Tag: dogrescue

Diary, dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering, pregnant dog, puppy bowl, whelping

Diary of a Rescue: Day 1

Cara Achterberg

My next foster dog arrives tonight, a pregnant shepherd mix from South Carolina named Daisy.

shelter pic

I plan to chronicle her journey in realtime on my Facebook writer page. If you’re not on Facebook, I will collect those entries and publish them weekly on this blog.

Word of warning: there are no guarantees here. This is a shelter dog with no history, so while I hope there’s a happy ending coming, that may not be the case. Mama dogs who land in shelters have often not had any kind of prenatal care, may be undernourished, riddled with worms, and definitely not talking about who the baby daddy is. My most recent mama dog had a near textbook delivery, while the one before that was tragic. I want to be honest about this business of rescuing dogs and will share with you the story, no matter the outcome.

Shelter dogs arrive with Continue reading “Diary of a Rescue: Day 1” →

Destruction, fostering, Hula Hoop

Hey, That’s Enough, Settle Down!

Cara Achterberg

“Hey! That’s enough! Settle down!”

I find myself yelling these words again and again these days. Hula Hoop is no longer the quiet, calm, exhausted, worm-addled, nursing mama dog. Now, she is full-on puppy.

2019jan-87
photo Nancy Slattery

In the past week, she’s eaten my running gloves (luckily they went right through – eww, definitely shopping for a new pair), devoured the faux-fur edge of one of my slippers, continued the assault on my dog-walking shoes begun by John Jacob (see picture), and Continue reading “Hey, That’s Enough, Settle Down!” →

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.

47455427_10156010233297405_5420152202456989696_n

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?” →

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.

46804873_10155990017632405_6961956951034953728_n

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” →

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.

45882962_10218281363613403_7785211502033633280_n

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.

DSC_6971

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” →

Dixieland, foster dogs, foster fail, fosterdogs, fostering, Frankie, heartworms, puppies, training, Uncategorized

He Deserves Better

Cara Achterberg

So, I’ve made a decision. And the puppies have been very helpful in my decision-making process.

All kinds of people have been visiting, trooping into our house, sitting on a couch or floor with a puppy in their lap. For me, a solitary writer, this is a welcome break. The puppies also love it and need the socialization.

But the dogs in this house find visitors stressful. I had hoped that Oreo’s calm happy state would rub off on Frankie and Gracie, but it seems to be the reverse. As more people come to visit, Oreo is more stressed. He’s been a perfect gentleman, but it’s clear he would prefer a quieter home.

DSC_6587
photo credit: Ian Achterberg

I think if the other two didn’t react to a new car in the driveway as a potential terrorist attack, he wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. Unlike my other two, I’m pretty sure Oreo would adjust to this if I asked him too, but I don’t want to ask him to.

It’s not fair to Oreo. Which has led me to this conclusion: Continue reading “He Deserves Better” →

Dixieland, foster dogs, foster fail, fostering, puppies

Houseful of Hounds

Cara Achterberg

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say these puppies are serious hounddogs.

44416404_10216088132107312_1429263475707740160_n

With the introduction of real food, my wee little pups have morphed into butterballs. Pretty much everyone, including Ramblin’ Man gained at least a pound or more this week.

And beyond the obvious hound appetite, there’s Continue reading “Houseful of Hounds” →

booktour, Dixieland, dog rescue, foster fail, fostering, oph, puppies, Uncategorized

Should He Stay or Should He Go Now?

Cara Achterberg

It’s hard to write about the dogs when I’m not with the dogs, but I’ll try. I’m actually in a California hotel room recovering from my brief brush with Hollywood. If you’d like to read about that adventure, you can find it on my other blog, My Life In Paragraphs.

DpldvFtUUAASsVG

The drama continues with Oreo. Continue reading “Should He Stay or Should He Go Now?” →

booktour, Dixieland, dog rescue, Flannery Oconnor, foster dogs, fostering, heartworms, oph, puppies

My Heart and House is Full

Cara Achterberg

My heart is so full this morning that tears seem to turn up on my face without warning.

Sunday night was the official ‘end’ of my tour, although there are still a bunch of events this month and I’m hoping to get more opportunities to talk about the book, its purpose, shelter dogs and how we can all make a difference. (So feel free to toss my name/contact in any direction you want!)

My last event was sponsored by an awesome person, Karen Johnson and Paws Go. She designs and sells fabulous t-shirts and gives away much of what she makes to dog-related causes. During August and September that cause was OPH.

Sunday night, Karen hosted a book signing for me at Nectar Wine & Coffee Bar in Alexandria, an adorable little spot with great VA wine selections and amazing food. Rooney came to sign along with me (thanks Lauren!).

42806488_10215363696717394_7666937852277555200_n

The generosity and kindness of so many overwhelmed me as I drove home from Nectar through the growing darkness.  Not only Continue reading “My Heart and House is Full” →