Tag: fosterdogs

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!).

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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” →

Dixieland, dog rescue, Flannery Oconnor, foster dogs, fostering, house training, John Jacob, oph, puppies, whelping

Am I Becoming a Broken Record?

Cara Achterberg

I’ve been kicking around ideas for this post—lots to say, not enough space (the usual for me).

My thoughts are scattered because part of me is in North Carolina worrying about the dogs at the three shelters we visited who were all evacuated. I know they’re confused and frightened, but so far, at least, I know they are safe.

In a news story about the Anson shelter, I saw footage of several of the dogs I met – Oreo (who is coming to my home at the end of the month), the Great Dane that Lisa and I flirted with (whose destiny is uncertain), Sparky (the shy, adorable pit mix with bandit eyes that Lisa coaxed out to say hello to us), and a large gray pitbull whose sad face I’ve been carrying around with me ever since I met him. Of all the dogs we met, his eyes seemed to sear my soul – the depth of sadness and the resignation broke my heart.

Seeing those friends crammed in crates and stacked in a van, while the people around them talked in panicked voices and the flood water closed in on them was unbearable. I want to be down there, doing something, and yet again, Continue reading “Am I Becoming a Broken Record?” →

Dixieland, dog rescue, emergency transport, Flannery Oconnor, foster dogs, fosterdogs, fostering, John Jacob, oph, shelters

Dogs, Dogs, and More Dogs!

Cara Achterberg

There are so many dogs in my house, it’s hard to keep them straight. After everything I saw on my shelter/book tour, I just can’t say no.

I feel an urgency I didn’t have before that trip. There are simply too many good dogs dying in our shelters; foster homes can buy them time.

If you’re waiting for someone to ask you to foster dogs – I’m asking. More foster homes can make a difference. YOU can make a difference.

Here’s our current roster:

Flannery O’Connor is a quirky little southern sprite.

Dixieland and Flannery-18

We picked her up as scheduled on our last stop of the tour at Scott County Animal Shelter in Gate City, Virginia. In fact, we picked up six dogs there, but Flannery was the only one without a committed foster home, so Continue reading “Dogs, Dogs, and More Dogs!” →

Barkalona, Billie Jean, Breakfast Pups, dog rescue, fostering, puppies, training

A Pup You Don’t Want to Miss

Cara Achterberg

The excitement level in this house is working its way off the charts, so having four puppies and three dogs in our midst just seems appropriate.

Dear friends stopped by Sunday night for an impromptu supper and as we talked, we had to raise our voices over the excited yipping of the breakfast pups (Grits was hiding under the raised bed again – which makes his sisters go nuts. I think maybe they believe he really is gone when he does this.).

When Snoopy jumped up on one friend to assist him with his plate, he laughed and gently nudged him away. And when Frankie’s excitement veered towards the out-of-my-control level, they waited while we crated him.

I love that I have the kind of friends who don’t bat an eye at the dog chaos that has become my life.

The Breakfast pups are sweet, goofy, houndish pups who I am truly enjoying. They are affectionate (with tongues instead of teeth!) and happy and as puppies go, pretty easy to manage. Barkalona (aka Snoopy) is still a dreamboat (although he did figure out how to wiggle under the fence yesterday and had a happy runaround, cautiously checking out the horses, but thankfully, coming when I called!)

They are finding their adopters, and as soon as we get their tummies right, they will begin leaving. (Grits is still available if you’re looking for a super-sweet pup with houndish habits!)  Amongst all the puppy-ness, Continue reading “A Pup You Don’t Want to Miss” →

Billie Jean, dog rescue, foster dogs, fosterdogs, fostering, puppies

They’re All Unicorns

Cara Achterberg

“She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene….”

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Billie Jean is our newest foster. She arrived two days after the Suess Boys, so she’s been completely upstaged by their tiny but massive presence in our rescue world (YES- they have adopters and a long list of back-up adopters!).

Billie Jean has been in OPH care for over a month but spent a good part of that time in a boarding facility in Virginia because there wasn’t a foster home available. She had several sleepovers at various foster homes and enjoyed attending adoption events where she made many fans, just no adopters. No worries, though, this is a Continue reading “They’re All Unicorns” →

Breeds, dog rescue, foster dogs, fosterdogs, fostering, puppies

Unicorns!

Cara Achterberg

I’ve never been a believer in unicorns, but…..I’ve got two in my puppy room right now!

suess boys

When I posted a few pictures/videos of my newest foster puppies on Facebook, another OPH volunteer commented, “You’ve got unicorns!”

So true. It is rare to see hypoallergenic dogs in rescue, rarer still to see hypoallergenic puppies. These two are miniature poodiley pups who remind me of the shitzu we had when I was a kid, but minus the bulging eyes. They are tiny and precious and without all that fluff, they’d be no bigger than large rats (but much cuter).

In the pictures, they look much larger than they are – the camera and the fluff add serious bulk. The Suess Boys are Continue reading “Unicorns!” →

adopters, dog rescue, fosterdogs, fostering, Gomer Pyle, oph

Long Distance Dog Adoption

Cara Achterberg

I’m completely dogless.

Well, that’s not quite true. I have Gracie and Frankie. And they are VERY happy to have me back from vacation.

So happy in fact, that on our first night home, Frankie broke out of his soft-sided crate to crawl in bed with me. So now I’m trying to teach him to sleep in it with no door. Took me fifteen minutes of repeatedly putting him back in it before he finally settled down, but then around 3 in the morning, he still climbed in bed with us.

I’d be more than happy to share our kingsize bed with him, but Nick is Continue reading “Long Distance Dog Adoption” →

fosterdogs, fostering, Gomer Pyle

Home Alone (Canine Edition)

Cara Achterberg

Vacations always seem like a good idea when I’m planning them. But when it’s time for the trip to actually happen, I always say (Nick can back me up on this) – What was I thinking? I’m never going away again.

We’re leaving on Thursday at 4am in the morning for our 10-day trip to California for my nephew’s wedding and a long-overdue celebration of my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday. My two college age children will be in charge of the ranch while we’re gone. So nothing to worry about, right? Continue reading “Home Alone (Canine Edition)” →

Amstaff, dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, Pit bull, puppies, training

Adopter’s Remorse?

Cara Achterberg

You’ve heard of buyer’s remorse?

Every now and again I’m pretty sure some of us have adopter’s remorse.

Not that I don’t LOVE my Frankie. Not that I wouldn’t adopt him AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. He is my wubba-bubba. I can get teary just thinking about the fact that someday he will die.

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And yet…. Continue reading “Adopter’s Remorse?” →

dog rescue, foster dogs, fostering, Hops, puppies, Updates, Zander/Cedar

The Difference Ten Pounds (and Two Months) Make

Cara Achterberg

Frankie has another new puppy – only this puppy is ten pounds bigger and at least ten times more trouble than little Zander.

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Hops is a gangly, sweet, goofy boy who somehow already seems bigger than when he got here on Saturday. He’s forty pounds, but his feet are so big he looks like he’s wearing galoshes, so I’d say that even though he’s six months old, he’s far from finished growing.

He routinely runs into things and can’t get his long legs out of his own way. He’s labeled a lab mix, but looks like he was put together with spare parts from a handful of breeds possibly including shepherd.

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He’s in that awkward adolescence phase, tripping over himself, with a loose discombobulated swagger that makes me smile and think of teenagers trying (and failing) to look cool.

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Nothing on the counters is safe. Yesterday he polished off the cream cheese, sampled the newspaper, and [insert frustrated shriek and several curse words] broke Continue reading “The Difference Ten Pounds (and Two Months) Make” →