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!