I’ve fostered a lot of puppies. But never this long. I look at them sometimes and wonder if they’ll still be here at Christmas.
I know they won’t be. Eventually, they will find homes. I’m certain.
I suppose the best part (from a potential adopter’s point of view) is that out of necessity, they are now crate-trained, more-or-less housebroken (except when I get busy and forget how long it’s been since they went out), and sleeping through the night with no accidents.
Up until now, pretty much every one of my fosters has belonged to a local rescue organization, like the Humane Society of Shenandoah County or Operation Paws for Homes.
With the current crew in my foster cottage, I am fostering for X-Port Paws. They are mainly a transport rescue organization. They save animals marked for euthanasia from shelters, find a receiving rescue, arrange for veterinary evaluation, care, and transport. It’s actually amazing how many lives they have saved, even though most of them they’ve never met in person.
When I wanted to save the dogs and puppies in my cottage from the euthanasia list at Memphis Animal Services, time was of the essence (we got Dani out with only hours to spare). I knew my local Humane Society didn’t have the resources for the medical care required (multiple dogs who need heartworm treatment, an amputation, one spay surgery, plus the risk always involved in pulling puppies). There wasn’t time to convince anyone at OPH to pull these animals, and it was unlikely they would since they are not rescue partners for Memphis, and they require extensive vetting and behavioral evaluation. I asked several other rescues, but no one could act quickly.
Only X-Port Paws was willing to trust my judgment that all of these dogs were worth saving, and also believed that I was capable of fostering them, seeing them through treatment, and finding homes for them (and also helping to raise the money they would need to pay for medical care).
So they stuck their necks out big time—and Nick and I did, too.
All of the dogs—Wishbone, Dani, Lima Bean—are very adoptable dogs, once we get them healthy. They are sweet, people-friendly, dog-friendly, well-mannered young dogs who will be wonderful family pets.
But now I need to start finding those families. I don’t have the reach of organizations like HSSC or OPH. I just have you. The dog-hearted people who follow my adventures in fostering, mostly from afar.
A smart Animal Control Officer and shelter director told me recently that, “It’s already a ‘no’ unless I ask.” His shelter is so supported by his community because of his willingness to ask for help. I’m taking a page out of his book and asking you, my dog-hearted community, for your help.
So, here goes.
If you don’t already follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, I’d really love it if you would. And then once you do, if you could share my dogs and puppies to your networks, that would go a long way to getting the word out about them.
I plan to have some local adoption events, but I’m also willing to adopt to people within a reasonable distance and/or send them to a receiving rescue who will be better equipped to place them.
I also need chicken-free food and treats for Diamond and Lima Bean, they both have allergy issues that present in persistent skin problems. Those items aren’t cheap, and I’ve put a few on my Amazon wishlist for anyone who wants to support this work we’re doing.
Meanwhile, I’m going to get to work raising funds. Lima Bean has finished nursing, so in a few weeks she could have her amputation and spay surgery—if we can raise the funds. Watch for my fundraisers (please share those too) or if you want to donate now, you can send your gifts to X-Port Paws. Here’s the link: https://xportpaws.org/donate. Be sure to tell them it’s for Cara’s Foster Cottage dogs.
Updates on everybody:
Wishbone is going through his heartworm treatment at the vet as I write this. I can’t wait to get my hands on that sweet boy tonight and bring him home. I know he’ll be miserable for a bit, but this is the moment when his real life can begin. We’ll have to keep him calm and crated for the next few weeks and monitor his activity after that, but he’s ready for a home.
Wishbone is a darling, sweet, gentle boy with a funny personality and such a loving personality. He’s crate and house trained, walks well on a leash, is neutered, up to date on shots, great with EVERYONE (of all ages), and shy about other dogs, but warms up quickly.
Dani was moved to another foster home while I was on shelter tour, and Tina, her new foster mom, fell in love with her and wouldn’t give her back! So, Dani will stay with her through her heartworm treatment and recovery, as we work to find her a home.
This is making things much easier for me in the foster cottage and means Lima Bean can move out of the kitchen and into my office area with the other dogs.
Diamond is still looking for a home of her own. I put a post up on Another Good Dog Facebook page that has lots of pictures, info about her, and some of her funny videos.
I do think she’d be a great TikTok star! Please share that post to your networks (I’m really asky today, aren’t I?).
Lima Bean is finished nursing, so as soon as we raise the funds for her spay/amputation surgery, the sooner we can get to treating her heartworms. She already has that soft cough indicative of heartworms, so I’m anxious to get this process started.
This dog is incredibly loving. She simply melts into every person she meets. Nancy was here (and fell for LB, of course) and struggled to get pictures because Lima Bean would not leave space between them.
Last ask (I promise!)—the Beanie Babies are almost ready to go home! That went fast, didn’t it?
Help me get the word out about these gorgeous pups. They are healthy little butterballs who, like their mom, LOVE people. I’m gonna guess they will be as big as their mom when they grow up, but anyone who follows this blog knows I’m almost always wrong. Please spread the word. Anyone interested in adopting them should reach out to me (cara@wwldo.org) for information.
Shew. That wasn’t easy. Thanks in advance – I’m so grateful for this community and the support you give us in our foster and rescue work.
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’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:
Chicken-free food and treats for Diamond and Lima Bean
probiotics
puppy food and puppy treats
High-quality treats and chew bone
Indestructible 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.
Rescue is always a roller coaster. But I tend to go with the most death-defying coasters (at least when it comes to rescuing, definitely not on real coasters!).
Lately, there have been too many situations that have made me angry, sad, and/or heart-broken because I am powerless to do anything about them. I wallow briefly, but then rally and look for situations where I can have an impact.
So, as weeks have gone by in which the news in my world and the larger world has kept me awake, twisting my insides, or leaving me emotionally spent, I started casting around for a dog to save. Maybe I can’t fix the world, but I can rescue a dog! (or maybe six…)
When you foster as much as I have, you come to expect the unexpected. You also come to expect a little destruction from time to time. A puppy can wreak some serious havoc, especially a bored puppy.
Idling away in the puppy room, Alex discovered the tear in the vinyl floor that another foster dog had made. Well, actually, he unearthed the tear by first removing the packing tape I’d covered it with to discourage its growth.
And once the protective tape was gone, there was nothing to stop him from pulling that edge all the way across the room, exposing the plywood beneath. I didn’t witness this event, but imagine it brought a lot of joy to Alex’s day.
It wasn’t really a shock to discover what he’d done, what was a shock was to discover that the plywood beneath the vinyl was wet. Nick surveyed the mess, ripped up the vinyl, and then pulled up the plywood. Beneath that plywood was another layer of plywood, which was thoroughly soaked, and parts of it were covered in black mold. Beneath that layer of plywood, were two layers of linoleum, and beneath the linoleum was the original plank floor that dated back to when the cottage was built over a hundred years ago. Parts of the floor might be salvageable, but some of it was so rotten you could put your foot through it to the dirt beneath.
Seems the cottage has a history of occupants covering up one problem after another. Because no one thought to put any kind of ventilation in the crawlspace, the damp from the ground and any water that might have run beneath it (the ground is slanted slightly) simply seeped upward into the floor. It had also seeped upward on at least one wall.
Suffice it to say there won’t be any foster puppies anytime soon. There is much to be done and many decisions to be made. Hopefully, I’ll have a functioning puppy room by spring.
Meanwhile, Alex has finally found his forever family! He went home last week with a family who adopted a puppy from me six years ago. Slat (now Cooper) from the Road Trip litter will be Alex’s new brother. His adopter told me he turned out to be a super chill dog and is very much loved. Here’s Slat (and his adopter) to jog your memory (think they have a ‘type’?!):
Alex also got a new name – Max! Which seems pretty perfect for him. I forgot to get an adoption picture, but his new mom sent these pictures and reports that he is doing great. I love the last one of him sleeping on a foot – he’s such a love.
Diamond is still here entertaining me every day. She is just the sweetest, most butt-wiggling love bug you can imagine. She charms everyone who visits.
Her mom had a healthy baby and has a job now, so she’s working on housing. You can imagine the challenge of finding affordable rental housing that allows a 55-pound pit bull, but she’s hopeful that she can eventually take Diamond home again. I think I shared this on Another Good Dog, but here is a video of how she stayed warm during our recent deep freeze:
And here’s a video of her just being the happy, silly, sweet girl she is:
One last thing – Chrysanthemum, from the Literary Mice Litter will be in the puppy bowl this Sunday! She’ll be going by the name ‘Maya’ because the producers deemed Chrysanthemum too much of a mouthful for the announcers. Show business!
Her DNA will be revealed during the puppy bowl and you will likely be surprised as I was to hear the results! Here is her official Puppy Bowl picture:
Just in case you miss the Puppy Bowl, I’ll try to remember to share the DNA results on the Another Good Dog Facebook group next week.
For information on my writing and books, visit CaraWrites.com.
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’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 chicken and chicken-byproduct-free, high-quality food, puppy treats, large dog beds (or cover replacements any size – we can cut the memory foam pieces I have to fit).
If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visits BringDogs.com to learn more.
I don’t know what else to say about this amazing adoptable puppy. But since he’s shockingly still here, I feel compelled to write.
I’ve said it before, sometimes foster animals stick around way longer than expected because the forever family meant to have them is not quite ready to take the plunge. I believe that’s the case here because there is no other reason for such an amazing puppy to still be adoptable nearly a month and a half after he arrived.
Alex is growing, which is good (he’s healthy) and bad (people want puppy-puppies). He’s still adorable, but he’s sliding into that gangly pre-adolescent phase. He’s closing in on twenty pounds, which is still very much snuggable, but now a bit more work to pick up. Luckily, he’s doing great on a leash, and even without one, he happily follows me wherever I go.
Let’s note Alex’s charms:
When he wants attention, instead of jumping all over me and getting mouthy, he will sit sweetly and stare at me, willing me to pet him. (I usually do)
He happily goes in his crate at night for a treat and sleeps eight hours with no potty accidents. A lot of nearly four-month-old puppies can’t do that!
He uses the doggie door to go out to potty during the day and has yet to have an accident in my office. When left too long in the puppy room, he uses his potty pads.
He loves everyone he meets. He gave such wonderful, perfect sits to so many people at the farmer’s market last weekend that he was stuffed with treats by the time we got home (and had diarrhea for two days, which is not one of his regular charms and not his fault!).
He is not bitey or mouthy (I wrote that in his bio and AI changed it to say he has great manners. No puppy has great manners, but most puppies his age bite and chew people – Alex doesn’t!).
He plays independently with chew toys or squeaky toys, or stuffed toys (not yet unstuffing them), while I work and is quiet as a mouse during my zoom calls.
He learns quickly, already understanding that he can’t go near the cat box or the wires under my desk, or the paper coming out of the printer (which is a tough one because he loves paper!).
He is athletic – mastering my puppy teeter, climbing on stools (but thankfully not my desk), zipping all over the puppy yard despite the ice.
He is VERY treat motivated. This boy will do anything for a treat. He is learning to eat slower (a tough challenge), but having once been starving in his short life, it’s tough not to gobble whatever is put in front of you.
He is friendly with the other residents of the foster cottage. He can’t quite convince Hazel-cat to play with him, but his affection is undeterred by her mean words or even her swats.
He loves Diamond from outside her crate. They can’t be together because Diamond has over 30 pounds on him and loves other animals in an Abominable Snowman and Daffy Duck kind of way. When she whines and barks to join him in his play, I cover her crate with a blanket. Alex sits by her crate in solidarity with her distress, and as soon as I’m not watching, Alex pulls the cover off the crate, much to Diamond’s delight and my frustration.
All of that is to say, this is a fantastic puppy! And the very first adoptable puppy I’ve crate, potty, and leash-trained ahead of adoption.
For information on my writing and books, visit CaraWrites.com.
My next book, Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues will be released January 28, 2025, but you can order an early copy and support our mission to give them to shelters and rescues, by purchasing one directly from Who Will Let the Dogs Out.
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’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 chicken and chicken-byproduct-free, high-quality food, puppy treats, large dog beds (or cover replacements any size – we can cut the memory foam pieces I have to fit).
If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visits BringDogs.com to learn more.
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.
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.
Who is hoping to find a puppy under the Christmas tree?
I’ve got some pretty adorable puppies looking for a home of their own. The ABC pups – Alex, Becca, and Cassie – arrived this past week from Mississippi.
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.
Another Good Dog™ 