Share Your Fosters!

I've never fostered for a rescue, but an old coworker of mine had to give up her dog, so I took her in for a bit (a couple months I think?) while she found her a home. She was an Aussie mix named Amber. Very sweet dog. Easy, sweet girl. I thought about keeping her, but the timing wasn't good, and Rowan hated her. Funny, because she's totally his type (fluffy female herder) but she was food aggressive, which I didn't know until after they got in a small altercation and he never forgave her, even after I prevented all interactions around food.





Too bad they didn't get along. They would've been good friends... lol.

Unfortunatly, I don't have pictures of many of them, but here are some of my babies

Folly. Precious gorgeous girl who lived with me for 5 months before going home. Lab/ACD, but looked like a mini-lab.

Fawn. Found starving in a ditch with her brother. By the time I got her, she was emaciated, blind, and in all over bad shape. I got her plumped up and her eye problems resolved themselves (puppy cataracts). I've seen her since she was placed, and she is the picture of health. She is also the picture of spoiled brat puppy, but that's between her and her new owner.

Shiva. I wish I had been able to keep this one. Awsome Shiba Inu mix. She was the coolest little girl who was very true to the Shiba temperament, but somewhat softened by whatever he was crossed with. She was placed in a home before I got her, but I would have kept her in a heartbeat if it had fallen through. Honestly, I still have a spot for her, and would take her back if the need arose

Ezra. If it were not for my mortal fear of male cats and urinary blockages, I wouldn't have let him go either. He was so easy going and snuggly. I even taught him to do tricks. He loved having chicken feet as a treat.

Quiddich, Aka the Quiddipus Rex. My king of cuddles. He was a great boy, but very protective and guardy like a shar-pei should be. He's living with a family who has lots of experience with that type of breed. I miss him a lot, even though I know I wasn't the owner for him

Argon, the dog who started it all. My foster failure, the most wonderful of the Whippets. Though he has since crossed the bridge, he is the sole reason I have Gimmick now. Quiet, gentle, and my baby.

Sasha was my only long-term foster. My friend had her in rescue, and was calling her Lucy for Lucifer, because she was such a pain. I very quickly fell in love and she stayed with me for a couple of weeks. I was head over heels for her, and my very wise friend said "Of course you can have her if you want her, but I really think it will wind up being a bad decision." I was managing a horse farm, and wanted a dog that could hang out loose with me all day - Sasha was a young beagle/whippet mix with a naughty streak a mile long. She wound up find the perfect home (I got to see follow up pictures the owners sent), and my friend wound up pulling my next foster a week or two later.

Once again, I took my friend's advice when, despite me thinking she was ugly, I was told "Oh my god, I found your dog." Best foster fail ever.

I brought home a fair amount of puppies home last summer, usually just for a night or two while they were in quarentine.

Pirate was a Chihuahua/JRT mix. He was adopted and returned and came to live with me for a week as he would bite out of fear, he friggin adored me and was a complete angel. If not for living in a house with other people and kids I would have kept him. We transferred him to a JRT rescue and was adopted by foster mom.

Hazard was a 3 month old Pit bull puppy that came to my house to be taught some manners or for my crew to beat some manners in him. He was here for 3 weeks until he wore out his welcome and was soon adopted to a wonderful family.

My most recent foster is Nimbus, a 3 year old Miniature Schnauzer that came in horribly neglected with an untreated skin infection, overweight, and with no muscle mass to her whatsoever. Shes been with me for 3 months, skin infection is gone and still treating herfor Schnauzer Bumps.

Though maybe she shouldn't be in this thread as I finally officially adopted her yesterday...

I only fostered for a short while before adopting, but I will foster again when I can dedicate time to two dogs.

My first foster was a 9 year old toy poodle given to rescue from a hoarding situation. Coolest, sweetest little dog. Loved EVERYONE, bonded to me immediately, sooo handler focused, smart, easy going, just.pure.awesome.
Probably should've foster failed with her, but didn't want to adopt my first one!

MeToo



Then came Picasso. He really liked me, but was very anxious and fearful with sudden noises and such. I just did not understand how to help him, so he moved into a more experienced foster home and thrived.




Then came along Smiley. Foster failed. He's a little punk, but I love him. My cuddle monster.

My first foster was Ruca (came into rescue as Stryker). She came into the veterinary clinic I worked at and I heard her before I saw her. She was an incredibly loud, untrained, baby German Shepherd. Not that I really knew what I was getting in to, but the owners couldn't handle her, so I agreed to take her if there was a rescue I could foster her through. She was with me for a couple days, then went to another foster home for a few weeks, then came back to me. She was SO MUCH FUN. If I'd been in a different situation, I would have failed my first time fostering. Luckily for her, THE perfect home came along. Literally couldn't have written a better description for a home for her. I visited her last spring and she's just... great!
(photo courtesy of SaraB)

saraStryker2 by Keen on Mangoes, on FlickrShe had her own blog.

Second foster was Reba. She was pretty short term and ended up being taken into the local service dog organization. She was placed in a pet home by them. Lucky dog lives at an apple orchard!

DSC_0018 by Keen on Mangoes, on Flickr

Third was Dixie/Dani. I made a wrong placement, where she lived for 9 months. She was returned to me very recently and somehow the stars aligned and she was finally placed in the correct home for her. I just saw her on Friday and while she was excited to see me, she absolutely stuck by her new owner. It was really good to see. She was an extreme flight risk when I got her the first time and she's made SO MUCH progress and is living as a mostly normal dog now. Warms my heart so much.

DSC_0020 by Keen on Mangoes, on Flickr

And then there was Gabby. Everyone knows Gabby's story!

DSC_0027 by Keen on Mangoes, on Flickr

DSC_0013 by Keen on Mangoes, on Flickr

Allicyn is such a gorgeous dog. I loved seeing pictures of her!

And a kitty, Vivien (was Courage), but photobucket is down so I can't post any pictures!

Can't get pictures right now, but we have had...

Gucci and Prada, renamed Kirk and Spock. Older male ferrets, super bonded and didn't want anything to do with other ferrets. Spock was never really healthy, and ended up passing away in my care, but Kirk went on to be adopted. Unfortunately, a few months after his adoption, he mysteriously passed away, despite being healthy in my care.

Wedgey, renamed Widget. Older ferret, needing a home for whatever lame excuse people give. Hated other ferrets, to the point of pouncing on them if they came even close. Ended up being adopted by a family with many kids. She's still kicking today, last I heard. Loves being outside.

Ella, previously Bella. It was a few months after Rascal passed away, I was looking at young female ferrets (the only ones Ren would allow) with no real plans of getting one, it was too soon and the parents made it clear that they didn't want another right then. However, 8 month old Ella was available, and it was either act quick and foster, or she'd be offered to another home looking for similar. So, I said I'd foster. She was a little biting machine, and we quickly decided she wasn't leaving.

Marlee. She came to me from the local humane society, having been found outside covered in ticks. Probably 2-3 years old, but her condition made her look older. We bonded right away, she was the sweetest, but absolutely hated other ferrets, and was stressed living in the same house as mine, so she moved to another forever foster home. She learned to get along with one other ferret (ie not attack it if they were out within eyesight), though was just recently euthanised as she started going downhill and her foster mom didn't want her to suffer anymore.

Nacho, previously Marley. Well, what to say about Nacho. He's the foster that I never should have had, my parents were adamant 3 ferrets were enough. He belonged to my (at the time) boss' granddaughter, and when she took a job leaving her out of town, boss asked my dad if the rescue could take him. The only way was if we fostered, so foster we shall. We had much interest, and one lead that was promising but it all fell through. In the end, Nacho bonded so strongly to my mom, and we all fell in love, that he's here to stay.

Forgot about the litter of 5 kittens I fostered this summer. Three passed away from reasons unknown and the two remaining were adopted soon after being put up for adoption.

I failed some of my firs fosters! I found a litter if 5 kittens in a wood pile, with dead mama kitty in the road not too far away They were about 4 weeks old and had grubs growing on them. Took them home, vetted & found homes for two of them, my favorite little boy Ben died and my parents kept Batman and Motchka. They're 8 years old now.

Finally on a computer where I can get my pics.

These two were dropped off at the church down the street and literally sat in the road two days. We vetted these guys and our neighbors took them. great home for them,they loved their little girl. It had been so sad as the female had her nails painted and I bet she had some kids that loved her from her last home.

Mortimer(morti) was a failed foster. Our rescue was going to take him in but my mom fell in love and kept him and he eventually ended up with my grandma. He died pretty young(for our dogs anyway) of heart failure. He had been his old owners prized breeding dog. Was sweet alone but a terror with other dogs.

My cousin and I fostered these guys through the rescue. Mom came to us from a foreclosure and had pups within 24hrs.
I ended up with mom for a long time and almost kept her but finally found a good home. She could take a while to warm up to new people so it took a while.

I think there were seven pups in all. So funny because half looked like fluffy dobes and other half Australian shepherds. One lady came back and said her vet said we lied about breeds and her pup was a purebred aussie. Hmm ok.

more next post.

My byron with the pup it took the longest to adopt out. Again she was so sweet and I almost thought of keeping her.

Mr fluffy pants was a havanesse in a home were the tenth or eleventh kid was just born with no parental supervision and a kid got bit. Couldn't blame him! He was another one that was so sweet and if it hadnt been for my beagle going through surgeries and her cancer I might have kept him.

and there was a choclate lab molly I do not have any pics of for some reason. and some other dogs we pulled from the pound and only had long enough to fix and they were placed. some real cute yorkie mixes and a mastiff.

This doesn't include the probably thirty cats/kittens. That I will not repeat!

And unless my brain is gone the dates must have been wrong on the timestamp because the labs came well before the pups and I don't think that was ten years ago, but maybe lol