Author Topic: To all of you who foster rescues:  (Read 5440 times)

Offline zanie

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To all of you who foster rescues:
« on: September 25, 2006, 09:44:08 am »
My Foster Dog
by Unknown Author

My foster dog stinks to high heaven.
I don't know for sure what breed he is.
His eyes are blank and hard.
He won't let me pet him and growls when I reach for him.

He has ragged scars and crusty sores on his skin.
His nails are long and his teeth, which he showed me, are stained. I sigh.
I drove two hours for this.

I carefully maneuver him so that I can stuff him in the crate. Then I heft
the crate and put it in the car. I am going home with my new foster dog.

At home I leave him in the crate till all the other dogs are in the yard. I
get him out of the crate and ask him if he wants "outside." As I lead him to
the door he hikes his leg on the wall and shows me his stained teeth again.

When we come in, he goes to the crate because that's the only safe place he
sees. I offer him food but he won't eat it if I look at him, so I turn my
back. When I come back, the food is gone.

I ask again about "outside." When we come back, I pat him before I let
him in the crate; he jerks away and runs into the crate to show me his
teeth.

The next day I decide I can't stand the stink any longer.
I lead him into the bath with cheese in my hands. His fear of me is not
quite overcome by his longing for the cheese.
And well he should fear me, for I will give him a bath.

After an attempt or two to bail out he is defeated and stands there. I
have bathed four legged bath squirters for more years than he has been
alive. His only defense was a show of his stained teeth, that did not hold
up to a face full of water.

As I wash him, it is almost as if I wash not only the stink and dirt away
but also some of the hardness. His eyes look full of sadness now. And he
looks completely pitiful as only a soap covered dog can.

I tell him that he will! feel better when he is cleaned. After the soap,
the towels are not too bad, so he lets me rub him dry.

I take him outside. He runs for joy . . . the joy of not being in the tub
and the joy of being clean.

I, the bath giver, am allowed to share the joy. He comes to me and lets me
pet him.

One week later I have a vet bill. His skin is healing. He likes for me to
pet him ( I think). I know what color he will be when his hair grows in.

I have found out he is terrified of other dogs, so I carefully introduce
him to my mildest four legged brat. It doesn't go well.

Two weeks later a new vet bill for an infection, that was missed on the
first visit. He plays with the other dogs.

Three weeks later his coat shines, he has gained weight.
He shows his clean teeth when his tongue lolls out
after he plays chase in the yard with the gang.

His eyes are soft and filled with life. He loves hugs and likes to show
off his tricks, if you have the cheese.

Someone called today and asked about him. They saw the picture I took the
first week. They asked about his personality, his history, his breed. They
asked if he was pretty. I asked them lots of questions.

I checked up on them.
I prayed.
I said yes.

When they saw him the first time they said he was the most beautiful dog
they had ever seen.

Six months later, I got a call from his new family.
He is wonderful, smart, well behaved, and very loving.

How could someone not want him?
I told them I didn't know.
He is beautiful.
They all are.



To all of you who foster rescues or rescue pets, thank you, thank you, thank you.  Because of someone like you, I now have a dog that loves me, is totally loyal, and is the greatest companion.  I don't know what I would do without my pound puppy and I don't know what he would have done without the kindness of strangers.

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." - Gilda Radner

Seattle, WA

Nicole

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Re: To all of you who foster rescues:
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2006, 09:59:19 am »
Hey...thanks for this. I really appreciate (and relate to!) it.

My dog is my first foster and I love him to death. There have been many since him, and many happy people, too.

Offline dober_gurl

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Re: To all of you who foster rescues:
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2006, 10:02:48 am »
Aww thank ya! I absolutely love it. I do love the bath part, lots of memories... :P
"None left to rescue, none left to buy, none left to suffer, none left to die. None to be beaten, none to be kicked...all must be loved and all must be fixed"

Maggie-Doberman
Molly-Papillon
Mickey-Mutt
Collin-Kitty
Sunny-Amazon Parrot
Squishy-Guinea Pig
Harper/Lyric-Rats

cricket36580

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Re: To all of you who foster rescues:
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2006, 12:40:51 pm »
Wow.  just wow.  Thanks...

** and they REEK!  Not just stink....

bigdogs@5501

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Re: To all of you who foster rescues:
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2006, 01:33:10 pm »
I am into my third foster now since April. This was comforting to read. Baths are always one of the frist things on the list. My April foster is now with me for life and she does have a beautful coat and all of the infections are gone. I have sat and held and loved and kissed on Garrett now for the past 3-4 days as I know that he is about to go to his new home, I want him to know that he is loved and that what ever he had to deal with before coming to my home on Sept 9th will always be a thing of the past. MSF has asked me recently how he was doing- he is doing great and he is gaining weight and gaining confidence and he is just one of the most wonderful dogs I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know and love. Saying good bye will be hard- I will shed many tears as I say goodbye as I am a hopeless lover of all dogs, but they will also be tears of happiness knowing that he has a forever home with someone who undoubtably will love him as much as I have grown to love him. Fostering is one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever taken on, and I am sure that I will continue foster even more in the future. Thank you for posting that letter.

Gypsy Jazmine

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Re: To all of you who foster rescues:
« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2006, 04:29:27 pm »
That brought tears to my eyes..Thank you so very much.