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I had all kinds of good intentions for a moving and thoughtful blog post today, which included writing it yesterday and scheduling it to appear this morning while I was busy gobbling up time with my precious babes and my dear parents. But now it’s after 1pm on Christmas Day and I’m finally sitting down to write.

First off, I know that not all of you celebrate Christmas and I want to be sure you know this is not me foisting my holiday on you. However, when I started to title it Happy Holidays, that seemed contrived because today is Christmas and I’m writing this while Christmas carols blast in my living room, my parents dig into the books they unwrapped a few hours ago, and all three kids are happily ensconced in getting to know their newest belongings. My belly is full of egg casserole and monkey bread, two things I eat only one day a year. Nick is puttering around, ripping new CDs and charging batteries. Frankie is prowling the premises looking for unattended ribbons (for some reason none of us know, he loves to shred ribbons), Gracie is hunkered down in her crate guarding the beef jerky stick she got from Santa, and Daisy is curled up savoring my dad’s affection.

So, you see, there’s no denying what today is.

What’s more, for me at least, Christmas is about love and generosity and peace and hope; and those are all gifts desperately needed in our world and our homes. So…….after much struggle and more than a few bribes……..

Happy Christmas from me and all the critters currently filling our ark:

Much love and many blessings for a wonderful new year!

Cara

Where to begin. My heart is so full and my body is exhausted and my soul is simply worn-through.

And we’re only on day three of this tour.

Can’t promise that this post will make complete sense as I’m writing this from the Comfort Inn in Lumberton, NC in an exhausted state with a thousand images and a million thoughts swirling through my mind.

Here’s the cliff notes of this week in my foster world:

Friday, right after I finished packing the van (a feat that took the entire day), Grits’ family came to meet him. Frankie (and I) will miss him, but he’s headed for a great life with his new family who were thrilled to take him home.

My dear friend, Lisa and I took off on Saturday morning in a cargo van crammed to the ceiling with donations that included over a thousand pounds of dog kibble and over a thousand cans of dog food, plus cat food, cat litter, bleach, sheets, towels, blankets, cleaning supplies, collars, leashes, toys, and treats.

The generosity of my dog-hearted community is overwhelming. I have over a thousand dollars in donations and Amazon cards to buy supplies to send directly to the shelters. Because I’m visiting 8 shelters, in addition to a foster-based rescue OPH partners with, I’m waiting until I’ve seen it all to distribute those donations.

Over the weekend, we attended two book events where we hung out with adoptable dogs and OPH volunteers. On National Dog Day at the Barnes & Noble in Richmond, Homeboy came to sign books with me. It was such a treat to see her and she spent the entire event sleeping at my feet between signings. Her wonderful mama, Jennifer, was so gracious to drive her to Richmond and hang out for two hours while Homeboy (now Nahla) helped me sell books!

I met Scrooge, a very special sweet senior beagle who has been in foster care with OPH since March. He has a sponsor so that his adoption fee is only $50, plus his adopters will get $700 in reimbursement for medical care since he’s an older dog with old dog issues. I loved sharing treats with him and pray that someone special out there decides to take him home and give him the life he deserves.

Billie Jean was adopted on Sunday. Nick had to handle the adoption since I was out of town on this trip. It hurts a bit that I didn’t get to tell her good-bye or meet her new family, but when I think about it in relation to all that I saw today, it seems minor. Still, we were so bonded that I worry that she is sad now and hope her adopters are patient with her as she makes the transition. What a special pup she is – I know someday soon I’ll be hearing about her happy new life.

On Monday the hard part started. We visited Lenoir County SPCA where we met Continue reading “AGD on the Road: Stories, Faces, Heartbreak and Hope” →

I am traveling in California this week and the only dogs I’m encountering are the ones I pass on the street who are lucky and loved. When I get back home, we will be in the countdown for the publication of Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this book to hit the shelves – this book is more than just a book to me, it’s a mission. It’s an invitation to the reader to not just be a gawker of our fostering lives, but to join us by opening their own hearts and homes to fostering rescue dogs.

The following post is a review from a writer whose wisdom, compassion, honesty, and sense of humor brighten my days through her near daily posts. I’m honored that she read my book during an especially difficult time in her own life and – true to form – was generous with her time and talent. Enjoy friends! I’ll be back next week with (hopefully) news of three adoptions!

Blessings,
Cara