Our adventures as a foster dog family
The foster cottage is filling back up!
After a year with us, Diamond was able to go back home this past weekend! You can read about how she came to be with us here. From the start, we were never sure this day would come. But it finally did, and I’m thrilled for her. She has a fenced backyard of her own and is back with her mom for good.
Things are moving very slowly in the dog adoption world. Which means dogs are backed up at shelters all over. And we all know what that means.
My adorable, sweet, smart, healthy puppies are twelve weeks old today, and neither has any interested adopters. This seems crazy to me. But it speaks to the times.
It seems unlikely that everyone who had ever planned to adopt a puppy has adopted one. It’s more likely that I just can’t find them. Which guts me because as long as they linger here, I have no room to save more puppies.
Continue reading “Dogs Are Backing Up”
Things are a bit busy here in the foster cottage, so here’s the rundown:
Lima Bean had her amputation surgery on Wednesday and is doing really well. She’s back to wearing toddler shirts to protect the huge incision and keep her from messing with it. When I picked her up, they recommended she wear a cone, but this poor girl is miserable, so we’re going with shirts instead. So far, so good.
It is time to find homes for these puppies! They are more than ready for forever families.
The Beanie Babies are now eight weeks old, age-appropriately vaccinated, and microchipped. And I need your help finding those homes!
Please share this blog post (or any of the Facebook posts I’ve put up on Another Good Dog) with anyone and everyone.
Continue reading “Time to Find Homes for these Puppies!”
Rescue is a roller coaster, and this past week it was a doozy.
On Monday morning, Lima Bean would not move or eat. Her belly seemed enlarged and she’d peed all over her bedding (something she had never done before). Her allergies, which had been getting steadily better with a change of diet, were raging and she had scratched her ears bloody overnight. Otherwise, her temp was normal, and her gums looked normal. I was flummoxed but knew something wasn’t right.
I contacted a vet/friend who lives nearby to ask if she might come take a look. She agreed that something was seriously not right and tried to palpate her belly, only to find it taut and unmovable.
I took LB to Anicira Veterinary Hospital, and they took her immediately in case it was bloat. On the drive down to Harrisonburg, LB let out a lot of fluid—I won’t say it was urine because it didn’t smell like it. (Thankfully, I drive a Honda Element, so later I could just hose out the back.)
Initial blood work was inconclusive, so they put her on IV fluids for dehydration and cleaned up her ears. Radiographs revealed that her heart was enlarged, and the vet was fairly sure she could see worm activity inside her heart. She was still lethargic and seemed to be in a bit of pain. The only logical conclusion was that she was in Caval Syndrome, meaning the end stages of heartworm disease.
Late in the afternoon, the rescue, after conferring with the vets and with me, made the call to euthanize Lima Bean. It seemed like the most humane thing to do. I got in the car and started driving down to Harrisonburg in tears so that I could be there with her.
About halfway to Harrisonburg, Liz, from X-Port Paws called to say she’d heard from the vet at Anicira that LB had perked up and even barked at another dog who was passing through the treatment area. She said, “There’s still life left here. Let’s give her another 48 hours and see what happens.”
By the time I got there, Lima Bean was up and hopped right to me. They sent us home with trazodone for her pain, prednisone for her allergies, and doxycycline to get her started on the preparation for heartworm treatment.
By the next day, she was running at about 50% Lima Bean normal behavior, but she was better. At one point in the afternoon, I heard her whimpering, so I took my laptop and sat with her in her dog bed as I worked, and she settled and slept by my side.
At 48 hours, she was the Lima Bean I have come to love and trip over. She is always underfoot, following me everywhere, stealing the puppy’s toys to hoard in her crate, and begging for food and treats. She was going outside to potty and holding vigil near the door to my office whenever I left her alone.
The question now is—where do we go from here?
The original plan to wean the puppies, have the leg amputated, and have her spayed, followed by heartworm treatment, is out the window. Heartworm treatment takes priority.
But there are so many questions. Will she survive the treatment with her heart compromised as it is? Do we stick to the protocol of 30 days of doxycycline, followed by 30 days of rest, and then treatment? Can we treat sooner? I’m not sure she can survive 60 days of those worms growing larger.
Here is what I cling to – she has never coughed. The normal progression of heartworm disease is for them to develop a soft cough due to compromised lungs. I’ve had several HW positive dogs who arrived with that cough and were successfully treated (Edith Wharton was one of them, and she nursed 12 puppies and had spay surgery before HW treatment).
I wanna believe that it was the allergies out of control that triggered her immune system to go haywire. Of course, I’m no vet. Just an eternal optimist who loves this dog.
So, I’m cautiously hopeful that we will find a path that ends with LB finding a loving forever home – whether that will be four months or six months or even a year from now, we shall see.
And if this becomes a hospice foster situation, I’m willing to do that. All I want is for whatever time Lima Bean has left to be full of safety and love and comfort. She’s had too much abuse, neglect, and pain in her short life.
And more than that – I think she is a walking (well technically hopping) miracle. She survived a brutal time on the streets, delivered puppies alone in a shelter, barely escaped euthanasia, and learned to live and care for puppies on three legs.
When the decision was made to euthanize her, she spoke up. I laughed when Liz told me she had barked at the vet office. In all her time here, I’ve never heard her bark.
We don’t yet have a plan, but I’m pretty sure Lima Bean does.
Thanks to everyone who shopped our Another Good Dog wishlist! We have plenty of food now (which is good since the puppies still have no adopters and none of my adult dogs are going anywhere anytime soon except maybe Wishbone).
I so appreciate all of you and the support you give me. It’s been a doozy of a week, and I have no idea what next week will bring, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted on the Another Good Dog Facebook Group, TikTok, and right here on the blog.
If you’d like to donate to X-Port Paws for Lima Bean’s treatment, you can do it here. (be sure to mention it’s for her)
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 can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs. Or it’s a follow-up that takes you to the shelters in the south, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.
I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.
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 probiotics, high-quality treats, bully sticks, pill pockets.
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.
I could really use your help.
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 can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs. Or it’s a follow-up that takes you to the shelters in the south, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.
I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.
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.
Fostering is often a lot of work, and always rewarding, but sometimes it’s also just plain heartbreaking.
Every time we welcome foster dogs or puppies, they are a mystery. They are most often strays, and lately, most have been pulled from the euthanasia list at an overcrowded shelter.
We don’t know their medical histories before the day of their intake at the shelter, but we do know they have often been subjected to neglect and rarely have had good nutrition, medical attention, or even basic care. They suffer physically, but emotionally as well.
Continue reading “Sometimes Fostering is Hard on the Heart”
Having four adult dogs and four two week old puppies is requiring me to refine my juggling act.
At this juncture, none of the adult dogs can be loose in the cottage at the same time. So it’s a game of crate and rotate and walk and keep track of who hasn’t been out recently to potty and who needs snuggle time with me and what the best set up is to have quiet for my zoom call.
I make myself take several deep breaths and put on my ‘calm mama’ invisible cloak before entering the cottage. That helps tremendously. In the early days of my fostering career, I used to allow my anxiety over the situation and my frustration at my inability to instantly fix things to color my world. And the dogs picked up on that.
Continue reading “The foster cottage is FULL!”
Have I gotten myself in over my head? This is the question that rolled across my mind early this morning when I couldn’t sleep.
The last time I had this many dogs in the foster cottage, I was overwhelmed.
In fact, it was also four dogs and four puppies. Of course, those were basically feral dogs and worm-riddled puppies, so the physical work was overwhelming. After the seventh or eighth poopified crate, I’d come pretty close to quitting this whole foster gig.
Continue reading “Have I Gotten Myself in Over My Head?”
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…)
Continue reading “Rescue is a Roller Coaster”
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