Foster Dogs

or I no longer cry each time one gets adopted

Starting in September or October 2010, I began to foster dogs with Puppy Hill Farm Animal Rescue.  I had desired to get a dog for a long time, but knew with my work potentially taking me out of town on weekdays, or out of the country for weeks to months at a time, it really was not fair of me to selfishly take responsibility for another life.

On slow weekends we would take a trip to PetsMart to see and pet all of the shelter dogs.

A friend worked with PHF and Kristina really pushed me to foster.

Dogs force me to go on walks, force to me play and pay attention to something other than myself. I like that I need to get up and feed the animals. The general excitement displayed by dogs toward nearly every occurance is refreshing. Dogs do not display irony or sarcasm.

I totally fell in love with the first dog I fostered. Black mouth cur, pit, who knows what else mix. Adopted in late December, right before Christmas. One of those dogs who listened to whatever you said and tried to figure out what you wanted. We would go skateboarding, her pulling as fast as she could and me holding on to the leash for dear life.

And then she got adopted into a house with acres of land, a little boy, and a pond. And I cried.

Midnight first came to my house after getting pretty beaten up by some other dogs. Her face was a network of fresh scars and open wounds.  She got better, got adopted, and got returned. The people complained that she likes stealing food off of the counter. Surprise, she is a dog.

On the left is Midnight (Scarfact) at the end of May. On the right is the same dog, but in January.

Sadie. Sadie Face. A brindle black mouth cur mix. A couple years old.

Perhaps the sweetest thing on four legs.  She would try to be in the same room at all times.  Not in the way, just making sure you were OK.

We would go on runs, her tearing away as fast as possible and me on a gravity board.

I tied a tug toy to a rope and hung it onto a limb in the backyard.  There were days I though she would bring the tree down.