Diary, dog rescue, Dogs with Issues, foster dogs, fosterdogs, fostering, hard to adopt, Long Term Dog

Diary of a Rescue Weeks Eight and Nine: Separation Sometimes Makes You Stronger

Cara Achterberg

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” →

dog rescue, euthanasia, Rescue Road Trip, shelters

The Business of Saving Animals

Cara Achterberg

I am home again after a week of visiting and volunteering in seven animal shelters in our rural south with an amazing team of volunteers.

When I try to describe the experience, I have to grapple for words. I’ve been to the shelters before; I was there while on book tour last fall. But this time, Continue reading “The Business of Saving Animals” →

dog rescue, Rescue Road Trip

It’s the Pitties That Break My Heart

Cara Achterberg

It’s the pitties that break my heart. There are so many. I don’t know if it’s that they have such expressive faces or if they know their odds, but as we pass row after row of them, their sadness seeps right through the kennel fence into my soul.

On this Rescue Road Trip, we’ve had the opportunity to walk many pitbulls, to hug them, to cuddle them, to play with them off leash, even. At Newberry County Shelter, I led Kimbo (or mostly Kimbo led me) into the playyard. I threw a ball for him and he dodged after it, but then left it where it lay to come back again and again in search of my touch, so I spent most of my time ‘exercising’ him by holding him in a hug.

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Hazel was so frightened I had to Continue reading “It’s the Pitties That Break My Heart” →

dog rescue, oph, Rescue Road Trip, Uncategorized

I Want to Be Hopeful

Cara Achterberg

The last time I set foot in the southern shelters, I was stunned.

We wandered through the kennels, head spinning and heart-aching, helpless to do anything except offer a few bags of dog food, a box of cat litter, and a promise to share what we saw. This time… Continue reading “I Want to Be Hopeful” →

foster dogs, fostering, hard to adopt, Rescue Road Trip

Diary of a Rescue Week Seven: Progress!

Cara Achterberg

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!” →

dog rescue, Rescue Road Trip, shelters

Ready for a Road Trip!

Cara Achterberg

This Sunday I will climb in a van with seven other volunteers and head south to visit six of our partner shelters in North and South Carolina.

We have three goals – Continue reading “Ready for a Road Trip!” →

dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering, returned dogs

Foster Dog Overload

Cara Achterberg

I’ve often wondered what my limit is.

I know other people who have four, five, even nine dogs living in their houses.

Five.

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That’s clearly my limit, judging by Continue reading “Foster Dog Overload” →

dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering, hard to adopt

Diary of a Rescue Week Six: Change is Coming

Cara Achterberg

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” →

dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, Schuyler puppies, Updates

A Week in the Life of this Foster Mom

Cara Achterberg

One week later and Bugs is a part of the family.

Watching me work
Taking up a lot of room in the kitchen
Bugging Frankie
Playing in Deer Creek
watching AKC Agility finals with Frankie

Ian calls him Continue reading “A Week in the Life of this Foster Mom” →

Diary, dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, hard to adopt

Diary of a Rescue Week Five:  It’s a Big Wide World

Cara Achterberg

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” →