Category: fosterdogs

Dogs with Issues, Flannery Oconnor, fostering, Hula Hoop, puppies, returned dogs, training

Returning an Adopted Dog (Flannery, Flannery, Flannery…)

Cara Achterberg

All four dogs like to lounge in my office after their early morning romp in the play yard. Having four that get along so nicely is refreshing. Between that fact and the three quiet, sweet, not-quite-so-messy puppies, fostering has never been so easy.

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Flannery finished her week shut-down and emerged a different dog. When she arrived she was snappy and tense, having proven to all that she will not do well in a home with young children. That wasn’t something I expected when she was adopted a few months ago by a family with five children.

Flannery is such a busy, fun, happy pup, so I was surprised to learn that Continue reading “Returning an Adopted Dog (Flannery, Flannery, Flannery…)” →

Daisy Duke, Flannery Oconnor, fosterdogs, fostering, Frankie, Hula Hoop, puppies, returned dogs

Have Dogs, Will Travel

Cara Achterberg

Christmas week was joyous and dog-filled at our house. Frankie reveled in the presence of family and the presents under the tree. My mom gave me a sign that says it all –

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My happiest news for you is that Daisy Duke was adopted!

Before she left, though, Nick and I took her along on his birthday trip to the Shenandoah Mountains. She was a great traveler, but just about the time I said, “I don’t know why her previous adopter said she was an escape artist….” she threw in a few parting shots.

For the past three weeks she had been Velcro-ed to my side at all times and never gotten out of crate, gate, door, or window. Honestly, I had even forgotten to worry about it. Continue reading “Have Dogs, Will Travel” →

Daisy Duke, dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering, Hula Hoop, puppies

Puppies Make the Best Holiday Decorations (Plus a Gem of a Foster Dog)

Cara Achterberg

For me, instead of getting crazier, Christmas is a slow down time. We don’t host a big family dinner. We don’t travel anywhere. In fact, we don’t even get invited to many parties and Nick’s work hasn’t had a holiday party in over a decade.

Without little kids bugging me to do it, I haven’t even pulled out the Christmas decorations yet. (And part of me thinks, there is so little time left, maybe I should just skip it?) We will finally get a Christmas tree this weekend when all three kids will be home on break. Maybe then I will dig out the holiday music and think about making some cookies.

One thing that is becoming a tradition for us, though, is Christmas puppies! We’ve had a litter every Christmas since we started fostering, so this is our fourth holiday litter.

As they enter their third week, the puppies Continue reading “Puppies Make the Best Holiday Decorations (Plus a Gem of a Foster Dog)” →

Dixieland, dog rescue, foster dogs, fosterdogs, fostering, Hula Hoop, John Coffey, oph, Oreo

What’s Better than a Houseful of Dogs for the Holidays?

Cara Achterberg

For two days there were no dogs.

At least no foster dogs.

It was weird. Frankie was so bored he managed to get Gracie to (sort of) play with him and he even went on a short run with me.

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Reports are that both Oreo and Dixie are being loved and spoiled in their new homes.  AND each of them has their own little boy. Pretty cool. This makes me beyond happy. It’s what this whole gig is all about.

Friday evening we picked up Continue reading “What’s Better than a Houseful of Dogs for the Holidays?” →

dog rescue, foster cats, foster dogs, fostering, Frankie, Gala, hard to adopt, Oreo, returned dogs, Updates

The Tears Are More Than Worth It

Cara Achterberg

Without Oreo the house feels empty.

In fact, after he left on Saturday with his new family, Frankie spent the rest of the morning looking for his pal. He ran up and down the stairs and wanted to go out in the playyard to look and then back in the house to make the rounds again. It was a good thing we had Sip for a Cause on our calendar that night to distract all of us.

Some dogs are just special. Not that I haven’t loved every dog I’ve fostered, but some of them burrow a little deeper into your heart.

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I saw something on Facebook about the pain you endure as a foster mom yesterday. It said – Continue reading “The Tears Are More Than Worth It” →

Dixieland, dog rescue, Dogs with Issues, foster cats, foster dogs, fosterdogs, fostering, Gala, hard to adopt, heartworms, kittens, Oreo, Spay and Neuter

We All Need a Sanctuary

Cara Achterberg

I just dropped off Dixie for her spay surgery and 4Dx test. She stood shaking beside me on the passenger side floor for the entire drive.

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I tried to explain to her that this was for the best and that it would move her a step closer to her new life – the one that won’t include puppies or horrible people who don’t take her to the vet when she breaks her leg (or who possibly broke that leg in the first place).

If her heartworm test comes back negative, Continue reading “We All Need a Sanctuary” →

Dixieland, foster cats, fostering, kittens, oph, Oreo, puppies

And Then There Were Kittens….(what?)

Cara Achterberg

The puppies are gone. It’s just us now.

Well, us and four dogs.

And Hermoine.

And the horses.

And a few visiting cousins.

And two foster kittens.

What? Continue reading “And Then There Were Kittens….(what?)” →

Dixieland, Dogs with Issues, foster dogs, fostering, Pigweed, puppies

No Such Thing as a Perfect Puppy

Cara Achterberg

Just about the time I get tired of so much poop so many kisses, the puppies take off for their forever homes. All eight have forever families waiting to adopt them this weekend. If all goes as planned, I’ll be scrubbing out an empty puppy pen by Sunday afternoon.

The puppies had quite a few final adventures this week. They were visited and loved upon by a group of girl scouts on Sunday afternoon. It was a win-win. The pups were helping the girls fulfill some badge requirements, and the girls were helping to wear out the pups in preparation for their microchipping.

The microchip needle is VERY big and puppies are small, add a bit of squirmy to that equation and Continue reading “No Such Thing as a Perfect Puppy” →

dog rescue, euthanasia, foster dogs, fostering, oph, Oreo, shelters

Saving Oreo’s Life

Cara Achterberg

Oreo went to his first adoption event on Sunday. At a jewelry store!

Nelson Coleman Jewelers in Towson, MD featured OPH dogs in their holiday catalog. The pictures are gorgeous (and so are the dogs!). To celebrate, they hosted an adoption event on Sunday.

Oreo was pretty nervous at first—hair raised, clinging to me, but after he realized all that was expected of him was to sit calmly while people loved on him, he did great. He’s such a gentle, well-mannered giant, I forget that he hasn’t seen very much in his four years besides the rural countryside and the inside of a shelter.

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Which is what makes him so remarkable. For all he’s been through and the many, many ways that people have let him down, Continue reading “Saving Oreo’s Life” →

Breeds, Dixieland, dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, Labrador Retriever, puppies

Labeled

Cara Achterberg

For some reason, this current litter is not flying off the shelves like litters past.

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It could be the time of year or the fact that OPH has a slew of cute adoptable puppies on the site right now, but I’m thinking it might be their label.

SIDEBAR: I hate labels. They are restrictive and offensive and many, many times plain wrong. They conjure up assumptions which inevitably lead to judgment and disappointment. I am not just talking about dogs here.

The fabulous adoption coordinator for this litter, Kassie, messaged me after several interviews to tell me that “People want them to be bigger than they are.”

ANOTHER SIDEBAR: Adoption Coordinators (ACs) are the fabulous volunteers who do final interviews and match adopters up with dogs. They are critical to OPH’s ability to save dogs. Without them we would not be able to save nearly as many or process adoptions nearly as fast. AND we need more AC’s. So, if you’ve ever wondered how you can help save dogs from the comfort of your home (and computer and phone), HERE IT IS! Find out more here.

And why would people want my adorably perfect little puppies to be bigger than they are? Continue reading “Labeled” →