When you foster as much as I have, you come to expect the unexpected. You also come to expect a little destruction from time to time. A puppy can wreak some serious havoc, especially a bored puppy.
Idling away in the puppy room, Alex discovered the tear in the vinyl floor that another foster dog had made. Well, actually, he unearthed the tear by first removing the packing tape I’d covered it with to discourage its growth.
And once the protective tape was gone, there was nothing to stop him from pulling that edge all the way across the room, exposing the plywood beneath. I didn’t witness this event, but imagine it brought a lot of joy to Alex’s day.
It wasn’t really a shock to discover what he’d done, what was a shock was to discover that the plywood beneath the vinyl was wet. Nick surveyed the mess, ripped up the vinyl, and then pulled up the plywood. Beneath that plywood was another layer of plywood, which was thoroughly soaked, and parts of it were covered in black mold. Beneath that layer of plywood, were two layers of linoleum, and beneath the linoleum was the original plank floor that dated back to when the cottage was built over a hundred years ago. Parts of the floor might be salvageable, but some of it was so rotten you could put your foot through it to the dirt beneath.
Seems the cottage has a history of occupants covering up one problem after another. Because no one thought to put any kind of ventilation in the crawlspace, the damp from the ground and any water that might have run beneath it (the ground is slanted slightly) simply seeped upward into the floor. It had also seeped upward on at least one wall.
Suffice it to say there won’t be any foster puppies anytime soon. There is much to be done and many decisions to be made. Hopefully, I’ll have a functioning puppy room by spring.
Meanwhile, Alex has finally found his forever family! He went home last week with a family who adopted a puppy from me six years ago. Slat (now Cooper) from the Road Trip litter will be Alex’s new brother. His adopter told me he turned out to be a super chill dog and is very much loved. Here’s Slat (and his adopter) to jog your memory (think they have a ‘type’?!):
Alex also got a new name – Max! Which seems pretty perfect for him. I forgot to get an adoption picture, but his new mom sent these pictures and reports that he is doing great. I love the last one of him sleeping on a foot – he’s such a love.
Diamond is still here entertaining me every day. She is just the sweetest, most butt-wiggling love bug you can imagine. She charms everyone who visits.
Her mom had a healthy baby and has a job now, so she’s working on housing. You can imagine the challenge of finding affordable rental housing that allows a 55-pound pit bull, but she’s hopeful that she can eventually take Diamond home again. I think I shared this on Another Good Dog, but here is a video of how she stayed warm during our recent deep freeze:
And here’s a video of her just being the happy, silly, sweet girl she is:
One last thing – Chrysanthemum, from the Literary Mice Litter will be in the puppy bowl this Sunday! She’ll be going by the name ‘Maya’ because the producers deemed Chrysanthemum too much of a mouthful for the announcers. Show business!
Her DNA will be revealed during the puppy bowl and you will likely be surprised as I was to hear the results! Here is her official Puppy Bowl picture:
Just in case you miss the Puppy Bowl, I’ll try to remember to share the DNA results on the Another Good Dog Facebook group next week.
Until Each One Has a Home,
Cara
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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 its 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 and chicken-byproduct-free, high-quality food, puppy treats, large dog beds (or cover replacements any size – we can cut the memory foam pieces I have to fit).
If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visits BringDogs.com to learn more.
Another Good Dog™ 