, I know it’s a shelter or maybe another foster home, but not much about their story.

I don’t know their parents or their previous owners.

When I foster puppies (and dogs), everyone wants to know what breed they are. But that’s another detail I don’t know and can only guess.

Not so, with the dogs and puppies I have fostered so far this year. All of them have come from local hoarding/eviction situations.

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