Does it mean I failed as a foster mom if I kept one of the puppies?
As someone told me the other day, if you are going to fail at something that's a pretty good thing to fail at!
I never took in foster pets before. When I got the email a couple months ago from Woodford Humane society that a momma dog and her litter of five came into the system and needed a home without pets I volunteered. Since it had been a few months since my dear George's passing, I thought this would be a nice way to ease back into having the companionship of an animal in my life. But the best thing is it would be temporary if I was not quite ready for the commitment. As soon as I picked up the crate full of puppies and their mom from Versailles after work that night I had second thoughts. I was driving home thinking "what on earth have I just got myself into?" I started thinking about the big responsibility I just took on. I was a little overwhelmed.
By the next day I was convinced I did the right thing. Watching a momma dog and her newborns is fun. She had a basic natural instinct to care for her babies. She knew when they needed to eat, knew when they needed to dispose of what they ate and always knew when she was missing one. You could literally watch her count in her mind to make sure everyone was with her. At the end of the day it was fun to go home and see momma and the pups. After a few weeks the calls started coming in from people interested in adopting. I quickly became very protective and knew I wanted to ensure they would all go to wonderful homes.
As it got even closer to saying goodbye, I knew I could not let them all go. So I decided the little boy we'd been calling Brownie wasn't going anywhere! He already found his new home.
I am so happy with all the homes the pups and momma were placed in. They are all perfect and I could not have done better had I hand picked each home myself. They are all on their way to being spoiled rotten! One girl, Lucy, even has her own home page on the Internet with wonderful pictures of her playing with her new big sis!
I enjoyed the fostering experience and would recommend it to anyone who has every considered doing it. It is so fulfilling personally and it also fulfills a need. There are so many homeless animals out there and not enough room in shelters across the country. Anyone who can open their heart and home to an animal in need until they find their perfect match... Will be doing a world of good.
Hi Jack! I am so happy to hear Bogie is doing so well. While I think the litter as a whole was quite remarkable, Bogie was one of my favorites as he had the sweetest personality from the get-go and would often leave the "pack" to spend some alone time.. my kind of guy! I will be adding Brownie's picture on here soon. I need to take it on a smaller file.. so stay tuned! It is forthcoming. You may email me directly at
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and I will be happy to give you a link to Lucy's homepage! I have received updates from her mom and she too is doing outstanding! We are a lucky bunch to have such sweet pups in our lives! ~Michelle
... written by
Jack Vinning , July 28, 2008
We adopted one of the beautiful puppies - Blackie, we named him Bogie. He is a delight, we love him dearly. He is the sweetest little guy. Can you give us Lucy's home page on the Internet. We would love to read about her. We would love to see your puppy's picture on your blog. Thanks for fostering such beautiful puppies, you did a wonderful job. Thanks again, Jack and Ann Vinning
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