Oops, I did it again.
At some point, I know I have to stop taking even short-term fosters until after the beginning of the year. We’re all busy with work, we have so much purging and packing to do, and… None of it matters when a little dog needs a place for just a few days before traveling to Colorado. So once again, we’re fostering this mystery “podengo pequeno” mix, only this time they tossed in Italian greyhound, too.
The new foster is Anna May. When I picked her up at BARC, I was told she’s extremely timid but very sweet. It was accurate. When I sat next to her in the car, I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to get a photo of her because she was busily trying to find a place to hide.
She curves upward as if to make herself smaller. Like every foster parent, I wish I could know her story. I wish I could make her understand that she’s safe from now on. I told her this–I tell all the dogs I pick up, “This is your freedom ride. You’re getting out of BARC because someone wants you to be a forever dog in a home of your own. It’s all good things from this point on.” Then, as I drive, I explain about foster homes, about the long ride to come in a van with other dogs and cats, driven by people who will make sure they’re safe, warm, fed, watered, and walked, and after that, people in Colorado will find them good homes. (As a matter of fact, I just checked, and Betsy, our most recent foster, was adopted yesterday!)
Do dogs understand the words? Who can say. But I do think they know they’re safe, because even the most frightened or dispirited of them begin to emerge quickly into their real selves once they’re in a home. Anna May is still timid, but now we know that she likes our dogs even if she shies away from people.
And she loves to eat. In fact, I’ve moved her to three meals a day, even though she’s an adult (at just over a year old), because she’s hungry all the time, and I’d like to get more flesh on her before she travels. (She weighs just over ten pounds right now.)
Yesterday, she went on an adventure to the rescue’s office, where Taylor administered her third booster shot so she’ll be healthy and resistant to colds and other infections when she travels. She was very brave so Taylor gave her two Beggin’ Strips.
Did somebody say, “Beggin’ Strips?!?”
We’re all so proud of the work you do for dogs.
Why, thank you. =) I wish I had time to write books about them!
I love those ears … and way to make me cry.
Oh, no! Don’t cry! Anna May is going to have a good life. (If I were keeping her, I’d change that to Anime, because those big eyes and ears–wouldn’t she be a great anime dog?)
She is precious. So glad she’s going to a forever home.
She is SO GOOD. She just needs to be brought out of her shell and to become more courageous. A good home will give her that. They will be very lucky to have her.
Don’t worry about talking to the dogs. I’m always talking to Mlle. Renee, and she actually responds to a lot of the things I say. Especially, cheese, medicine, treat, and most important WALK.
It’s a sad fact that no matter how many people are in my house or who they are, I talk to my dogs more than to them. Habit!
It was my writing partner Jim who got me into the habit of telling dogs everything. He says they understand way more than we think they do. I think that’s why I love that Chet the dog mystery series by Spencer Quinn. Chet doesn’t have super intelligence–there’s a lot of what people say that he doesn’t get or takes very literally. But he’s really intelligent when it comes to using his senses and instincts. He’s written very smartly.
There! One minute you’ve put up a post to say you’re taking a break from blogging and the next time I check in…
Bat ears!
Ha ha! I’m trying to write here more often, but it’s mostly all photos. Hopefully after all this house stuff is settled…