Category: foster dogs

dog rescue, emergency transport, euthanasia, foster dogs, fostering, shelters, transport

Saving Lives with two Wonderwomen of Rescue (and a foster dog is coming!)

Cara Achterberg

I had not planned on getting a new foster dog. Our house is too small, too much under construction, and we already have three needy dogs.

We’re still getting settled here in Virginia, figuring out what’s what and where, and have no actual yard, so another dog means another four or five walks around the block a day (this would probably be good for me after a two-week vacation in Florida!). Plus, I’m too busy with Waldo and am writing to a deadline for a new book.

But then I saw the sweet face of a little dog in Texas who was scheduled to be ‘euthanized.’ The shelter was full and she’d been there too long with no interest.

Continue reading “Saving Lives with two Wonderwomen of Rescue (and a foster dog is coming!)” →
Amstaff, dog rescue, foster dogs, hard to adopt, Long Term Dog, Pit bull, shelters

What ‘Shelter Shortages?’

Cara Achterberg

Melissa Chan wrote in an article for Time magazine last week, “a surge in pandemic pet adoptions offers opportunities for criminals to seize on nationwide demand and shelter shortages…”

People are so desperate for French bulldogs, one small private investigator in Nebraska who specializes in missing pets says calls have increased 60-70% in the past 18 months, averaging 3-5 requests a week.

Reading the article, I could only shake my head. It seemed to me Chan was writing about another world altogether. It wasn’t the news that so many pets are being stolen—that is individually tragic—but it was how she so breezily tossed off the phrase, shelter shortages, as if it were fact.

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adopters, foster dogs, fostering, hard to adopt, training

The Best Trainer for Your Dog

Cara Achterberg

It finally happened.

Mama Mia left for her forever home after 11 months in foster care. I still find it so hard to believe it took so long to get this amazing dog adopted.

Her adopter is a determined and patient woman, who was certain all along that Mia was her girl. It took three meet and greets, this last one happening with the help of trainer, Geraldine Peace, who you’ll recall was such a huge help with Billie Jean.

Every time I spend time with Geraldine I learn more about managing and training dogs. She was able to do in minutes what I was not able to do through two other meet and greets—introduce Mia safely to her new 9-pound senior fur-sister. At each of my attempts, Mia was just too over-the-top excited and could not settle enough that I felt safe introducing them. I never, for a moment worried that Mia would hurt the little dog. What I worried about was her unintentionally hurting her because of the size difference.

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cats, dog rescue, Fanny, Flannery Oconnor, foster dogs, foster fail, fostering, Gala, kittens, Long Term Dog, parvo, puppies

My Four-legged Silver Lining

Cara Achterberg

We are down to just one foster.

Hard to remember when that was last the case. It leaves me wondering what I will write about on this blog. Although Mia is an incredibly interesting and entertaining dog, maybe it won’t be an issue. Just in case, I’m considering a few other ideas (and welcome yours!).

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foster dogs, foster fail, fostering, hard to adopt, kittens, parvo, puppies

A New Year of Fostering

Cara Achterberg

What will fostering look like for us in 2021?

I honestly don’t know. Maybe one thing 2020 has taught me is that I can’t assume anything about the coming year.

I have many hopes for my ‘dog life’:

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dog rescue, euthanasia, foster dogs, fostering, oph, parvo, puppies

The Lessons of Parvo

Cara Achterberg

I’m not sure where to begin to write about this odyssey that began two weeks ago today and is still not over. I’ll try not to ramble, but I’m running on fumes after having spent the night in the puppy pen. I did catch a few hours sleep with puppies nestled against me (or Beethoven sprawled across my neck!).

I didn’t know a lot about parvo before this began—probably what most dog rescue people know. It’s a highly contagious virus that can be lethal, especially to unvaccinated puppies. But now I know so much more.

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documentary, dog rescue, foster dogs, puppies, Who Will Let the Dogs Out

Movie Stars

Cara Achterberg

The Movie Mutts are here! I’ve been dying to tell you all about this project and these puppies!

Being a believer in jinxes, I’ve kept it mostly to myself but not anymore! This is happening and it’s terribly exciting and the bonus is it includes adorable puppies!

Where to begin?

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cats, dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, hard to adopt, kittens, training

Seeing Them To Safety

Cara Achterberg

What’s a girl to do when her puppy room is empty, the same foster dog has been here for months, her foster cats finally left (after more than a year with us!) and she’s itching to save animals?

Why take in a few foster kittens, of course!

Fostering kittens is a new venture. I know nothing about kittens this tiny. Lucky for me OPH has supplied me with everything I need, and their rescuer gave me lots of excellent advice. Ian is doing the bulk of the work—putting drops in their eyes, giving them their daily meds, feeding them, hanging out with them.

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Breeds, dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, Long Term Dog, Pit bull, training

Of Bite Addendums, Smart Dogs, and Transparency

Cara Achterberg

Smart dogs are just harder to deal with—same goes for smart children. Mia still has no applications, but that’s not her fault. She isn’t a simple dog.

She is clever and energetic and totally in the game. She doesn’t miss a thing—my glance her way while working will bring her to her feet, she’ll nudge my hip as if to ask, “How can I help?”

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dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, returned dogs, training, Uncategorized

Four-legged Happy

Cara Achterberg

Do you want to know what happy looks like in a 45 pound package with four legs?

That would be Mia. This dog simply never has a bad day, or a dull moment, or an off-switch. Well, that’s not entirely true. She does sleep—in fact, when she does it is much like she lives—loud. The girl can snore.

Mama Mia is back with us and she is an entirely different dog than the dog who arrived here last April with ten puppies still nursing.

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