Monday, December 1, 2014

A Foster Fail and A Sweet Dog In Need of a Home


I'm officially a dog fostering failure. And this is one instance where I'm happy to fail. When I decided to foster a dog, everybody told me I would want to keep him. But I insisted I could help more dogs by allowing them to move on to other homes.

It turns out my friends and family knew me best. I took one look at sweet little Ace and I fell in love. I defy you to see him and not want to take him home with you. He is that cute. Ace was abandoned, sad and afraid when Our Angels Dog Rescue pulled him out of a pound in Kentucky. (Yes, our little guy is American.) The family who nurtured him before he came to Canada says that he was the most fearful dog they had helped this year. And they have helped lots of dogs.

Ace is so flexible. He can sleep folded in half.
 Whatever Ace suffered at the hands of humans, he is so forgiving. He radiates pure joy and love. In just a few months, he has learned to approach every person or dog he meets with eagerness and affection. He likes to tuck his head right into my armpit when I work on my laptop on the couch. He watches every move we make and he is eager to do the right thing. He requires only a gentle "no" when he picks up a forbidden item in his mouth. He is not the slightest bit defiant.

Ace loves to play. Although he is about a year old, he has a lot of puppy in him. He enjoys taking Jolene's toys right from her mouth. She initially let him do it, but now they have long, silent (and adorable) tug-of-wars. (I may have had a little chat with Jolene about how she is the older woman and needs to let him know she's in charge.)


Jolene wasn't so eager to share her home with another canine. She also had a troubled past. Now she has a family who loves her and she feels safe. But she is coming around to Ace. I think she even enjoys playing with the little guy now and then. Whereas when he arrived at our home, Jolene wouldn't go near him, now she will lie on the couch very close to him (although she grunts a bit if he touches her).


It makes me sad when people say that rescue dogs are harder to manage and train. Dogs, like people, have distinct personalities, preferences and pet peeves. Like anybody who has suffered abuse or grief, these unfortunate creatures need love and attention to heal.

Dogs aren't like fancy cars. They shouldn't be status symbols, purchased to show off to shallow friends. Just as each child is different and some are more challenging than others, no dog is perfect, whether you bought him from a breeder as a puppy or you rescued him as a 2-year-old from the SPCA. They all need training, patience and time. When you adopt a dog in need of a home, not only are you doing a wonderful thing, but you are sure to be rewarded with a new family member who is oh-so-delighted to have a safe and happy home.

Visit petfinder.com to see all the pets (cats and bunnies included) awaiting a good home. You can put in your postal code/zip code to get pets in your area. You can search by breed too, so the fact that you want a particular breed of dog or cat needn't deter you from rescuing.


Brodie Needs A Home!


If you are in the Greater Toronto Area (or elsewhere in Ontario), please have a look at Brodie. Through no fault of his own, this gorgeous collie mix has been overlooked. He has been waiting for months for a forever home. If you have the time to give him the care, exercise and attention he needs, this might be the right guy for you! Are those eyes not incredible? Brodie is currently in a temporary foster home in Kleinburg.

Do you have a pet? What does he or she bring to your life?





24 comments:

  1. Heartbreaking Story ... but now he is lucky Dog :)
    Cute Photos!

    xoxo

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    1. Aw, thank you! He is definitely going to be spoiled. ;) But we are lucky to have him too.

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  2. Ace is gorgeous, look at that little face! It's so nice to read a nice, happy story and I'm glad one more dog has found a forever home. It breaks my heart whenever I see adverts or programmes about pet rescue centres; I wish I could rescue them all.

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    1. Thank you! He is pretty darn cute! I'm the same as you. I want them all! If only I were rich and could have my own hotel for dogs. ;)

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  3. Oh, Joann, I'm so proud of you for failing - I wouldn't have been able to resist him either! My little adopted Jack Russell-ish mutt is snuggled up right next to me right now. I would totally have ALL of the dogs if I could too...

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    1. Thanks girl! I wish I could have more dogs. I don't think my husband would agree, as much as he loves these two... ;) Ace is behind me waiting for me to get off the computer and snuggle up too! Enjoy your little one! Jo

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  4. Does that mean we have a new canine nephew?
    We cant wait to meet him.

    Love and Kisses
    Aunt Nancy & Uncle Dean

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  5. Look at that face! What a fantastic thing to fail at :D It's heartbreaking to see the amount of animals that are waiting for a forever home. My friend adopted a rescue dog last year and is dealing with behavioural problems which improved when they decided to change the dog's name (the adoption place recommended keeping the same name though in this case it appears the poor dog associated her old name with fear/punishment). My friend has had some people make comments like "can't you just send her back?" because of the teething problems they were having, which is sad to hear. As for us, we have two rescue cats (brothers from the same litter), their first birthday is next month so we will have a little party :) They're so spoilt.

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    1. That is so sad that her name was so frightening for her. I learned with Jolene that patience was key. She has matured so much over time. Most of the change that was needed in her case was on our end - in better understanding her. That being said, I keep a regular eye on the dogs to make sure they don't chew anything that could harm them. It's definitely a responsibility that's not for everyone. Speaking of names, I had a beautiful black lab who somebody had named "Crappy." The next owners changed it to "Scrappy." At over a year old, I changed it to "Bronte." She was lovely and she deserved a better name. :)

      Happy birthday to your little cuties! :)

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  6. Bravo!!!! Every one of our beloved pets is a pound animal, and more than one was a found animal. We live on the rural side of a college town, and you'd be depressed to know how many animals get "left" out here when people move (its truly tragic).
    I am so happy Ace has found his forever home!!

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    1. Yes, you are ahead of me on the animal adoption front Taby. ;) You have a whole pack of animals don't you? I love that. I can't believe how many people dump animals. I guess they figured an animal would be all fun and no responsibility?

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  7. What a beautiful "fail"! Boop those noses for me, won't you?

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    1. Thank you! I'm not sure what boop means, but you gave me a good chuckle. ;)

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  8. I am proud to call myself a foster fail. I do hope to be able to foster successfully sometime but it is hard to let an animal go when I become so attached. I'm so happy Ace has found a safe, loving home with your family. Thank you for bringing attention to how wonderful rescue animals are.

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    1. Thanks Erika. You're sweet! We'll be foster fails together. ;)

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  9. Congrats on your new addition :) I highly recommend adopting a rescue animal - it's always so amazing to hear when one is able to finally have a happy home!

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    1. Thank you! Yes, the rewards are great when you give a previously hopeless pet a good home!

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  10. So proud of you! Want to meet him soon!

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    1. Thanks girl! Hopefully I will see you over the Christmas break! :)

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  11. Oh congratulations! What an adorable little face!!

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    1. Thank you! Yes, he is a cute little guy. He's a bit on the skinny side still, but we will fatten him up a bit. ;)

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  12. AW!! So sweet. I am glad you failed at this one. I think he is completely adorable and you make me want to consider adopting or rescuing a dog just like him. We have only guinea pigs right now.

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    1. Thanks so much Paula! We really enjoy having Ace in our family. I wish you the best if you decide to adopt a dog! Guinea pigs are so cute too. :)

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