While I have been fortunate to enjoy a successful career, wonderful friends and a pretty darn good life to date, nothing compares to the passion I have for animals.  I always knew I loved animals but  I never realized how it was my life purpose to do more to help them until I decided to write a book.

My book (to be published shortly) was a bucket list item for me.  It came out at a dinner with two colleagues, in general conversation, and they convinced me to do it.  I just needed to figure out what my book was going to be about.  One of them suggested I write about Flipflop (my Bahamian Potcake, who has the most energy and personality I’ve ever seen in a dog). Sure there was enough Flipflop stories to write a trilogy, but it didn’t light a fire in me.

I went home that evening and when I woke up the next morning, I woke up with more excitement than I had in a long time.  I wanted to write a book about rescue, realizing I’m not the first person to do this, nor will I be the last, but I’m not writing to become a famous author, in fact I suspect short of friends and family my book will not sell, but regardless, all proceeds will be donated to the two rescues who saved Flipflop and Dahlia’s life.

Now I digressed, but my point is, it wasn’t until I started writing my book I realized  just how passionate I was about rescue.  I started fostering, volunteering and talking rescue to anyone who would listen.  I’ve had several people tell me that when they decide to get a dog, they will adopt it, and never before thought about adoption, until meeting me.  I don’t have words to describe how happy I am my message gets heard. Even if by one person, it’s one dog saved.

Through my volunteering and fostering I have met so amazing people who all have the compassion, love and dying desire to end animal abuse, neglect and uncontrolled breeding, that I do.

I have formed many networks and friendships and learned so much about what can be done to help:

• Share posts on social media – not the ones that make us cry, the ones of dogs and cats looking for homes (foster and forever homes).
• Educate, make people aware.  Flipflop and I appeared on Breakfast Television a couple of years ago, it was an unexpected opportunity and I had zero time to prepare, but took advantage of it. It amazed me how many people saw it and said they didn’t know some of the points I mentioned (and there were still so many I missed). (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eBXOiBZ0Dc)
• Donate, and not necessarily money, rescues always need old towels, food, collars, bowls, crates, bedding, etc.
• Volunteer to be a transporter, pick up dogs from airports, transport them to locations, or if on a vacation, work with a local rescue before travelling and arrange to bring a dog back to them (the rescues will work on the paperwork and all you need to bring the pup back to the rescue or shelter).
• Foster, yes you will fall in love and want to keep every one of them, but you will also understand the greater need for foster homes and the rewards of your foster going to a wonderful forever home.
• Adopt.

These are just a few things you can do, but what inspired me to write this blog, is an awesome lady I met through rescue, Mandy.  Mandy adopted one of my fosters, Hannah, who’s story is shared in my upcoming book.

Mandy has two young boys and the moment I spoke with her on the phone, we instantly connected, I think we talked for over an hour about our past dogs and of course I told her all I knew about Hanna.  Mandy and I are still in touch and connect every few months on the phone, just to chat and catch up.

So, it was no surprise when I received a text from her that her was her sons birthday and they had a lovely party.  But what Mandy also shared was a photo, of what looked to be a gift table.  However; upon closer inspection it was dog supplies…..and then I read her message.

Mandy and her family asked all the guests to the party to bring a donation for the rescue that Hanna came from.   Such an amazing gesture and so thoughtful of Mandy and all the party guests.  Apparently her son was also so excited to be helping dogs in need too, she sent me a photo of him by the donations just beaming.

My best friend has made crafts and snacks in the past and sold them at her office and donated the money to rescue, another friend collects blankets and such at her work every year to donate.

Not everyone can afford to donate money, but the beautiful thing is, there’s always something you can do, if you’re inspired to help.

2017 has exited and we welcomed 2018 in around the world.  I was fortunate enough to spend my New Year’s at a friend’s house with her lovely family and bring my three dogs, Flipflop, Dahlia and my foster, Lucy.

I have posted on Lucy in the past, and she is still a sweet mystery to me.  Based on her previous behavior,  I didn’t know if she’d be scared, hyper or unsure.  Much to my delight she was Lucy!  The Lucy I have come to know and adore.  She was friendly, calm and very sociable with the adults and kids alike.

Much to my surprise, Lucy socialized with a man immediately, and connected so well with my friend’s son.  It gave me a whole new hope that we’ll find this sweet girl the perfect home yet.

Lucy is never aggressive but her timid personality sometimes makes her afraid, of even the kindest people, but last night she was in her zone.  I don’t know if it was having Flipflop and Dahlia there, who are very familiar with the family and their home, or if she just felt safe, but it was so wonderful to see her calm, relaxed and showing her true self.

She even refused to sleep downstairs with me and her foster siblings and insisted on sleeping upstairs with our hosts, in their bed.  Of course they were only to happy to allow her, despite one of our hosts allergies!

I know we’ll find Lucy her forever family soon, one that is understanding, patient and hopefully one with another dog and/or a child for her to bond with.

Lucy is available for adoption through Royal Canadian Pooch.

https://www.royalcanadianpoochrescue.com/

It’s the holiday season and people with children young and old are prepping for Santa to arrive very soon.  Needless to say Flipflop, Dahlia, Lucy and their feline brothers will all be getting gifts from Santa too!

Normally I buy Flipflop’s best friend and cousins, treats or toys, but this year I got them something different.  I purchased all the special canines in my life a Nite Ize dog collar cover!

I had first seen it when I had a visit with one of my previous fosters, Marti.  Marti’s Aunt bought it for him. It Velcro’s onto their collar, harness or leash even.  And it’s amazing!  Good for all sizes, as the Velcro adjusts, up to 1″ wide.

Flipflop, Lucy and Dahlia all wear one now, it works off a battery, which you can replace and when it’s on you can set it to be solid red, or flashing.  This time of year, it’s so dangerous for pedestrians walking in the dark, and dogs too.  With this collar cover, my dogs and I are very visible and on days when they get some off leash time, even in the dark, I can always see them!

I highly recommend this item to any dog parent who walks their dog in the dark at any time of the year.  I get so many people stopping us and asking me where I got them as I have yet to see them in pet stores.

They are available on Amazon, along with other Nite Ize products for dogs.  I am not a Nite Ize or Amazon employee, I have no vested interest in promoting this product other than I think it is super cool and keeps us and our dogs safer.

Happy Holidays!

Every foster has a story, a past I have to piece together and behaviours I have to learn about and how to best work with the dog to correct.

Lucy is the omega, she looks to my dogs constantly to know what to do.  At daycare she goes into a different room than Flipflop – Lucy goes into the toybox with the smaller dogs.   It’s done wonders for her confidence and socialization.

Today we went to an off leash park, as we usually do on weekends, and in the past Lucy has enjoyed being off leash running and exploring – and chasing squirrels.  But she would never venture too far away from my two dogs, finding comfort in having them near.  This morning was no different, for the first 15 minutes, and then Lucy found herself.

As we walked through the park, we came across groups of dogs, which Lucy and Flipflop delighted in playing with.  As we ventured further into the park, Flipflop decided he was done playing and walked along the fence of the park, while Dahlia walked faithfully by my side.  Lucy, on the other hand, embedded herself with a group of dogs playing and was having a blast.

She no longer looked for Flipflop to guide her, she was all on her own and playing like a champ.  After a few minutes I called Lucy back to us  as we were leaving the area.  Lucy followed us out of the sand area but that didn’t stop her independence.  She was off on her own saying hello to dogs along with way and found another pack to integrate into.

I watched with pride as my little foster terrier mix was having the time of her life.  She was in her zone and after about 10 minutes of full on Lucy fun, she stopped playing.  I watched her in the distance, she was trying to figure out where we went.  I called her name and she looked in my direction and then she happily trotted back toward me and resumed to her place in her foster family, happily playing with Flipflop again and staying close.

While none of this may seem like a big event to you, for Lucy it was huge.  She looks to my dogs to give her cues on how to behave and who she should play with.  But this weekend Lucy did her way for the first time in the three months I’ve had her.

She’s becoming herself.

Winter is my least favourite season, I hate the cold and while the snow can be pretty and scenic I’d much rather see green!  But I living in Ontario, Canada snow and cold is part of every holiday season and carries on into the first few months of the new year.

Flipflop (my Bahamian Potcake) loves the snow, from his first winter here, he couldn’t get enough of it and the cold!  He lives for the negative 20 degree Celsius days, and unlike me, has no use for the weather when its over 20 degrees (we do a lot of beach days in the summer).

When Dahlia (my Catahoula mix) came to Canada from Florida in April, the weather was raining and cool. She seemed quite comfortable in the climate.  I assumed Dahlia wouldn’t mind the heat as she’d been kept outside all the time in Florida and is 8 years old.

I was wrong, Dahlia hated the hot summer days, she wanted nothing to do with walks in the summer, and enjoyed laying in shaded areas and keeping herself cool.  As the summer passed, and we made it to fall Dahlia thrived. The cooler weather agreed with Dahlia and she loved being outside.  And as the temperatures dropped further, at and below freezing Dahlia showed no signs of slowing down, until the first snow fall.

Dahlia HATES the snow, unlike almost every dog I know, Dahlia has no use for the white stuff on the ground.  Even while the other dogs run and play in it, Dahlia sits beside me looking quite unimpressed.  The first few times I tried taking her out in it she didn’t want to walk at all, now she’ll walk but she’ll stop and sit periodically as if to protest the fact that she has to be outside.

I  put invisible boots (paw wax) on Dahlia  and it seems to help her somewhat.  I don’t want to put boots on her as her leg was broken last year by her previous owner, so I worry about her traction on the ice if she has boots on.  And although dog boots are great for keeping their paws warm and free of salt they can, on some occasions, mess up the dogs hip alignment depending on how they walk in them.  Another risk I can’t take with Dahlia.

I am sure I will find a solution for her that makes her more comfortable now that she’s a Canadian girl but  Dahlia’s protesting behaviour of the snow is very fitting for this former abused dog who is now living the life of a diva.

As the holidays approach, its becoming more and more likely Lucy won’t have a family of her own for Christmas. While it breaks my heart this sweet, loving girl will be without the family she deserves, I at least know she will have a wonderful Christmas with me and my family.  Rumour has it Lucy is even on Santa’s nice list and he will be leaving her presents along with Flipflop, Dahlia and the cats (Sixx and Angel).

I often wonder if the reason Lucy is taking a while to get adopted, is because of her breed, Jack Russell Terrier (JRT) mix.  While JRTs are known for their stubbornness, attitudes, high energy and are one of the top 10 dogs surrendered to shelters, in the right environment and with proper training this breed can thrive.

Lucy is a mix, not sure what else is in her, but she definitely does not have the typical JRT traits.  While she does love to run and chase squirrels like a typical JRT, she is actually more chilled out than my 3 year old Potcake.  For a two year old  JRT mix, Lucy is very calm.  After her walks, she curls up and sleeps and when she’s feeling restless she loves to empty the pet toy box and see what suits her mood for that moment.  Some days she loves to take an antler and just chew, other days she thoroughly enjoys squeaking a toy, and of course destuffing a stuffed toy has its moments too.

Lucy is still timid of strangers, but is making great progress.  A couple days ago, I had a few people stop by throughout the day and I was very impressed with Lucy’s socialization.  And not surprising, those who met her thought she was an absolute sweetheart.

I know Lucy will find her forever family and when she does, that will be one very lucky family!

I get asked a lot about fostering and what it entails.  The truth is there’s a lot online about it and any rescue or shelter would be happy to share their program details with you.  That said, I’m very passionate about what I do, so I am always happy to share with others anything I can about being a foster parent.

When you foster, you are providing a loving home to a special animal in need. The rescue will usually cover all your expenses for the pet (food, vet care, etc.) however; will not be responsible for any damages that the foster  may cause.  That said, the expectation is that you are a responsible person and will provide for a safe environment for your foster, which includes crating, if necessary.

If you’re interested in fostering, you should connect with your local shelter(s) and/or rescues, and they can talk you through their programs in detail.  At a high level, you provide a caring home for the pet and get it ready to go to a forever home.  You’ll work with the pet on any behavioural and/or trust issues, socialize the animal, as needed, and anything else the animal may need.

You have to be prepared, these animals are likely rescued (some with no previous homes), which means they could have come from the streets, abusive homes, puppy mills, hoarders, shelters, etc.  They each have their own set of baggage and some adapt quicker than others.  It’s your job as their foster parent to work with the agency you are fostering for and the animal to help him/her overcome any issues.

Once you select the organization you wish to foster for, you will have to go through a process, similar to the process one goes through to adopt.  You’ll complete an application and provide references.  A home inspection may also be required to ensure everyone in the household is on board with fostering, as well as advise you on any potential risks to the animal.

I cannot even begin to express how rewarding it is to see the dogs I foster coming out of their shells.  It’s the most amazing feeling in the world when my timid foster starts wanting to be near me, or starts figuring out how to play.  My previous foster, Dahlia, who I ended up adopting, is still so grateful every day to be loved and fed, it’s absolutely heart breaking and warming at the same time.

As your foster comes more and more out his/her shell, they will start bonding with you and your family, and you will likely bond with them too. Don’t worry its part of the process, and lets face it, you wouldn’t be considering fostering if you didn’t love animals; as your foster starts bonding with you it’s learning to trust humans, which is a great sign.

Eventually, it could be a week, it could be months, the right family will be found for your foster pet.  That’s when you’ll have another rewarding experience knowing that you helped an animal in need waiting for you.

It is an emotional experience, as a human, to have this pet you love leave your home, but you also know there’s another animal in need waiting who needs your help.

People often say to me they don’t know how I can foster as they would fall in love with every one of them – I do!  But I also know that if I don’t foster that’s one less dog who can be saved.  Fostering is  the best decision I ever made, yes I shed a selfish tear or two, when the dog goes to his/her new home, but I would much rather have a dog come into my life, help it grow into a pet and go to an amazing home, than to do nothing to help the many dogs in need around the globe.

 

 

Lucy came into my home as my foster in September. She’s a Jack Russel Terrier mix and sweet as can be.  I don’t know a lot about Lucy’s past, she is originally from Mexico but was adopted out in Canada before she was 1.

Lucy’s Canadian family split up and apparently there were three dogs, the female took two of them and the male claimed he was moving in with his brother and couldn’t take Lucy.  So she was surrendered back to the rescue.  They told the rescue all sorts of fabrications of behavioural issues, which I knew within a week of having Lucy they made up to make themselves seem like they were less horrible people for not wanting her.

Lucy was put into a pet centre when she was surrendered.  She did not do well in this environment at all, the excitement of the other dogs scared her, it was noisy and she was confused.  Lucy was getting depressed, she was starting to break down and refusing to come out of her crate for play and socialization.

Lucy needed to get into a foster home ASAP.  I had just adopted out Sally/Tess and the rescue asked if I could take Lucy immediately.  It was a Friday evening, I was going away for the weekend but arranged to pick up Lucy on the Sunday evening.  When I first met her she was so scared she was crawling on her belly.  It broke my heart!

I got her outside and immediately went down to my knees so I appeared less scary to her and she stood up for me.  I talked to her a few minutes and then took her home.

My friend and neighbour (Auntie Janet, as she’s known to my dogs), met me outside with my two forever dogs – ALWAYS introduce new dogs to your dogs in neutral territory.  Immediately upon meeting Flipflop (my 3 year old forever dog), Lucy was in love.  She took to Flipflop immediately and him to her.  In fact, integrating Lucy into our home has been the easiest foster integration to date!  The two “terriers” as I call them, as they both have JRT in them, became instant BFFs.

Lucy is 2 years old and a sweetheart.  She loves to chase squirrels, play with dogs (when off leash – on leash she is not as confident), and snuggle.  This morning I was working out at home and as I laid on the floor to do some crunches Lucy laid on top of me and wanted to just keep kissing my face.  It was SO annoying, in the sweetest way!

Lucy is on the smaller size of medium – about 35 lbs. The perfect size for snuggles.  After her walks she loves to crawl up on my bed and sleep. And when I walk in my room she looks at me and gives her tail a soft wag as she remains resting.

When she wants to play she loves stuffed toys (destuffing them of course), or wrestling with Flipflop.  Outside she loves to play fetch or chase with other dogs, unless of course a squirrel catches her eye!  I really hope when we find Lucy’s forever home, they have a canine sibling for her to play with.

Lucy is available for adoption through Royal Canadian Pooch.