Where to begin...?

How about back at the beginning? 

A month ago today, my family entered the thrilling, roller coaster ride of fostering rescue dogs while they await their "furever families". I decided we should probably keep a record or journal of how this is all going to work out. Chronicling the effort not only for my family, but as a way for BFDR to keep an eye on the rather lovely animals they entrust to us. A place for us to provide pictures, stories and progress reports on the pups, and maybe a place for BFDR to refer people who just may be a perfect fit for the dogs we foster. I am a softie. When it comes to babies and furbabies. I want to save every single child or dog that lacks a home. By save, I mean grace a creature who is lacking a "home" with a taste of what it is like to belong to one.  I've wanted to do this for quite some time - but always figured I probably had my hands full enough. Ten kids in the house will do that to you, I hear. Fostering is a big decision. It requires your entire family to not only consent - but to embrace the idea. 'Cause let's be honest here, everyone will need to chip in and help at one time or another. About a year and a half ago, we began discussing getting a dog. Looking in our area ( We live in Somersworth, NH ), your options, in my humble opinion are as follows:

1. Buy a pup from a pet store. You know, a dog that was most likely the product of a puppy mill - something no animal lover in their right mind wants to do. Maybe buy a nifty "designer breed". You know, a puggle - a morkie or maybe a schnoodle, that will cost you, no doubt, a tidy sum. Far more than anyone buying a mutt should be paying.
2. Search Craigslist ( or something like it) . Find a wonderful companion that most likely came from no.1, above - was backyard bred for a quick, irresponsible ( to the dog in mention, but to the process of furthering the quality of a particular breed in general) buck, an accidental litter,or is from a "reseller"- someone who either steals or gets a pup for free, with the intention of making money - and not caring about the life the dog is going to have. This dog will most likely NOT be vetted , vaccinated  or trained. Your big bucks spent here on the "small rehoming fee" is entirely to line the pockets of a jerk who doesn't want his dog anymore.I'll be honest, I have an entire Craigslist rant - that I will save for another time.
3. Word of mouth - Basically just hope one of your friends has a friend, who knows a lady whos uncle has an "X" that he needs to get rid of, like yesterday. Then start to hope that "X" was raised to be socialized with both people and animals, and has never had any "issues". Like ohhhhh, biting little Tommy's face - or killing nice old Mrs. Chasse's prized kitty, "Mr.Bojangles"
4. Reputable breeder . The kind of people that want nothing more than to promote responsible breeding and ownership of a particular breed. These people, if they do it right, and aren't making bank on the dog some other way (doggie modeling, perhaps? Doggie stunt doubles?), never really MAKE any money in the process. Because let's face it- genetic testing, vetting, feeding housing and caring for a particular breed is damned expensive. This is quite clearly the most responsible, loving way to honor the dog in general, but also to assure you are adding a healthy, disease and defect free, temperment and breed specific trait based bred and raised furbaby to your family. And most expensive way, as well. Oh- and while you can find equally expensive pets on Craigslist- they are NOT- dont even think they MAY be - the quality, healthy, well cared for, responsibly raised animals that a REPUTABLE, KNOWLEDGABLE, RESPONSIBLE  breeder is going to provide you with. 

Looks like my decision is pretty easy to make, no? No. I am broke. I am far too convinced my beliefs regarding the proper, reputable, respectable manner in which to bring more dogs into the world is RIGHT, and the others are wrong.

SO, how did I happen to fall into becoming a foster momma?

It goes a little something like this:

Phoenix.

No, not the alarmingly hot and dry city in Arizona. Our adopted pup from a shelter in Greenville, SC. We were ready to add a pup to our family and I not only cannot afford a breeders prices at this time, but wanted to give a home to a dog that would otherwise be put to sleep. Someone referred us to Greenville and we spent a few weeks browsing the email sent to us weekly listing their dogs to be euthanized. Eventually we came across one pup that I don't even rememeber the name of at the moment and we emailed the shelter. Greenville is responsible and run by very caring people - they suggested that our choice may not be right for our family and introduced us to the idea of Phoenix. Something about her super sad puppy face in the kennel spoke to me and I felt she was it. The family agreed ( not an easy thing to come by with 13 people lol ). So, we paid her pull fee to save her life. $60.00. Sad that it takes so little to save a life. Sadder still that so few get saved.We then arranged transport through an amazing non profit who hauls vanloads of adopted and rescued dogs up north, every week. Two weeks later Kaylee and I drove an hour away and met the transport van in Nashua, NH. We were presented with a happy, shy, friendly...grateful...freshly fixed, microchipped, fully vaccinated dog. So we took her home -

She eventually learned what toys were and while she still wont fetch, she does sit, stay, get down, comes when called, sleeps in bed with whoever will allow it and can chase a ball with the best of them. Just don't expect her to bring it back lol






Now, a year later we were beginning to feel like Weenie (aka Phoenix) would really benefit from a pal. About the same time I was trying to figure out how we were going to add another pup to our family, the tornados hit Tennessee, displacing many many dogs and puppies from homes as well as foster situations. Big Fluffy Dog Rescue is a group I follow and repost info for on Facebook, in hopes of being able to help from a distance, and they were in dire need to place foster pups in New England. On a whim I offered, filled out the application - and waited. Two weeks later Kaylee, Rylie and I were on our way to Salem to meet BFDR transport and pick up Nathan =)

   

As you  can probably see, we were right, Weenie needed a pal. It will be a sad day when Nathan goes to his new forever home.

But this is what it's all about...doing the best you can to help where it's needed. Fostering is important. It's necessary. It's rewarding. If you can do it, please do - it's so worth it!