A New Sheriff in Town

Look who showed up at my house last weekend! Aren't they just the cutest posse you've ever seen?!

These wee ones are only five weeks old, so it will be some time before they are available for adoption. They are the result of someone dumping an unwanted, pregnant cat at a farm. Fortunately, the people who lived there took pity on her and let her come in their house to have her babies.

Now, I get to love those babies up for a few weeks. They are such fun to have here!

So Many . . .

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to learn a lot more about what Heartland Humane Society does for abandoned and unwanted animals. Laurie and I visited other foster homes, where I met many Heartland Dogs I'd not seen before and even a darling litter of puppies not yet ready for adoption.

We then visited a local dog pound. Heartland tries to take as many of their adoptable dogs as possible, but it is just heartbreaking to walk away from those cages, knowing you cannot save them all.

The whole day strengthened my commitment to fostering, It also helped me accept that my beautiful foster dog, Tia, really does need to find the perfect home because there are so very many dogs just waiting to be saved.

Here are just a few of the animals I met yesterday . . .

. . . and to All a Good Night!

I had the most wonderful, contented Christmas, in my own unconventional way. My teenagers went home to Washington State to spend the holiday with family and my daughter's friend, who I have been unofficially "fostering" for several months, went to spend some time with her family too. Do not feel bad for me because I spent the holiday "alone." It was my first break from single-parenting in two years and I enjoyed every, single moment.

And I was hardly alone. Since Santa fulfilled my Christmas wish for a Shepherd to foster, I had Tia the gorgeous German Shepherd, my new puppy, Jazz, my beloved resident cats, two grown foster kitties and one itty-bitty foster kitten to spend the day with. The house was definitely not empty.

And it wasn't like I didn't have plans. I had a breakfast date at 10 a.m. at the PetSmart luv-a-pet center where Heartland keeps some of its foster kitties. It was fun to have the cats there all to myself, without customers peering in. I spent about two hours loving up kitties and cleaning cages. When I reflect on Christmas' past, I can honestly say the cats were better company than some of the relatives I've had to spend Christmas mornings with.

Tia has now been here for a week and she's doing terrific. My favorite part of fostering might be those first few days of adjustment after I bring a new animal home. While it's hard work getting to know one another, getting all the animals introduced and coming up with a workable new routine, seeing the trepidation of an animal melt away as their trust grows is an amazing experience.

The first few days, Tia was afraid to go outside or get in a car. Either exercise resulted in her hugging the ground as tightly as she could, taking the first opportunity to bolt back indoors. She'd clearly had enough of outdoor living. Somewhere around day four, she gave up her beloved dog bed for a spot on the couch. Just yesterday, she discovered my bed. She's getting used to this pampered pooch thing!

But most importantly, Tia trusts again. I think she knows that her days of fending for herself are over. All I can do is my best to assure her trust is never again broken. It's my job -- and she deserves it.

Finding Tia

When she walked into PetSmart I was certain she was someone's prized and beloved pet; a stunning cream sable shepherd. But, a few minutes later, I was watching her being temperament tested in the training ring by one of our skilled Heartland volunteers and realized she was actually a potential new intake.

And then I heard her story. Tia's original owner wasn't much interested in her, so let her roam. She hung out at a gas station in a rural area, where she sometimes received attention from the attendants and patrons and was sometimes mistreated. A regular customer of the store finally tired of witnessing her struggles, put her in her car and left her contact information for Tia's owner. He never called. Tia was taken to the vet, vaccinated, spayed and micro-chipped. It is likely Tia's rescuer saved her life!

True to the nature of German Shepherds, Tia didn't make a good farm dog as she waited for a rescue to have room for her. She wanted to be indoors with her new pack of people, not outdoors in an enclosure. While I'm sure she was grateful to receive medical care, positive attention and know where her next meal was coming from, she also became a skilled escape artist, doing just about anything to get back to the front porch of her new house. She had a pond to swim in and barn cats to play with, but really just wanted a couch to curl up on. She'd arrived at PetSmart just in time. The forecast called for a -11 degree windchill that night and the woman who rescued her was desperate to get her placement in a foster home before nightfall.

I tapped on the plexi-glass of the training ring and gave the indication she was coming home with me. I don't think I was very subtle about it and might have offered to sell my soul for the chance to foster her! We brought in a litter-mate of my lab mix, Jazz, to see how she'd do -- and she did great. Then, we brought in a very brave kitty named Bugsy. When Tia licked Bugsy's nose, I knew she'd do fine here.

I love having her here; it's the perfect Christmas present. Getting her to leave the house the first few days was a battle of wills, but she's learned she gets to come right back in. She now rings the jingle bells on the doorknob to let me know when she needs a walk -- then DRAGS me back to the house when we're finished! She's claimed the dog bed in the living room as her own and gently piles up her favorite toys around it before she lays down. Today, she discovered the couch and, I suspect, it's going to be her new favorite perch!

She fits right in here, making it impossible not to fall desperately in love with her. Like my first foster puppies, letting her go is going to take a long time to recover from and my heart aches every time I allow myself to imagine it. But, Tia is proof-positive of both the need for foster homes and for individuals to spay/neuter their pets. She is not an unusual case. 25% of the animals in shelters across America are purebred. That means every year approximately 1.75 million dogs like Tia are abandoned. If they are lucky, someone like Tia's rescuer comes along and saves them. But they aren't all lucky and people like Tia's rescuer are, unfortunately, rare.

Fortunately, Tia doesn't know what might have happened to her. Ultimately, she will have a good life in a wonderful home. For now, she is simply content to be right where she is -- on her bed, surrounded by her favorite toys in a home with people who love her.

Classic Kitten

To all my friends, old and new . . . Happy Holidays from my critters to yours!

Christmas Miracles

Six dogs and eight cats found their forever homes yesterday! Among them was Jingles, who chose an 11 year old boy, his parents and a Maine Coon kitty to be her forever family. I am thrilled with her choice. Her new people thought long and hard about the decision to bring her home. In fact, I was even surprised when they returned from their family meeting to fill out the paperwork because they'd been gone so long, but all the more certain they were the right fit because they took the time to weigh all their concerns against the charms of a beautiful and affectionate puppy. Because her new family originates from Chicago, she left PetSmart with a new name: Wrigley. I will sure miss her snuggles and kisses but am so happy she is home for the holidays. Have a beautiful life, Wrigley!

That leaves three of nine puppies from the lab/border collie litter available for adoption: Jinx, Joker and Jersey, all beautiful boys. Please visit Heartland's site if you are interested and looking for a smart and affectionate addition to your family. I have fostered four puppies from this litter and adopted one myself. They all have wonderful temperaments and make great family dogs.

I fully intended to bring Jinx home as my next foster dog, but my plans were derailed when a new potential intake arrived for temperament testing. When I saw this stunning German Shepherd enter the adoption area, I assumed she belonged to a potential adopter, there to try her out with one of our fosters to see if they were a good fit. Then I heard her story and it was all over for me. My biggest weakness is shepherds. Throw in a very sad story and I am done for! So, last night Tia spent her first night indoors in several months, thanks to the kind and compassionate woman who brought her to us. I will share her story and give further introductions in a future post. Suffice it to say, I already know this girl is going to break my heart when she finds the perfect home, even as I celebrate her happy ending. She is simply wonderful.

T'was the Week Before Christmas . . .

. . . and my house is full of fosters, hoping Saturday is the day their forever families will find them at PetSmart and bring them home for the holidays!

Jingles is the last female of the lab/border collie litter. She'll be on the small side of the anticipated 50-70 pound range we expect these guys to grow to. Most impressive about Jingles is that she is trying very hard to live up to her foster-name! She has learned to ring the jingle-bells on the front door of my house when she needs to go outside! Whoever adopts Jingles will have her fully house trained in no time at all.

She is just the sweetest girl ever. If you bring her home for Christmas, getting a photo of her beneath the tree will be a challenge because she wants nothing more than to crawl into your lap and rest her head on your chest instead! Jingles does fine with kids, dogs and even cats. She is shy at first, but warms up quickly and, most importantly, she is highly motivated to please which makes training easy, leaving you nothing but time to enjoy her.

Ace's nicknames are "My Buddy" and "Loverboy" because they fit his personality well. He absolutely loves every person and animal that crosses his path, so would be happy to find a home filled with both! Ace was brought to Heartland by a good Samaritan who watched neighbors move away and leave their cats behind, outdoors. Evidently, while Ace was spending his days and nights outside, he hung out with a few dogs -- and it shows! When I come home, Ace greets me like a happy puppy, running to the door and then following me about wherever I go, chatting away! When he isn't trailing my heels, he is snuggled into my lap, purring and rolling over for belly rubs. Ace is one of those fosters it will be very difficult to say goodbye to, but I will celebrate for him if he finds his forever home before Christmas.

Isn't Ginger just beautiful with those intense green eyes peering out from that long tortoiseshell fur? Ginger was brought to Heartland with Ace, though we aren't sure if they share a story; they just knew the right house hang out at so that they could find a home of their own!

This petite little girl is approximately three years old. It's hard to imagine she ever endured an outdoor life because she really is a pampered princess! Her favorite pastime is finding the most comfortable spot to perch upon and watch the world go by. She tries to pretend to be shy and demure, but cannot help herself once she realizes people equal petting!

Ginger isn't a big cat fan but with the proper introduction will do fine with gentle dogs. She prefers a quiet environment, wanting nothing more than to be a companion to someone with a comfy lap to offer. Will you be Ginger's forever lap?

There is just one more adoption event at O'Fallon/Hwy K PetSmart before Christmas: this Saturday from 11-4pm. Jingles and Ace would love to meet you and Ginger will even agree to tolerate the noise and crowds if she is expecting you! They will be joined by many of Heartland's foster animals - dogs, puppies, kittens and cats alike. The one thing they ALL have in common is the desire to find their own family to love and care for them forever.

To see all of Heartland's fosters, please visit their site. If one (or more!) of them pull at your heartstrings, you can apply to adopt online.

Happy Holidays from all the fosters at my house to all the critters at yours!

All I Want for Christmas

My friends, Charlie and Martha, had a fabulous idea for Christmas presents for animal friendly folks this year. You can read the wonderful article he wrote about it at his blog: Professor B. Worm, where he also shares a bit about his newest rescue dog, Irish, who is currently hogging Charlie's bed, "lulling him awake" with his melodic snoring. Like many of Heartland's rescues, Irish was pulled from a kill-shelter a day before his time was up.

This blog is brand new and I've spoken little about the group I work with. So, let me tell you about Heartland Humane Society. I became involved with them a few years ago when we sponsored one of their animals for a few months. Later, I adopted a mother and son pair of cats who were hard to place. A few months later, I adopted Pixel; the cutest kitten in the world. Heartland has impressed me from the beginning and when I attended their foster-parent orientation and learned just how committed, dedicated and responsible they are, I knew they were the rescue I wanted to volunteer with. Their mission-statement sums it up:

Heartland Humane Society of Missouri is a 501(c)3 non-profit group of dedicated foster homes that gives abandoned, abused, and unwanted animals another chance for loving, permanent homes through our adoption program. We reduce pet overpopulation in our community through collaboration with veterinarians, animal welfare organizations, and supportive individuals and organizations by providing affordable spay/neuter procedures and humane education. Heartland Humane Society of Missouri is funded by adoption fees, donations, fundraising events, grants and tributes.

In 2007, Heartland found homes for 662 cats and dogs. That is a lot of veterinary care and supplies, not to mention the tireless hours our volunteers spend to assure Heartland's ability to care for the animals continues.

Heartland is currently in the running to win a $10,000. prize from Care2.com's "America's Favorite Animal Shelter" contest. That kind of prize will help a lot of animals with veterinary bills, food and supplies. So, what do I want for Christmas? Something simple, free and relatively easy: your vote for Heartland! Several hundred furry critters will thank you!

Introducing Jingles!

Jingles is my fourth puppy from the lab/border collie litter,
so she arrived at my house feeling very familiar! Like her brothers and sister before her, she entered shy and unsure because family life is new to her. I am happy to report, she's getting quite accustomed to being a typical house dog.

If you've read previous posts about her brothers and sister, there is little to add about Jingles. Like the rest of her littermates she has a gentle, loving temperament, wanting nothing more than to please her people. These guys are smart and very easy to train, greatly improving their chances for a successful future in their adoptive homes.

Full grown, Jingles will be on the small size of her litter, probably between 50-60 pounds. If you're interested in meeting her, she'll be at PetSmart (O'Fallon/Hwy K) on Saturday between 11 and 4pm. You can even fill out an application to adopt online and show up pre-approved! I know all she wants for Christmas is to find her forever home . . .

Room for One More?

I got a call yesterday. My son's girlfriend asked, "Do you have room for one more?" She told me a co-worker received "an early Christmas present she doesn't want," a seven-week-old kitten. After getting permission to intake her and wrangling up the necessary medicines, we made arrangements to pick the little one up this afternoon.

She was handed to me in a cat carrier. I put my hand in and pulled out a tiny little kitten, covered in urine and feces, fleas, ear mites and a swollen belly full of worms. There was kitten kibble scattered in the cage amongst the poop, but no water.

We have to torture the new intakes before bringing them home. We give them pill and liquid de-wormer and flea meds. It all tastes and smells awful to the kitten, but this poor little girl purred and kneaded the air as I held her by the scruff to get her medicated.

Once home, she got a bath, some food and water and made herself comfortable in the kitten playpen she'll need to be in for several days before getting the all clear from the vet. She took right to the polar fleece hammock I hung inside. After what she's been through, her little condo must feel like kitten heaven!

At the end of that kind of intake, you are just glad, as a fosterer, that the person had the sense to say caring for an animal was too much and made the appropriate calls to get the animal in a good environment. You keep your thoughts to yourself and try to leave a decent enough impression so that, if it happens again, they wont hesitate to call on you, rather than dispose of the animal in some awful way.

I'm grateful to have her here and am sure she's glad to be here! Now, to think of the perfect name for such a beautiful little baby . . .

Home for the Holidays!

My last vision of Jethro was of him walking behind his new Mom as they left PetSmart with a cart FULL of doggy goodies, including a super-sized crate and sheepskin padded bed.

Although I miss that big lug tonight, that vision stays with me, so I am just thrilled for him as he begins his new life elsewhere. Jethro is home for the holidays. Life is good.

It's now five down and four to go on the lab/border collie mix litter. So, of course, I came home with Jethro's sister, Jingles, hoping next Saturday's adoption event at PetSmart is just as fortunate for her. Stay tuned for photos of Jingles!

Sleep well on your new sheepskin bed tonight, Jethro. You'll be missed!

Big Dogs, Little Dogs . . .

. . . all kinds of dogs!

When Laurie, a fellow fosterer, invited me over to shoot photos, my intentions weren't entirely altruistic. She stores a lot of Heartland's donated supplies at her house and, right about now, I'd sell my soul for anything having to do with potty training!

Plus, Laurie is currently fostering Tulsa, a wonderful Australian Cattle Dog I wanted to adopt a year or so ago after losing our Cattle Dog, Scout, to cancer. The day I inquired about Tulsa was the day she went home to another family. Unfortunately, Tulsa was returned to Heartland due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, none of which had to do with the fact she is deaf.

My desire to continue fostering dogs prevents me from bringing her home this time, despite how wonderful she is and how tempted I am! She is so sweet, loving and smart. And, she is so very lucky to be with Laurie who has taken the time to learn to communicate with her through sign language. How cool is that?!

Tulsa isn't Laurie's only deaf foster-dog. She also has Noelle, a sweet, loving, mellow six-month-old terrier mix. Laurie is even taking Noelle to obedience classes so that she, like Tulsa, can learn sign language. Have I mentioned what an awesome and dedicated foster mommy Laurie is? She is my new hero!

As if she wasn't busy enough with Tulsa and Noelle, Laurie has also taken on Duncan, a three-month-old chocolate lab mix, who is just a wriggling, affectionate bundle of puppy love. Duncan was not easy to get a photo of because he thought my lap looked much more comfortable than posing in front of the camera. I wasn't complaining though, he snuggles up close and puts his soft, little head right on your shoulder, making your heart just melt. I've no doubt Duncan will find a home before Christmas.

Finally, in the midst of all the puppies at Laurie's house is one very brave cat named Bugsy, who strolls through the crowd of canines without care or concern. Bugsy is nearly ready for adoption and whoever takes him home will be very lucky to have been chosen by him. Not only is he handsome and brave, but he's also very sweet!

Laurie keeps a fabulous blog about her fostering experience. It is full of information, stories and photos. Surfing through her archives has better prepared me for fostering. If you are interested in adopting any of her foster-critters or are considering fostering yourself, please check it out!

Introducing Jethro

I didn't name him; he's one of a litter of 9 five-month-old puppies who all have "J" names. I think it's a cute name though, although everyone in the house is practicing their Beverly Hillbillies impressions, calling out a twangy "Jeeeth-RO!" when he's romping around the living room.

I am so hoping that Jethro, like his brother, Jake, who found a home last weekend, is home for the holidays. He's going to be a great pet. He is definitely a dog whose size doesn't match his temperament. He has NO idea he will grow to somewhere around 70 pounds! All he wants is a lap to lay in. To prove it, he'll curl up into the tightest possible ball to fit in mine.

Jethro is my third foster from this litter. I liked the first so much she's staying with me! They are very smart, trainable pups with gentle, loving temperaments. Because they are no longer tiny pups, they just need some patience in the beginning to get used to their new surroundings and prove how wonderful they are.

Jethro has four siblings still waiting to find their homes too, so please visit Heartland's Site if you are interested!

What a Week!

A Boy and His Dog

In my first post, I wrote about letting go of my first fosters, Kimber and Colt, and how picturing Kimber growing up with a little boy won me over to the idea of allowing her to go home with her new family. I admit it, I am a sap. Hallmark commercials make me cry, I've been known to watch Lifetime movies on cable and, so far, every successful adoption of one of my fosters brings tears to my eyes. Despite my hyper-sensitivity, I really am a pessimist at heart.

So, when I begin envoking visions of a little boy playing in the yard with his puppy, throwing balls and running through piles of Autumn leaves, I tend to think I'm simply suffering a momentary burst of idealism designed to spare me from my sappy and pessimistic self. But, Kimber's people sent me an update this week, complete with attached photos. I love getting updates on how my former fosters are doing, but this one really made my heart sing. Kimber definitely found the right home!

Ouch!

Meanwhile, the foster kitties were vetted on Tuesday. Thankfully, they both tested negative for the diseases we worry about when taking in a new rescue. For cats older than a few months, the first vet appointment gets them tested, up to date on shots, microchipped, spayed and neutered. Ace, who is just the coolest kitten ever, handled it all with ease and is back to his happy self. Ginger, however, was pretty beat up by the whole process. A veterinarian cannot always tell if a cat has been previously spayed. In those cases, the only way to check is to open them up and look. No longer a routine spay, digging around for a looksee is a bit harder to recover from and causes a larger incision.

I assure you, the addage that "animals do not feel pain" is a myth. Poor Ginger is still uncomfortable and we've had some worrisome nights this week trying to comfort her. I share this as a reminder that indoor-only cats do not end up lost outside having to undergo unnecessary surgeries in effort to find them a new home!

In Gratitude

Or, perhaps I should say "catitude." When I began fostering, I had few tools to make it run smoothly. Mostly, I needed dog and cat crates for crate training puppies and showing the foster pets at adoption days at PetSmart on Saturdays. I posted an add on Craigslist with the specifics and received many responses. A wonderful lady who is a foster mom for a St. Louis based Ferret Rescue group immediately responded, selling me the most durable, collapsable dog crate at a much lower price than she could have received elsewhere. She's a cool lady and we bonded over our love of furry critters. She emailed me this week offering two cat crates, which I was just desperate for. When I arrived at her home to gather them, I discovered they were not just ordinary crates, but the great, big playpens on rollers with ramps and shelves and the works. I had cat playpens on mental wish-list, knowing I couldn't swing them financially and now two sit in my rec room, ready for occupants. I KNOW she could have sold them for much more than she did and am deeply indebted to her for her generosity! And, just to really make it feel like Christmas around here, a few days ago, a fellow fosterer, Laurie, arrived with boxes of dog goodies donated from local girlscouts. You know you've been potty training too long when you hug someone for handing you a jug of Nature's Miracle. Hooray! Thanks to the Girl Scouts and Laurie!

The Best for Last

Jake is home for the holidays! When we arrived at PetSmart, he didn't even make it into his kennel before a family had him on a leash, walking him around, introducing him to their dog.

The two were a match; the perfect combination. Jake's new dad wanted a frisby/fetch dog and, since Jake is almost never without a toy in his mouth, he was very pleased! Jake's new mom wanted a loverboy lapdog and Jake will be happy to oblige, since he has NO idea he is a big dog who doesn't fit in a lap and loves to be squeezed and hugged and loved. It appeared that their dog was also perfectly pleased to pal around with gentle dog who gladly let her lead the way. I am thrilled with the placement and so happy for Jake.

And, I hardly miss Jake at all because I drove home with his brother, Jethro, sitting next to me. I will be fostering him until he too finds his happy ending. He's every bit as awesome as Jake. Since I am adopting their littermate sister, Jethro seemed right at home the minute they reunited. In fact, I am not sure she even realizes there was a switch. She's just happy to still have a big brother to romp around with! And, in case you can't tell the difference between the two, the above photo is of Jethro, making himself at home. As happy as I am to have him, I sure hope that, like Jake, he is home for the holidays . . .

Big, Black Dogs

Puppies don’t come with built-in clocks, so I was up at 3:00 a.m. cleaning a crate, taking them out for walks (one at a time; these are big pups and too much to handle two at a time on a leash), then letting them race and wrestle around the house to wear off some puppy energy.

Worried I'd sleep through my morning alarm and the foster cats' vet appointment first thing in the morning, 4:00a.m. found me fueling up with coffee and surfing YouTube in a sleep-deprived daze. Then I found a video reminding me why the lack of sleep is worth it; why I am walking, playing with and cleaning up after black puppies at the crack of dawn:



Jake and Jasmine are from a litter of 9 puppies, all mostly black. Seven remain un-adopted after weeks and weeks in foster-care (although it looks like Jasmine is going to stay with me!). They are all beautiful with the sweetest temperaments. And, they are SMART (they should be; they are a mix of very intelligent breeds – Border Collie and Labrador)! Jasmine accompanied me to the Veteran’s Hospital where she did some unofficial therapy dogging a couple weeks ago and she acted like a professional – with no experience at all!

And Jake? He’s just a big lover who has no idea he is a moose of a dog at only five months old, wanting nothing more than to sit with his head in a human lap or curl up at the feet of someone who pledges to keep him forever. He is super gentle, wants only to please and is constantly reminding me why dogs are called man’s best friend.

Jake and Jasmine’s litter are not the only black puppies waiting for a home via Heartland. From three litters, over a dozen remain; growing bigger, getting older and hoping they are next to be chosen.

I am barely a kindergartner to fostering. It’s all brand new. Every day brings a reminder I still have much to learn from the sage fosterers mentoring me. One thing I am learning though is that the hard lessons seem to come first.

Of course, all the volunteers who spend their Saturdays at PetSmart, hoping this Saturday will be the day their foster dog(s) find a family, celebrate each adoption, no matter the color of the dog who finds a home. But, those days the black puppies all get loaded back into cars to return to foster care because they were overlooked can feel discouraging . . .

. . . because we know and love them and have witnessed just how hard they work to prove they are every bit as wonderful as any other dog.

*****

(that gorgeous big, black puppy in the photo above is "Jake." Jake is a five month old lab/border collie mix who will grow to be approximately 70 pounds. If you are interested in bringing him home before Christmas, please visit Heartland's Site!)