A year ago at this time, I was fostering Lucy. A Jack Russell Terrier mix who was just 2 years old when her owners decided to surrender her to rescue due to a divorce.  Lucy was with us for 6 months before she picked her family.

Over the months since she’s been adopted, her family and I have been in touch and have had several failed attempts for a play date, but we finally got one that came together.

I imagined our reunion to be a happy one, which it was.  I pictured Lucy running to me with excitement the moment she heard my voice, which she did not………….

When we arrived at Lucy’s home, she was outside waiting with her mom.  I got out of the car and started talking to her, but she barked at me and backed away, staying close to her mom.  I know Lucy, so I understood her insecurities, I also knew she was now bonded to her forever family (as she should be) and was protecting her mom.  I stopped trying to get Lucy to come to me and went to the car and  brought Dahlia out.

The moment Lucy smelled Dahlia, all her memories came rushing back, she stopped barking at me and immediately ran over to me and jumped up and hugged me.  We had a few minutes of pets and hugs and kisses and then I went back to the car and let out Flipflop.

Flipflop and Lucy loved each other from the moment they met.  They were inseparable and best friends.  The moment I let Flipflop out and he and Lucy saw each other, it was like no time had passed.  They immediately started chasing one another and running around Lucy’s amazing yard.

We took the dogs for a walk through the woods, while Lucy and Flipflop ran, chased and wrestled, Dahlia held back with me and Lucy’s mom.  While running through the woods and showing Flipflop her favourite spots to swim, Lucy would take a time out once and a while to run back to me and jump up for pets and hugs.   She definitely remembered us all!

After our walk, we went inside for a cup of tea, where Lucy sat quietly by my legs the whole time to be pet.  It was so nice to spend time with her again and see her so happy!!

When it was time for us to leave, Lucy walked us out to my car.  Dahlia got in immediately, Flipflop gave Lucy a little nuzzle and then hopped in.  I gave Lucy a hug and told her how happy I was for her.  Lucy smelled the car, almost like she was trying to figure out if she should get in or stay. She stayed, she choose her family 6 months ago and she happily wanted to stay with them now.

There were times when I worried Lucy would never find her match,  but she knew what she was doing and waited for the perfect home for her.  I am so grateful Lucy’s family opened up their home to her, and to us to come and visit her.

Willie and Bambi left my home three weeks ago.  The shelter contacted me and said there was room for the two.  It was, as I expected, a sad moment for me. It broke  my heart to know they would be shelter dogs, but I also knew that this meant they would be posted for adoption and on their way to finding forever homes.

I thought of them often, checking the site to see if they are still on there, even though the shelter promised to keep me in the loop on their adoptions.  It’s hard being a foster mom, for me anyway, but it is even harder to let the dogs go when they don’t have homes. This was my second experience with this, and it was just as hard as the first time.

And then a week and a half after the shelter took them in,  I saw a message from a member of the humane society board.  Bambi was approved for adoption.  I was so happy for Bambi and heartbroken that Willie was being left behind. I did check on Willie, however; and was told they separated the pups a few days ago to see how they are on their own, and Willie was happy, healthy and quite content.

I have been in touch with Bambi’s mom, who has shared photos of Bambi quite happy at home with her new family.  Her name has been changed to Vanya and she is trying to encourage her two feline siblings to play with her.  I can tell from the couple of conversations I had with Vanya’s mom, and the photos of Vanya owning her new home, that she is definitely where she is supposed to be.  Lucky lady.

Just a few days after Vanya’s adoption,  I got another message, Willie found his forever home! I heard from his mom and she is smitten with him.  As we expected, Willie is taking some time to adjust to his new surroundings, but he is coming around quickly.

I am so excited these siblings have found their families, and the best part is both families are interested in the pups staying in one another lives.  They have exchanged numbers and will arrange play dates for Vanya and  Willie to be to life long friends.

With most rescues their actual date of birth and age is unknown and is estimated.  Flipflop was 8-12 weeks old when I got him, so I decided to give him the age of 10 weeks and calculated his birthday to be September 3rd.

I look at him now and it amazes me on how he’s grown and matured.  Fostering other dogs has really matured him.  I look at his face,  seeing white where black fur was once dominate, it makes my heart sad.  But I remind myself that he’s only four years old.

I reflect back to when I got him, just a small pup, with more confidence than I’d ever seen.  Flipflop had more energy than I ever came across in my life, the Jack Russel in him so obvious!  I couldn’t tire him enough, so he ended up at daycare 5 days a week, and then slowly his days there became less as he matured.  Just recently he’s stopped going to daycare, as he has reached a point where I am able to give him suffice exercise, finally!!!

Every now and then that crazy Potcake energy comes out and Flipflop becomes completely unmanageable, but after a good run or play with a friend, he calms down and his crazy energy out burst passes.  Unlike when he was a puppy and these bursts would last for days, now they last for a couple hours and aren’t frequent at all.

He still loves to play fetch and run and be chased but most importantly, he still loves to give me hugs and snuggle up to me while I am watching TV.

When I had Dupont I felt I would never love another dog as much as I loved him.  I was wrong, I love all my dogs deeply, but like the people in our lives, all the dogs are different.  The love for one does not out weigh the love you had or have for another.  Your heart just keeps expanding and loving more.

Flipflop on the beach in Bahamas, after being rescued.

Flipflop on the beach in Canada, a few years later.

Happy fourth birthday to my sweet baby boy.

Bambi

Bambi is a leader, while I wouldn’t say she has the characteristics of an alpha, she is confident, feisty and definitely a leader in her pack.  Upon first meeting Bambi she was full of life and wasted no time grabbing dog toys and exploring.

Bambi loves her big foster sister Dahlia.  Bambi will make an effort to jump up (as Dahlia is quite a bit larger than her) and nuzzle Dahlia’s neck until Dahlia literally can’t stand it anymore.  Even as Dahlia starts to growl and warn Bambi she’s had enough, Bambi refuses to stop.  She is a girl who knows what she wants to do!  Fortunately for Bambi, Dahlia is not aggressive and will never bite, and fortunately for Dahlia, I have her back and remove Bambi.

Bambi loves to play chase, and if no one is running, she will gleefully run herself in a circle. She is learning to play fetch, but so far just gets the ball and then runs around with it. She also enjoys wrestling with her brother, Willie, and rolling in the grass is on the top of her list!

Her sleek doberman looks get her lots of attention, she is small and gets mistaken as a doberman pup (she’s a mutt). Depending on how the light hits her fur, she sometimes looks like a red doberman or a black one, but she is neither, her brindle legs show her mix and her size is too large for min pin and too small for doberman!

And then there are her ears! She looks like she could use them as wings and fly away, which just adds to her adorableness.

Willie

Bambi’s liter mate, Willie, was shy and slightly timid when I met him two weeks ago.  He’s grown so much in the time I’ve had him.

Upon arriving in Canada, Willie would never be seen far from his sister.  He looked to Bambi for everything, to teach him and comfort him.  His confidence has grown a great deal! While he still loves his sister and they play together a lot, Willie will now venture away from Bambi’s side to play with Flipflop or other dogs we encounter on our walks.  He is starting to be less timid of people he meets on the street and is starting to want everyone to stop and say hello to him.

Willie loves to wrestle, his favourite dog toys are the rope ones and also loves Dahlia but tends to migrate more to Flipflop.

Willie’s cuteness is not to be overshadowed by his beautiful sister.  While his markings are few on his face, he has beautiful brindle socks and all you have to do is pick him up and he will go limp in your arms and snuggle with you for days.

I am so proud of Willie for his growth, he’s no longer a scared pup who needs to be by Bambi’s side to feel safe, he’s come into his own.  And while he still enjoys the company of his sister very much, he no longer looks to her for reassurance, he’s learned he’s safe and loved.

Both Bambi and Willie are being adopted out by http://www.hsdr.org.  They are a bonded pair so the hope is they will get adopted into the same home.

I was sitting at work, it was around noon on Monday and my mind wondered to home.  “I wonder how they’re doing.” I thought to myself.  Just then my company’s CEO (and fellow animal lover) popped in my office door, “how are the babies?” she asked, knowing I had just received two new fosters the previous night.

“OH, Karen,” I said, “it’s awful, it’s not even been 24 hours and I’m in love with them!  I’m so emotional, I really am a horrible foster! I shouldn’t do it”  Karen smiled at me and said, “Yes, you should.”

Willie and Bambi, were found living on the streets of Antigua, with three of their siblings. Arrangements were made to bring Willie and Bambi to Canada to be adopted out by the Humane Society of Durham Region.  I agreed to foster them until there is room in the shelter for them.

Bambi

Willie

Being the first time I had two fosters at the same time, and only the second time I fostered puppies (they are about 4 months old) I was a bit apprehensive, but as usual, everything is working out fine.  A couple of friends offered up puppy play pens and I took one of them up on it.  It took Bambi not even 24 hours, to learn to climb the puppy pen like a ladder and get out.  I placed a fitted sheet over the top now and it seems to have stopped her from climbing!

Bambi and Willie love to be together and feel safe and secure in their pen, even when I am home and they have free range of the place, they often go to their pen for naps.  They have also started hoarding their favourite toys in the pen.

It’s been interesting watching the dynamics between the two pups and my pets.  Flipflop is used to taking fosters under his care and teaching them.  But Bambi and Willie rely on each other and don’t look to him for guidance………or so I thought.  While the two siblings are inseparable and play with one another, they do seem to be learning from Flipflop and Dahlia.

They picked up on leash walking in less than 24 hours, which was incredible considering the first walk I took them on, they didn’t seem to know how to walk at all!  They started only going potty outside within 36 hours and just last night they started trying to mimic Flipflop and Dahlia’s rolling in the grass!

I’m excited to see these two continue to learn and grow as they become more and more accustomed to life in Canada.  They will be leaving me in a week or two to go to the humane society to find their forever home(s), I will definitely keep tabs on them!

You can find out more about adoption of Willie and Bambi and other amazing dogs at http://www.hsdr.org.

I never wanted another dog, once Dupont was gone, I told myself, I would foster in his honour, but I never wanted to own another dog again. I knew, as Dupont must have, that losing him would be the end of me.  Dupont also knew, better than I did, that I needed a dog in my life, whether I agreed or not.  So somehow, through devine intervention, Dupont led me to Flipflop.

Upon first site of his photo, I was making arrangements to meet Flipflop (Smokey was his rescue name), to date I don’t know what came over me, which is why I feel Dupont somehow made me do it!

Within days of Flipflop arriving in Canada, he was adopted by me.  Three months later, Dupont left this earth, and it was every bit as painful as I knew it would be.  He was my world.  But I couldn’t stay in bed and cry my days away, he left me with Flipflop, who was just a 4 months old and needed me.

When Flipflop turned two I decided it was time to make good of my promise to Dupont.  I would start fostering dogs and help as many as I could find good homes.  And so with that, I started reaching out to my networks in the rescue community.  It wasn’t long before I had my first foster.

In the past 20 months I’ve had 10 fosters, with each one I grew more relaxed and confident and Flipflop has matured greatly and has embraced each foster, in his own way.

This morning, while I sipped my coffee, I watched Flipflop and Daisy play. I realized with each foster I am learning to appreciate Flipflop more and  more.  How he studies each new dog and befriends them, it is always so interesting and amazing to watch.  My heart filled with pride and love as he wrestled with the puppy so gently, taking breaks to come over to me for praise for being a good boy.

With each new foster I fall more and more in love with Flipflop and our bond becomes stronger and stronger as we send off each dog to their forever homes and welcome new ones in.

“I’m getting TWO of Daisy’s litter mates Saturday night until Monday!  Would be so adorable to meet up and get the puppies together to play.”  That was the text I received from a good friend of mine and fellow foster-mom/dog owner, Sarah.  Of course, I immediately responded and plans were made to reunite Daisy and two of her siblings.

On Sunday, I excitedly took Daisy to meet her siblings at Sarah’s home.  I expected a joyful reunion, with pups jumping up and down with glee that they are reunited again.  Boy was I wrong, Daisy’s siblings, Ruby and Penny, we’re snuggled together sleeping, Daisy laid down and ignored them.  Sarah and I were puzzled, she also expected the pups to be much more excited about being together again.

Sarah and I decided to leave the puppy pen and go to the kitchen to have a coffee and watch the pups from there.  It wasn’t long after Sarah and I left the puppy pen that the siblings started interacting together.

After a few minutes of the pups getting reacquainted, Sarah and I decided to move the party outside.  The three siblings ran and wrestled and had so much fun with another.  It was such a special moment.

And just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better, later that afternoon I received a message that an acquaintance of mine, Casey, had been approved to adopt Daisy!  My sweet girl will be leaving this week to go to her forever home.

Daisy’s siblings are also adoptable through http://www.hsdr.org.

She’s 12 weeks old and adorable!  But then again, what puppy isn’t?!  Daisy is my foster from Turks & Caicos, I am taking care of her for the Humane Society of Durham Region  (www.hsdr.org).

I have to admit, I was not looking forward to Daisy’s arrival, puppies are exhausting and although I have rescued puppies of my own, I had never fostered a pup.  I expected it to be a challenge, I expected the pup to cry all night, to potty everywhere and I thought she would torment Flipflop and Dahlia.

When Daisy arrived, I did my usual introduction to Flipflop and Dahlia.  Since she was so young and small, there was very little interest in her by my dogs.  Even when we went upstairs to my place, Flipflop grumbled a bit, Dahlia didn’t care the puppy was there and Daisy was interested in exploring her new place.  It was very uneventful.

It was very late so I put Daisy in her crate and went to bed. That is when the temper tantrum started, Daisy was not impressed. Realizing it was 1 am and my neighbours would not appreciate hearing this screaming dog, I broke my own rule and took her out of the crate.  I took the small pup to my bed and we all slept soundly until Flipflop decided it was time to get up 6 hours later.

The next day went very well, Daisy is a sponge, watching and learning from Flipflop and Dahlia.  Daisy tries to play with them, but they are so much larger than she is, she’s often overlooked or gets knocked over.  She watches Flipflop intently while he runs carrying his leash, she tries to pick up hers and sometimes she is successful, other times she finds it hard and ends up watching Flipflop again for more tips.

I’m looking forward to watching Daisy continue to grow and learn while she is in my care.  Whoever ends up adopting this pup will be very lucky, she’s a very special girl.

I was feeding Daisy in the kitchen but after her very first meal, she stopped eating and insisted on being fed with the other dogs!

***FOSTERS NEEDED*** I read, and saw that there was a chance to get a couple of “adult” dogs off the Island off Turks and Caicos, if fosters were found.  With Rose being adopted, and knowing that the rescue I work with was not due to have another intake of dogs until the fall, I responded to the email.

The Human Society of Durham Region (HSDR) has a wonderful Potcake program, and when they can, they bring dogs from the Islands for adoption.  I haven’t posted on Island dogs yet, which is funny since Flipflop is one, a future blog post, I suppose!

I have been on HSDR’s email list for a while but have not had the opportunity to assist them, yet.  I had to go through their process to be approved as a foster. I completed the forms and watched their foster video.  The video was not anything I wasn’t aware of, but its a great video for people new to fostering in general.  The slide that really caught my attention was “Think with your head, not your heart.”

It addresses the importance of doing this when fostering.   It is very easy (in fact too easy) to fall in love with every foster.  It is also very tempting to want to keep them all, but that is not what fostering is about.  Fostering is about getting the dog ready to go to its forever home, or in the case of HSDR to the shelter to be adopted.

The slide talks about the importance of what a foster home’s responsibility and duty is and the importance of letting your foster go.  I loved the slide because I hear time and time again (and pretty sure I’ve ranted in my blog a time or two) about people who don’t understand and say things such as they couldn’t do it as they would fall in love with the dog (can’t think of one foster I had where I didn’t sob when they left because – yep – you guessed it, I fell in love with him/her).  Or how they couldn’t do it as it would break their hearts, yes my heart breaks every time one leaves, but what happens to strays and unwanted dogs in this world breaks my heart even more!

And while I sob and mend my broken heart – which one special rescuer said to me, “it’s not your heart breaking it’s your heart expanding to make room for another dog” – I think of the amazing life that dog who just left my home is going to have with their forever family.  And of course, what adventure the next foster will bring into my world.

My HSDR foster is expected to arrive August 5th, weather permitted (dogs can’t fly when the temperature is over or under a certain degree).  I will definitely get on line and share their story and the love my pack and I develop for them.

https://www.hsdr.org/