We have always been a family of dog lovers. My husband is still working on his plans for a glorified dog kennel to build for the dog grands when they come to visit.
With two of the boys now living in Covington there are only two living across the lake who would need this, and in all honesty, I doubt any of our dogs would choose to lounge in a kennel when they have a 3,000 square foot doghouse equipped with a doggie bed in almost every room to sprawl out.
Over the past 36 years we have had many pets and very few were bought with money. Having said that, I did go out and purchase a black lab eight and a half years ago to surprise my husband. He and Chief were literally best buds. He would follow him all over the house and yard, and when Clay would go out of town, I swear he would roll his eyes when I would go to feed him.
Unfortunately, Chief was poisoned by a neighbor who was either ruthless, ignorant, or trying to rid himself of wild animals. I wrote recently about people who move from the city in search of country life, and that is its own ridiculous tale. However, Clay insisted we not get another dog as we still have Chloe, the two-year-old Shi Zu. And the almost sixteen-year-old rescue dog we still believe to be part coyote because I rescued him and his siblings in a field.
The absence of Chief, our 125-pound pet, left a much larger gap than I realized when I assured Clay we would not get another dog. I noticed how bummed Clay was when he had to put away all the doggie gates and there just seemed to be so much extra space. I felt certain we would get accustomed to this change, but then I got a message from a daughter-in-law who volunteers at our local pound. I never knew one could foster dogs. I had always talked back and forth over the years about fostering children, but our lives were way too busy. And on the day I got this information I happened to be working at a high school just about a half a mile from the pound.
I went by to inquire about this and was intrigued by this program that most people have no clue about. The problem is once the pound gets full it is full, and when I visited it, the dogs were two to a small pen. They need fosters for mid-to-large size older dogs and had we not had toddler grandchildren I would have been happy to do this. But older dogs are rightfully nervous around littles. So, I took a pup home that is going to be a mid-sized dog as a foster baby until she finds a home.
The great thing about fostering is the pound pays for everything. All the food, the kennel, the shots, the vet visits, and getting them spayed or neutered. All you have to provide is a fenced space to lounge around and be loved. But I have come to realize there is much more to this. When we first got Bella, she had obviously spent the first 13 years of her life in a box or kennel because she had no clue what to do outside of that setting. And she panicked when I put her in grass like she had never seen it before.
She had no idea how to be held or petted. She jumped if you cleared your throat. I set up a pen outside with doggie gates for her to spend 30 minutes at a time in the shade getting used to the grass because I am a firm believer animals and kids need fresh air and sunshine. We are now almost completely puppy pad trained. She enjoys laps and snuggles without panicking and the grandkids have taught her to sit and shake. Our next step will be learning to walk on a leash.
This is where fostering is most important. The people at the pound explained that a lot of people who adopt a dog will bring them back because they are very busy, and the dogs are not able to acclimate to the new environment.
I understand this now. It is a definite transition if the dog has been mistreated or ignored.
There is a family interested in Bella that has three small children. If this doesn't work out, I have a feeling she will become a Foreman.
Regardless I will continue this fostering program with the pound and would encourage others to consider it as well. The transition time will help the dogs to accept a loving home. It took Bella four days for her tail to finally wag.
