Good Karma

The coincidences are too compelling to ignore.

On Christmas Eve, I was having a hard time, missing my Noir, feeling sad and lonely. At the same time, in the NC mountains, a couple was walking their son's dog in an area they normally don't go to. Perhaps someone was guiding their steps. A 3 month old puppy approached them, laid down at their feet and began whimpering. Obviously lost or abandoned, they took the little girl back to their vacation home.

They searched for her owners to no avail. Then they contacted a friend to see if it was possible to get her into rescue.

Way leads to way, and my friend Pat was contacted. She thought of me. I was fostering Smoochie, but Pat knew that little cutie would be adopted in a hearbeat. So Saturday morning while I was preparing to take Smoochie to a PetSmart adoption event, the couple who rescued the puppy were sending photos to my phone. Would we consider fostering her when Smoochie goes to a new home? YOU BET!

Smoochie went to her new home Monday evening. Tuesday morning, I met the "mountain puppy's" rescuers at our vet's office. What a nice couple! The puppy was dewormed, got her first shot, and was checked over. Then home with me she went.

We estimate she is 3 months old. That means she was born around the time we found out about Noir's illness.

I think Noir was working from the Rainbow Bridge, guiding this little puppy to us. I know Noir doesn't want me to be sad, and I also know she is a rescuer too. The puppy is a sweet little thing with a striking coat and funny puppy ways. She's very smart. She's made me happy and optimistic again. Casey likes her.

We've named the puppy Karma. She just might be our first "foster failure".

Foster puppy updates: Annie, Smoochie, and another abandoned puppy

Since September I have been consumed with Noir's health, caring for her, worrying about her, taking her to the vets, and finally saying that painful goodbye.

As soon as we found out she was ill, we suspended fostering puppies so we could focus on her. We also didn't want to bring any illnesses into the home that she might be susceptible to.

I have written a blog about every foster we've had, but neglected to talk about Annie. We had her about 10 days, she stayed with us when she came out of the shelter and until her next foster home was ready to take her. Annie was a sweet little girl, a black and brown basset hound. She was hilarious, cute, playful, funny, and a joy to have around. Soon after she moved into fostering with my friend Alex, she was adopted to a great family and now Annie has a little girl all her own. Another happy ending. Aren't those ears something?!

The week before Christmas, 2 weeks after Noir went to the Rainbow Bridge, Jim and I decided it was time to start fostering puppies again. We had heard about 3 little stray puppies, Jack Russell mixes, that needed help. My friend Fara had them, and I offered to help with one of them. She kept the little boys, and I brought home the little girl. She was 4 pounds, skin and bones, full of worms.

Fortunately Fara had taken her to the vets for her first shot and worming, and had given her 2 baths. (Thanks, Fara!!) She seemed to be a JRT/Chihuahua mix... not real zippy like a JRT would be, longer legs like a chihuahua would have. She is as sweet as can be, full of puppy kisses, so we named her Smoochie.

We've had her 10 days, and yesterday took her to an adoption event at PetSmart in Blakeney. A wonderful woman met her, fell in love and applied to adopt her. Today I did the home visit, and tomorrow she'll go home to her new mom and all the love and attention she deserves. She's going to have a great life! As you can see below, she's Santa's favorite!




Saturday my friend Pat got a call from some people who were on holiday in the mountains and came upon an abandoned puppy. She told me about the pup, they texted some photos to me, and Jim and I decided to foster her. Smoochie will leave Monday evening, and the new puppy will move in on Tuesday.

Not enough time

In rescue we see this story played over and over, thousands of times every day. A new baby arrives, or a new job, a new boyfriend or girlfriend, the cute little puppy is now an adult, and suddenly there's "not enough time" for him. So their owners take them to the shelter to be killed. Owner surrenders can be killed before the owners even get back in their car. Here's one dog's perspective of "not enough time".

Dear Mom and Dad,

This is Blackie writing you. Betcha didn't know I could write, huh? Well, I can. Anyways I wanted to write you a quick email to let you know I'm not mad anymore and I understand. I was really mad when you brought me here to the Shelter. You told them you didn't have enough time for me. I was mad because I didn't think I took that much of your time. I mean I know the baby takes a lot of time, but really all you needed to do was give me food and water every day, make sure I get my heartworm medicine every month, and my shots once a year. I mean it was max 5 minutes a day. And when you had a few minutes to pet me and toss a ball for me to play with - well that was great. (You know you spent more time on me the day you took me to the Shelter than any other day I can remember.)

I was really really mad that day. See, I really didn't have a lot of stuff to do and no deadlines to meet so I really had no idea what "not enough time" means.

But I understand now. I have the same problem. See, I have just 24 hours to find a rescue. And I'm really scared that's not "enough time". After all, they don't know how good a dog I am. They don't know that I am a loyal companion - that I listen really great and that I love to walk in the dog park. And that more than anything else I want to have someone who will play with me, and tell me what a good dog I am. Did you know that I really love to have my ears brushed? And that I'm a spaniel? That's ok - I didn't either. I learned that here from a girl named Taryn. She's cool. She's even trying to get me some more time.

Well, I'd better hurry. I don't have "enough time" to really write this well. I have to really pray hard that God finds me a rescue. Because I don't have "a lot of time" left right now. My new friend in the dog run next to me ran out of time yesterday. I hope I'm not next.

Anyways I'm not mad anymore. I know what it means not to have enough time.

High Paws!
Blackie

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