Our adventures as a foster dog family
Daisy continues to surprise us as she gains her confidence and health. Thelma had her puppies on Tuesday and I watched Daisy, wondering if she would be bothered by the sounds in the next room, but she seemed unfazed.
The only notable thing that happened Continue reading “Diary of a Rescue Week Ten: Frightened Dog Getting Braver”
I really hope I won’t be writing, Diary of a Rescue Week Fifty-Two, some day.
Daisy is still here, but she is ready to go. She is healthy and happy, and while she still needs a slow introduction to women and won’t go near men, I think she is ready.
Whatever happened to this dog to create such a deeply-rooted fear of men is not something she will simply get over. I don’t know if she ever will, but I do think she will make a wonderful best friend and awesome canine companion for some lucky woman.
As she has gained her confidence, her Continue reading “Diary of a Rescue Weeks Eight and Nine: Separation Sometimes Makes You Stronger”
After what felt like no progress or only incremental progress for weeks and weeks, this week Daisy had several big breakthroughs!
She’s like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. I don’t know what kind of butterfly is spunky, mischievous, and a little bit pushy, but that’s the kind Daisy is.
She’s also LOVES attention – butt scratches, ear rubs, kisses, any and all of it., in fact she demands it. For a dog who couldn’t tolerate my touch at the start, this has been startling for me. She is one affectionate dog. She’s also playful and funny and busy. adjectives I would not have used to describe her only a month or so ago.
Today she Continue reading “Diary of a Rescue Week Seven: Progress!”
The coming week will mean a big change for Daisy.
I am preparing to leave on the OPH Rescue Road Trip, a weeklong trip with seven other volunteers to visit six of our partner shelters in North and South Carolina to spend our days working in the shelters. Our hope is to not only offer physical help with the dogs and the work, but to learn more about the needs of our shelters and to raise awareness of those needs.
You can follow along on our Facebook group, OPH Rescue Road Trip, where we’ll be sharing pictures, stories, and live videos all week long.
This is an exciting adventure for me, but it means that Daisy will have to leave our home which has been her safe haven for nearly seven weeks. Nick and Ian cannot be left in charge of Daisy for an entire week.
It’s not their safety I’m worried about – Daisy has shown no aggression at all towards any people (although it’s more than clear that she has suffered at the aggressive hands of people). The problem is that she goes into a blind panic if Nick or Ian approach her and I worry for her safety and emotional health if we force the issue. We have made incremental progress, but sadly, there is still so far to go in convincing her to trust them.
She has three options. One would be Continue reading “Diary of a Rescue Week Six: Change is Coming”
Every evening when I sit down to post in this diary, I think—nothing really happened. (except on Wednesday – that was a little too exciting) And yet, when I look through the day’s pictures and start to write, there’s always something to tell.
That’s probably true of all of our lives, not just one rescue dog. So much happens every day that we take for granted and should instead be awed by in gratefulness, but I suppose it’s human nature to think it has to be exciting/tragic/titillating for it to be worthy of writing or reading about. Daisy is teaching me to slow down and appreciate the moments.
This week was made up of a lot of little moments, but her world stretched and she gave me lots of clues to her history and maybe a few that will help to unlock her heart.
I appreciate any help you can give in sharing her story. I really believe it simply she needs to reach the right heart—someone who will recognize her as family and choose to adopt her. Daisy has so much love to give and every day I see more of her huge loving, funny personality.
If you’d like to read her story in real time, you can follow along on Facebook at Cara Sue Achterberg, writer.
Here are this week’s entries: Continue reading “Diary of a Rescue Week Five: It’s a Big Wide World”
I have to forewarn you that this past week hasn’t been terribly exciting. The progress with Daisy is only incremental and likely will stay that way. Again and again, I shake my head at the depth of pain this dog has endured. Her scars are deeper than any dog I’ve encountered.
It has been a month now since I picked up Daisy on a cold night at the bowling alley where she arrived on a transport from South Carolina.
And yet despite the fact, that during that first week of fevers, labor, delivery, and surgery, literally carrying her 60+ pound body in and out of cars, hospitals, and vet offices, she Continue reading “Diary of a Rescue Week Four: Progress is an Eight-Letter Word”
We are settling in for the long haul with our pack.
Flannery has no applications (C’mon people! You are missing out on this super fun, super loving, super smart pup!)
and I really can’t imagine anyone Continue reading “The Long Haul”
Flannery is about to enter her sixth month in OPH care which makes her a ‘long-term dog’.
Currently, up to 30% of the dogs on our site are ‘long term dogs’. There’s a reason why each dog got that label and it certainly doesn’t mean those dogs aren’t good dogs.
It’s just means Continue reading “Risk Worth the Reward: Long Term Dogs”
Flannery is such an interesting dog.
The puppies are cute and Hula Hoop is a sweetheart, but Flannery is complicated and funny and just so not-your-average-dog. I adore her. Even though she is nothing like any dog I’ve ever wanted.
She’s little. Only 30 pounds.
She’s a busy-body – always in the middle of whatever is happening and worming her way onto the couch or dog bed, even if there is clearly no room for her.
She is the first dog up at the slightest noise. And weirdly, Continue reading “A Dog’s Eye View”
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.
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”
Another Good Dog™ 