When a foster dog goes home from our house, we:
- go somewhere because it sounds and feels too empty with one dog missing
- sigh in relief because we’ve just uncomplicated our upcoming trip out-of-town
- keep looking at our dog to see if she feels as sad as we do
- bring out the high value toys we were afraid would cause competition
- dream that night about our former foster
- bring back the rag rugs that encouraged nervous chewing
- start humming “One is the Loneliest Number” when we see our dog sitting alone on the couch
- smile when we see straight dog hair on the furniture instead of the usual wavy stuff
- think of yet one more thing we wanted to tell her adoptive family to make the transition easier
- wonder if we should keep as a souvenir that plop we missed cleaning up in the back yard
- get to sit on our living room couch again since it’s no longer a “safe spot” for a fearful dog
- take half as long to prepare dog dinner
- beam with pride thinking of the dog who faced her fears and worked so hard to manage a scary world
- are thankful we rented a car to go to the lakeshore on the last day she was with us
- marvel that our foster dog has been matched with a person who will be very good for her
- wonder what future dogs will come into our lives
If you don’t follow us on Facebook (and if you don’t, why not?), you may not know that Chérie has gone to live with her new person.
Chérie is now Miss Dilly Bean, Dill for short (a more suitable name for such a silly and cuddly girl). She’ll be living in Baltimore with a person who works at home and has a very gentle and calm attitude. Dill took to her person right away and is already learning the joys of sleeping on a real human bed.
I wish them both a smooth transition to their lives together.
When you’ve had a dog with you for a short time, whether or not a foster, what happened when she went home?
Sam
Congratulations, Cherie! We will miss seeing your beautiful face, but we are so happy you have your forever home!
Sam
Jodi
I do follow you on facebook, but somehow I missed this. I knew that there was a possibility, but somehow missed the actuality.
I’m so glad that Dill found the right home for her, it must be a wonderful feeling knowing that you have given another living being the skills to have a successful and happy life. I imagine though, it is bittersweet.
How is Honey coping? Does she miss Dill?
You all did a marvelous thing Pamela, I hope Dill’s mom keeps in touch with you and we get updates every now and then. 🙂
Leslie
Congratulations, “Dill” and everyone in the Webster house! You have done such a wonderful thing for her. (Ditto what Jodi said – how did I miss this on Facebook? )
I’m going to miss hearing about her growth. I don’t suppose you can talk her new person to start a blog for us, can you?
Have a wonderful life, Cherie! You are a rock star. 🙂
Toby
Glad to see this, as me and my peoples missed the official announcement on facebook. Sorry you are sad, but now you has room to help another one of us puppers…
Congrats to Cherie! And thank you peoples for helping her find her new peoples. 🙂
Nanny McFur
I would feel conflicted. You must get so attached to them.
Jen
I was starting to wonder if your house was going to be home! 😉
Congrats to Miss Dill! I’m sure she’s thrilled (or will be soon)!
houndstooth
I’m so happy for Cherie, well, Dilly, and I know she’ll lead a wonderful life. Some of our fosters were harder to say good bye to than others, but I was truly happy for each of them when they went home.
We had certain toys that were put away when we had fosters here, too, and it was funny, because our two dogs would almost always throw a little party when our foster left us. Treat and Hawk were quite a pair, and they were always great with our fosters, but they were definitely happy with each other’s company. Usually, we took a little time in between fosters, but not always. Anyway, I know fostering isn’t easy, but it is very important! And afterwards, I loved that Christmas morning feeling of wondering what the next foster would be like!
Married with Dawgs
Congratulations, Cherie-Dill! I hope she is happy in her new home. You did such a great job helping her overcome her fears and be ready for her perfect family. And I know she enriched your life in return and helped Honey tackle some of her fears.
Hawk aka BrownDog
Hi Y’all!
You had my Human cryin’…not sure whether it was sorrow at your loss or joy at Dill’s new happy life and for the new human in her life.
Just wanted to hop on by and see how y’all are doin’. Hope y’all have a wonderful weekend!
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Kolchak, Felix & Jodi
Congratulations Cherie! It is such a bitter-sweet time to see them go to their new home, isn’t it? We used to keep scrap books to send with ours and copied the pages to go n our own foster dog scrap book. They day they went home, I would pore over the pages with fond memories of so many good dogs.
Georgia Little Pea
Awww Cherie Dill, I’ll never forget you because I’m sure you had quite a bit to do with Honey’s new found love for the bike cart 😉 Have a happy life, girl! X
Lynda
I give you credit for having a foster and then being able to give her up. I hope she’s happy in her new home and has a wonderful life. And, I’m happy that you are a foster.
melF
What a great list. Yes. I think I have felt all of those things and thought them too. It’s hard to et them go and sometimes there are tears, but knowing they are in a loving home helps so much doesn’t it? So glad Cherie/Dilly Bean picked her perfect person. She must have known right away. Love the new name too. 🙂
dawn
Yay for Cherie finally getting her own person! You did a great job getting her on the road to having wondeful new life.
Kristine
Yay for Cherie! It sounds like she went to the perfect home for her and I am sure her new person is thrilled to have her in her life. She is such a lovely dog, inside and out. You did a wonderful job of bringing this out. Congratulations to you, Cherie, and her new family.
They say the cure for missing a dog is to get another…
RumpyDog!
It’s a wonderful thing that people do when they foster a dog. Thank you for opening your home and your hearts to those dogs.
Julie
I’m a little late reading this, but know the bitter sweetness of finding a home for your foster dog. Nothing better than finding a wonderful forever home, but still . .we miss them. So happy for Dill (such a cute name!). I’m excited to hear about your next foster dog!!
Basil
That’s fantatsic news and well do to you! Foster mums and dads are amazing people in my eyes! You do such an amazing job, and then to send them off to a forever home, It’s something I don’t think me and typist would ever be able to do and for that we do admire you so!!
I do hope you will keep us updated on how Dill is settling in to her forever home, and we send a special hug for you all!
Peggy Frezon
You were the best foster family ever for sweet Cherie and now she has the start she needs to live a happy rest of her life. Are you going to do it again?
Amy@GoPetFriendly
Congratulations so you all! And hugs, too. It has to be hard to watch them move on, even if you know it’s making her and her new family incredibly happy.
Pup Fan
What a lovely list… congrats to Cherie and hugs to you.