the first 24 hours... with Miss Gladys! (formerly Leia)

 Friday I was keeping my eye on the clock... counting down until I could leave work to go get my dog... I was very excited and nervous... this is, after all, a big decision... 

The ride to NH to get her seemed to take longer than it had the day I went to meet her... and I hoped she was as adorable as she was when I met her before.  She was!  

I got to her foster home and when I went in she greeted me as she had last time, front paws up calmly and leaned into me... I talked with her foster mom for a bit and got the final paperwork... and she became my girl!  

Her foster mom told me she is sweet but I will have to be stern with her, be her pack leader because she has a bit of a stubborn streak at times... (As we would say in my family... that's her Smith side coming out!)  

She put this to the test quickly... we walked out to the truck and when it came time to get in the UPS truck was pulling in... her foster mom said she would be distracted because she knows the UPS truck brings food/treats.  So.. I ended up having to lift her but into the truck... I hooked her into the seat belt leash and I'm not sure if either of us knew what to think.  She stood for a while and leaned her head into me from the back seat, but eventually she laid down... I kept reaching back and petting her... 

We got home and went for a nice walk before coming into the house. . I wanted her to be a bit tired before meeting the cats.  We walked about 1.75 miles and it seemed to work.  We came home and, as I have done with the fosters, I kept her on leash.  She was very curious about the house and the smells here... eventually we settled down and relaxed in the living room.  I sat on the floor with her because she seemed a bit more relaxed that way. 

 

She chewed on a bone for a while... on her new bed... (Sorry Stella, it really is for Gladys!)  

After feeding her, using the Take it or Leave it approach I saw on this video 

She learned quickly... and after a bit was happy to just leave it and not eat any more.  

After that she laid down and  I brushed her... and brushed her... and brushed her... I got a TON of fur off her... this is going to be one of the challenges with her.  I am going to have to keep up with brushing and keep up with cleaning up the fur!  

She loved it...

 

She kept rotating to I could brush all of her... so sweet... I also used that time to touch her feet, wiggle her toes, play with her ears, touch her mouth, etc., so that she is used to me toughing them so it would be easier to cut her nails when needed. 

Eventually she crashed...

Much to my surprise, Stella, who I anticipated would be the second of the two cats to try to socialize with her, seems very curious about the dog...and while Gladys was sleeping snuck onto her bed... Gladys did so well, she was making these little noises because she was so excited, but didn't want to scare Stella.... but she couldn't help herself... kept inching closer and eventually Stella swatted her... and she appropriately retreated.   Gladys seems to really want to be friends with the cats... they need more time... but... she is not aggressive like that yorkie was... she wants to play!  

I wasn't too sure how we would make it through the night... Gladys needs some training with the crate so I didn't think it was  the best approach.. but her leash easily attached to the foot of my bed... and she settled down pretty well...She chose sleeping right beneath me vs on the bed that was nearby... I think she slept more than I did.  I kept waking up listening to see if she was ok... I think I will sleep better tonight! 

Today... I want her to get used to the space she will have when I am at work... so I gated off the hall and let her off elash... the gate is just high enough for the cats to get under, but she cannot quite fit... but don't, for a minute, think she hasn't tried!  Stella keeps getting close...and at one point when Gladys was relaxing on the floor Stella walked by her like she wasn't there and it startled Gladys a bit and she jumped to her feet and Stella hissed!  they then played a game of hide and be seen...Stella hid under the chairs beneath the center of the dining room table... and  she was just out of Gladys' reach... progress! 

We went for a nice walk this morning... about the same as last night's walk... and I fell... after picking up some poop I slipped on some ice... I am sure for anyone who saw it, it was funny... my thought was oh dog don't let me land on you... fortunately I didn't let go of the leash and didn't hurt myself... Gladys seemed to wonder what I was doing and we continued on our way.  

Gladys had a vet appointment at 2:00.  Although the organization from which I adopted her had taken her to a vet for a health check I felt it was important to get her checked out and meet her vet... 

At one point we were stopped and I rolled down the window to see what she would do... she stood up and seemed to like the fresh air... and I was grateful for the safety belt leash! 

Her vet loved her!  She said Gladys (whose name she loved!)  is part pyranese and perhaps some irish setter, Australian shepherd... She and the vet tech couldn't get over her... couldn't believe how pretty she is.  The vet said she used to have two great pyranese and that Gladys reminded her of them... though she is much smaller... she is 44 pounds.  It was cute.. between different parts of the visit Gladys would come over to me and sit down, almost checking in... when the vet checked her ears, Gladys did not like that and she came over to me and leaned into me... the vet smiled and said.. it seems like she has already made you her person!  I think we do pretty well together... 

After the vet we went to the beach.. and walked for another mile and a half or so... This walk was hard.. she wanted to pull a lot.. there were so many smells and so many other dogs, plus a pair of horses.  There were several unleashed dogs at the beach... which made me nervous... she got VERY excited when other dogs came towards her and would stand up on her hind legs... I didn't want other dog owners to be intimidated, but at the same time... keep your dogs on a leash... as it worked out... the other owners encouraged the interactions... and oooooed and ahhhhed over Gladys and loved her name.  They couldn't believe she was a rescue dog, that anyone would give her up... 

The walk was good, but was a challenge for us both... she wanted to pull and I am trying to train her not to... so lots of stopping and waiting and redirecting... one of the cutest things she did on the beach was try to chase the bubbles that get left on the sand when the waves go back out... she was so funny, jumping around to try to get them. 

Then... in the truck... she fell asleep almost immediately... I feel ya sister!  I could have fallen asleep too if I didn't have to drive!

 

We are now home relaxing, waiting for our first house guests, hoping she does well having guests... then we will probably relax a bit more and go to bed early!  

Oh... I also learned that I have to be careful when using tug of war toys with her.. she LOVES it... but she gets so excited... she bit me today, not super hard, but hard enough that it hurt...but she was going for the toy... so I need to work on that a bit... 

It's a process... so far so good! 

Life will change... I'm gonna be a doggie mom!

As I have been fostering dogs I have also been looking  at several websites and seeing how many dogs there are that are in need of homes... Some of the dogs have faces that make me melt.  There was one dog that I saw named Leighanne that was in New Hampshire.  She reminded me of Mandy, my grandparents' dog, from when I was a kid... and she was a german shepherd and a rottweiler mix.  She was appealing to me because she was a medium sized dog, the mix of breeds, and she looked so loving... so I reached out to the rescue group and inquired about her.  She already had a family that had started the adoption process for her... but they interviewed me to see what kind of dog I would be interested in, what my life is like, and what activities I would want to do with a dog.  

They told me if they found another dog that they thought was a match.  The next day I got an email from them telling me that they had come across a dog that they thought would be a good match for me.  They said they never get descriptions of dogs that mention liking the water...but on that day they had gotten a dog that LOVED water... She was similar in size to the other dog and looked to be a real sweetheart... and they sent me this picture and asked if I was interested noting she wasn't yet listed on their site because they thought she and I were meant to be! 

 Look at that face!!  

They said she was an Australian shepherd mix...9 months old...and Look at that face!!!  

I asked if she was cat tested because that is crucial for me in getting a dog... and they said they would find out... I said if she was good with cats I would be very interested... 

So... they found out that Leia (a name I will change because I am not a star wars fan...)  was cat tested and she passed.  Yahoo!!!  So they asked if I wanted to meet her and if it was a match I could bring her home by the end of the month... I was very excited and nervous!  (What if she didn't like me?!)  

So I drove about an hour to NH over narrow and icy roads (gps took me on side roads I will not drive on again in the winter!)  and when I got to the house I knocked on the door and when it was opened I saw an army of dogs... including two huge great danes!  But in between those huge dogs was Leia... I thought it was her but she was MUCH fluffier than she looked in her photo... but she, through the pack of 2 great danes, a basset/beagle mix, a coon hound, and a couple of other dogs, got to me and gently put her front paws up on me and leaned into me and let me give her some love for a few minutes!  Oh my goodness... she was cute! 

She looked a bit bigger than I had expected, but she is a sweetheart.  The foster mom kept all the other dogs inside while we went out on the back deck with Leia.  She knows how to sit... and with some encouragement can lay down... and comes when she is called... and she loves to be brushed... which is a good thing with that coat!!  

We went through the paperwork the foster mom had been given... didn't share much... just that she had been listed on craigslist... (please people, do not put your pets on craigslist!)  and had been somehow put in a shelter in Massachusetts... from there she would be coming into the rescue group with whom I had been in contact.  They somehow knew that she was crated a lot and she does not do well in a crate now... which is something I hope to work on... slowly... fortunately my house is set up in a way in which I can let her be in a few rooms where she should be okay when I am at work... Apparently the people who put her on craigslist said they were not ready for a puppy... so that's why they had crated her so much... yet she is so friendly! 

The foster mom went inside and let us have some time alone... I brushed her a bit more and she ended up laying on my lap and leaning into me.  So sweet... she was very interested in the other dogs that were in the house and in the yard, but would come back to me when I called her... She seems like such a sweet dog... the foster mom hasn't heard her barking except when there were strangers in the yard... she is playful with other dogs and submits when the other dogs put her in her place... 

So... I have decided to bring her home... I have a lot to learn about her and she has a lot to learn about me... but I hope we become great friends...

This is a photo of us from Sunday!  More photos to come!  Stay tuned! 

Yorkies... Not my breed..

Last week I was asked to foster a pair of yorkies... yes a pair... and I agreed.  The story was that they were mother/daughter and would do well in a small pen while I had them for the weekend... I agreed... knowing that the pace for which I foster knows my preferences for dogs and that I have cats... 

So... the duo was coming from Georgia... and apparently were being filmed as a way to show a dogs journey through the shelter/transport/foster process... so when I got to the shelter to pick them up I was met by a small group of folks who had traveled with the dogs from Georgia. 

They told me this pair was in their van and how cute and loving they were, as long as they were together.  So I loaded up the pen, the food, etc., and waited to meet them.  Not long after that one of the shelter workers came out with two leashes and two dogs... one on each side of her... next thing we knew they were in a fight!  I have never seen a dog fight before and this one happened fast... the shelter girl pulled them apart... and there was some blood... 

The shelter folks didn't seem too alarmed... they assumed that the dogs caught sight of another, larger dog that happened to be in a crate in the room where we were meeting... so they took both little dogs and fixed them up.  They told me I could still take both but they were in bite quarantine... meaning 10 days instead of 5... and that I would need to keep them separate and keep them both completely away from  my cats... 

I passed on that option..especially when they tried to reintroduce them together, away from all other dogs and both showed signs of aggression... 

I don't have the ability or knowledge on how to manage something like that... so I offered to take one of them... they agreed and said they would appreciate it if I kept one, the younger, for the full 10 days.  I said that I would try for the weekend, see how it went and let them know.  

Here she is... Yorkie Mcdoolittle...

She looks sweet enough.. and was...very sweet when it was just her and me... but... as soon as she saw my cats.. she freaked out.  Thankfully I kept her leashed at all times... I kept pretty good track of where the cats were and tried to work with her to distract her from them, but she was hyperfocused on them... super super hyperfocused... and... tried to get them a couple of times... very aggressive... I did not like that and would put her in her pen when she displayed that behavior.  She seemed to learn and improved...ever so slightly...until Sunday... 

She and I were on the couch.  I had gotten up to get some water and had secured the leash to my coffee table.. she was so little it was a suitable anchor.  

Not long after I sat back down I got interested in something I was reading and didn't realize one of the cats had come downstairs...suddenly (and a bit scary) she lunged and barked and because she was tethered hit the ground pretty yard... I felt badly about that.. but was so thankful she was leashed... otherwise I think she would have hurt the cats... 

After that the cats were freaked out... and I made arrangements to take her back on Monday as planned.  

I feel bad... I know it isn't her fault, that it is the lack of training and socialization she had... she was not housebroken... I think someone had her as a lap dog and didn't train her, other than to use pee pads... 

So... I foster failed... the foster coordinator said she didn't see it that way.. but I kind of did... though I learned a lot... about what  I don't want! 

That being said... though it has been short lived... I am done fostering for a while... 

Because... I have decided to adopt!! 

Sammy

I got an email last week from the foster coordinator asking if I could take Sammy, a beagle from Thursday until Saturday.  I said yes!  This was the photo they had sent to me.

 From the photo I assumed he was older... as they had not given me an age... but when I met him, I knew he was pretty young.  

When I first met him he didn't care who I was... he needed to go to the bathroom so all he cared about was that I was taking him outside.  After he went to the bathroom he started to be curious about me... and was very friendly.  

Something I had learned from Knots was that having a crate in my truck was not very convenient.  I didn't want to have to move the crate to and from my house in order to take the dog someplace and I didn't think it was realistic that I would practice that if I got a dog... but I do have an idea of what I would want from  a dog when in the truck.  I prefer the dog be in the back seat and need the dog to be secure so that I won't be distracted.  The back seats of my truck fold up and I thought that I could secure a dog using a leash that goes into the seat belt buckle.  So I bought these from Amazon: 

They are listed here on this link: Click Here

 It worked well!  Sammy quickly learned he couldn't wander and while he whimpered at first because he couldn't get to me, he settled down and was very calm when we were in the truck.  

Sammy has way more energy than Knots did!  He jumps, would leap from what seemed like joy, and was a character!  I posted a video to my facebook page, but don't have good luck sharing videos on blogs.. so I apologize you don't get to see him at his finest!  (Maybe I will start to post some videos on youtube to link them.. we shall see!) 

After playing and walking (he loved walking and I really enjoyed walking him!)  He, as a beagle, is very motivated by his nose... following any and all smells. I am surprised that I liked having him around and walking him as much as I did because he, like Knots, is a small dog.  I am not that knowledgeable about beagles, but if there are mini beagles, he may have been in that category.  

This is him after we had been on a walk, very relaxed...

Friday we got up and I took him outside to go to the bathroom.  My neighbor was outside and we greeted each other.  He asked if I had gotten a new dog and I explained that I was fostering.  I was surprised that as we moved closer to my neighbor, Sammy pulled back and barked.  My neighbor squatted down and spoke softly to Sammy.  He shook but approached my neighbor and accepted some affection...and eventually his tail started going... but he was still shaking... so maybe men make him nervous, or maybe it was just a new person... but either way he warmed up quickly which was nice to see... 

 I wasn't going to be home all day so he was left in his kennel, and by all appearances he did well.  This was a good lesson for me because I was worried dogs would hate it, but he seemed relaxed when I came home... so we went outside so he could go to the bathroom and then we got in the truck and headed to the beach.  

I assumed, being from Puerto Rico that he would love the beach.. but he was nervous.  I got the impression it was his first time at a beach... he was unsteady on the looser sand and when each wave crashed he was startled and moved further away from the water... I tried to reassure him but he continued to whimper and be nervous, so I stopped on a set of stairs for a few minutes and gave him a lot of attention and as he watched the water and smelled the air he seemed to calm a bit.  

Then I snuggled him a bit... and he seemed better...

So we tried again, walking on the beach...and he did great! He still walked away from the water when he heard the waves crash... I am sure that his pawprints left a funny pattern...straight then a bit outside, then straight... 

He was pretty energetic when we got back to the house, which surprised me.  I thought he would be tired, but we played a bit... for some reason chasing ice cubes was more fun than toys.  (learned accidentally when I dropped one!)  

As we relaxed on the couch later if I stopped petting him he would lick my hand and nibble on my fingers.. not aggressively, very gently... I need to learn more about that... it wasn't aggressive... but annoying... 

Sammy is a sweet dog... I really liked his size and his desire to walk.  He shed a lot, which I wonder is a breed thing... he would have made a good kayaking pal, sizewise...but I think his nose would make it hard for him to relax in a kayak... 

I took him to the shelter this morning, and learned he is going to be staying at a satellite adoption site, at an Inn...where potential adopters can meet him and inn guests will be allowed to take him for a walk if they want to.  The shelter said this is the place where the dogs are pampered... I hope so, he deserves it.  It was easier to drop him off than it had been with Knots... but had him for such a short time.. and he is a he! 

I wonder who I will get to foster next?

Knots, December 22

As I was making my final plans for Christmas I got an email from the foster coordinator to see if I could foster a chihuahua over Christmas...from Thursday 23rd to Monday the 26th.  

I wanted to say yes, but needed to check with the 'Rents (My father and his partner Betty, who I will reference here as my step mom, short for Parents...)  to see if they were okay with it.  They knew I had looked into fostering dogs, but, knowing my father he would not enjoy a barky ankle biter!  I also needed to check with my step sister because she was heading to their place for Christmas too, and bringing her cats.  I am very fortunate that everyone said yes.  So, I went to get Knots!  

(I should note, the shelter provides collar, leash, food, meds, puppy pads, toys, and in this case a sweater because she is so little and it is so cold!)  

I went to the shelter not knowing what to expect.  

I got there and said I was there to get Knots and I happened to get there as the people who had transported her to Maine from Georgia were leaving and they said she was a real sweetheart.  I had been told that Knots was a male, 8 year old chihuahua... but Knots was female!  

She was so small!  Oh my goodness... she was smaller than my cats! I thought that this would be interesting...me, not a tiny person, fostering a teeny tiny dog!  And it was...interesting.  

This is knots when we first got to my house.  She clearly wanted human attention!  And that ear that is folded down, is due to having had some issues with flea infestation which was addressed in Georgia before coming to Maine!

This little girl... loved being by my side.  You will notice there are no photos of her outside.  She was not a fan of the cold...which makes sense given that she was from Puerto Rico.  We tried walking and after a bit of time she would lift one foot and tried to keep walking while looking up at me with her puppy dog eyes and when I would encourage her to keep going she would lift the opposite back paw and just look like the most pathetic dog you had ever seen... and of course I gave in and picked her up.  She preferred being inside!  

The first night I took her outside a few times... she wouldn't pee or poop and I was worried that something was wrong.  he would eat, which was good, but drank very little water.  I was grateful my other friends who foster told me not to panic if she didn't eat or drink or go to the bathroom the first night, that sometimes they are too nervous and have been too stressed... but that didn't stop us from going out several times.  

As part of the foster training they ask that I use a crate, which they provide, to help the dogs get used to it.  So that night after we had cuddled and it was time for bed, I got her set up in her kennel.  I set up her kennel in the bathroom closest to my bedroom... I wanted to try to keep my bedroom for the cats, wanted the to still feel they had their space.  

Knots did not like to be away from me.  She cried for over an hour... and I let her... I felt guilty about that but also thought if I gave in and went to get her, it would reward her whining behavior.  Eventually she settled and we all got some sleep... The next day we packed up for our three hour drive north to see the 'rents.  

Knots slept  in the crate on the way up except for when we stopped once...  

We got to the lake, the 'rents' house, and Dad and B, couldn't believe how small she was!  

I was amazed that after putting her down and letting her wander, she stayed with me.  Dad said something like, 'wow she is already your dog.' I thought it was funny but it was true...throughout the weekend she warmed up to everyone else, but would come with me whenever I left a room...

She was quickly learning the faster she peed the quicker I would pick her up off the cold ground and take her inside to warmth!  

This is her without her sweater...she had been mostly shaved, I believe because of the fleas... and so that she could get fixed.  She looked even smaller without the sweater!  

On Christmas Eve I dressed her in this Santa costume... I had seen it at a store for $5 and I couldn't resist, knowing how ridiculous Dad things it is for people to dress their dogs.  

He did think it was ridiculous, but also thought it was cute!  And she was cute!!!

She wasn't a fan of the hat, but seemed to be okay with the rest of the outfit.  

This is one of the rare moments she laid on the floor...typically she was in a lap or in a blanket!

As I held her I thought she looked a bit like the big bad wolf.  and said she just needed glasses...and Betty had a pair of small glasses on a snowman, so we borrowed them...

She was so tolerant!   She just loved being held!  

At night, at the lake, I put her crate at the foot of my bed and she did really well.  I was worried that she would bark/whine as she had done the night before but she didn't.  She whimpered a bit, but settled down and slept. 

I had an ear infection while I was at the lake, so I rested a lot...and I confess, while I napped I did not put Knots in her kennel...and she loved it!  She loved napping with me!  

I left the lake on Monday, and thought I would be keeping Knots until Tuesday morning, but on my way home I got an email, asking if I could drop her off Monday night so they could get her ready to be available for adoption the next day.  I was really sad.  

On the way home I didn't keep her in a kennel, I let her sleep in the seat next to me.  I had secured her leash using the seat belt so she couldn't wander while I was driving and she slept the whole way. 

For fostering, I am asked to fill out a sheet about the dog that I have cared for... information about them like are they food protective, aggressive with the cats, have strong reactions to men, etc... 

For Knots I said she was so sweet, but that I think she would do best in a quieter home.  I wasn't given much of her history just that she was from Puerto Rico, had been fixed, and had been treated for fleas while in Georgia before coming to Maine.  But... she seemed to relish the peace and quiet of the lake... 

My friends thought I would keep her... and she would have been the perfect dog to take kayaking.  She is so small she would easily fit inside the kayak with me and because she loves to relax, she would have just lain down with me... but... for me, I want a dog that will kayak with me, but also is a dog I can take for walks... and she is not that dog... at least not in the winter... 

It was hard to drop her back at the shelter, much harder than I thought it would be.  She is so sweet I wanted to have a guarantee she would go to a good home... but I know that is not part of my job.  I got emotional after I left her, which surprised me.  

I learned she was adopted the next day... which made me happy... 

Be happy Knots!  Your family is lucky to have you in their home!

Why Fostering?

This is me... I think I was probably 4 or 5 in this picture.  That's Mandy, my grandparents' dog...they lived down the road from us, the next house, and there was a path that connected our properties... My parents didn't want my sister and I walking along the busy road, but we could go back and forth using the path all we wanted... Mandy was a great dog!  I don't remember her ever being on a leash yet she was outside, on her own, a lot.  She stayed in the yard, even if my grandparents left her alone to run errands.  She was very content.  The only time she left her house was when she had been left alone in the summer and there was about to be a thunder storm.  On many humid summer days we would be at our house and would hear her whine... we would look and she would be sitting at the edge of our property whining.  It was always sunny when she arrived, with no real signs of a storm, and we would tell her she could come up and she would run towards us and head into our house.   Within minutes the clouds would come and the storm would start.  She hated thunderstorms, did not want to be alone.  I loved her.  I remember laying on my grandparents' floor, in their living room, using Mandy as a pillow.

As an adult, I have not been a dog person.  Due in part, I believe to learning that I am allergic to dogs, at least that's what the allergy testing showed when I had to be tested due to a reaction to medication. 
Knowing that  I was allergic to dogs meant I kept to myself when I was around dogs... in recent years, however, my sister's pug, Mr. Peepers, grew on me.  When I would visit I had started to let him cuddle with me and enjoyed his company.  My friend Meg takes care of her landlord's dog, Gracie, and I have spent quite a bit of time with her.  Gracie pup is a great dog, so sweet, and she has won my heart.  A few of my friends have dogs and they seem to love having their dogs.  I have ever only had one, what I would call, reaction to dogs... and it was when I was in a vehicle where a dog had spent a lot of time where the person had not cleaned the fur and dander out.. and it was in the winter, with windows closed... and I had a bit of an asthma reaction... but other than that I get sniffly, but not more than how I get with my cats.. and my house has hardwood floors, so easier to keep up with the shedding.... so this is a good way for me to see how I do with dogs in my space!



For the last year and a half or so I have been wanting a dog...but I am not sure if I like the idea of having a dog more than actually having a dog.  I am, and have always been, a cat person.  But, since buying my house in Spring 2015 I feel like I should have a dog, to take for walks, and to take on other adventures... but is it the right thing for me? Would it be the right thing for a dog?

I am pretty busy... I work full time as a school administrator, am an author (being published this spring), and love kayaking.  So do I have time for a dog? That is part of the puzzle... for the last several months I have found myself looking at pictures of pooches online... looking at local shelters as well as petfinder and have looked at the websites of local rescue organizations.  There are SO many dogs that need homes.  So if I was going to adopt a dog, would I want a small dog or a big one? Young or old? male or female? (Okay that last one is easy, I want a female dog...if I get a dog...) Are there certain breeds that I am more drawn to? And... do they get along with cats.  That's a big one, because I am, and think I will always be, a cat person... And... can I train any dog to accompany me on my kayaking excursions?

So, as I was looking at different sites I thought about a couple of my friends who have fostered dogs... My friend Patti does so for a local organization and she is amazing!  Her dogs, and her foster dogs are lucky to have her as their human!  My friends Suellen and Mike also fostered dogs, for a different local organization, and they became foster failures, adopting Sophie, who is a sweetheart!   Both of these fostering situations have been for organizations for which my friends play a role in the adoption process as well as caring for the dogs.  I do not want to be part of placing a dog, but like the idea of taking care of a dog when it needs a place to be... So I reached out to a shelter and inquired about their fostering program.  I met with their foster coordinator and talked about my experience with dogs (or lack thereof)... I explained why I was interested in fostering and also said I would need to foster dogs that are cat friendly...and would prefer, at least for now calm dogs, until I know if I can handle other dogs.  She explained that they have a lot of need for short term foster placements.... for 5 day quarantines for dogs coming from southern states or even Puerto Rico.  She said there may be some other circumstances too... and sometimes longer term needs... even said in the summers when I would have more time, that there may be opportunities to take in a pregnant dog and keep her while she has her puppies and keep them all until the pups are ready for adoption... that seems like a big commitment... so not sure I will do that, but you never know.

So... I will be a foster parent, for dogs... I am excited to see how this goes. 

In the meantime, let me introduce you to the other residents of my home..

Meet Lucy...

Lucy is a black and white short haired cat.  I have had her since 2007, she was about a year old when I adopted her.  So, she is about ten and a half years old.  Lucy has always been really reserved and shy.  Since moving into the house she has come out of her shell, she even purrs now, which she didn't do before.  I think she would like a dog, or another animal at least, because I think she would enjoy the companionship.  She would like to be friends with my other cat, but Stella is a bit of a diva!

Meet Stella

This is not the best photo of Stella... in which she would be disappointed because she knows how beautiful she is.  But what this photo does show is her making sure she gets attention.  She demands it and does not like to share it when she wants it.  By all accounts, Stella is MY cat... she tolerates other people, but doesn't let other people pick her up... and tends to hiss at people who try... but she is a lovebug when she is in the mood to do so.  I anticipate that she would eventually tolerate a dog, but that as they were getting to know each other, she would give the canine a few slaps to establish her dominance... after all, it is her house...and she just lets Lucy and I live here!