When a foster dog visits, things change. If the foster is a puppy, we reorganize the house—put dirty laundry behind closed doors, block off the stairs, and set up an exercise pen and crate. But even when the foster dog is a polite, adult dog who just needs a calm place to recover from surgery, […]
The Happy Side of Fostering – Blog the Change for Animals
Blog the Change for Animals meets real life. Because as I write this, I’m getting ready to say goodbye to our latest foster dog, Ginny. And I’m happy. In truth, there are lots of happy moments in fostering. But when I tell someone I foster dogs, their reply is, “Oh I could never do that. […]
Repeat After Me. She’s. Not. My. Dog.
As this post is published, I’m taking our foster dog Ginny to the SPCA for her follow-up vet appointment. It’s likely she won’t be coming back to us. And although I’ve written on this very blog that fostering is more about the love than it is about the loss, I can’t stop crying. I’m less […]
What Makes a Dog Easy to Foster?
Despite my freaking out initial misgivings about her medical needs, Ginny has been an easy foster dog. I could see people lining up to adopt her. She’s cute petite easy to walk not a big barker house trained plays well with other dogs cuddly Oh, and did I mention she’s cute? What makes some dogs easy to […]
Too Dog-Tired to Blog
By the time a foster dog comes to my house, she’s been shuffled around a few times. It’s no wonder she has trouble falling asleep at night. Unfortunately, if the foster dog ain’t sleeping, nobody’s sleeping. Perfect Dog Except for One Little Thing Most foster dogs cry the first night or two. We put their […]
Fostering Dogs Makes You Grow
I keep a list in the back of a notebook: the benefits of fostering dogs. I have a new one to add. Fostering dogs makes you grow. Whether you want to or not. Freaked Out Foster Mom I have a “thing.” I’m not good around sick people. Or injured people. Or even doctors. (I’ve managed […]
When a Foster Dog Comes to Stay
What’s involved in getting ready for a foster dog to stay in your home? Here’s my short list. When I get a call that a foster dog will be staying with me, I may have a few hours or up to one day to get ready. How do I get ready? Making the […]
Can Helping Pets Benefit Domestic Violence Victims? Blog the Change for Animals
When someone is facing the hardest experience of her life, do pets matter? Heck yeah! Especially if the hard experience is trying to break away from a manipulative and violent partner or spouse. There are no shortage of statistics. Seventy one percent of pet-owning women arriving in a domestic violence shelter report that their batterer […]
3 Reasons a Dog Will Flinch Without Being Abused
Human beings have survived for thousands of years by assuming the worst. Not every sound in the forest is a saber toothed tiger, though. And not every dog that flinches has been abused. 3 Things That Make A Dog Flinch (Besides Abuse) 1. Clumsy Owners When I walk into a room carrying an awkward or […]
A Day in the Life of a Foster Dog
What is it like bringing a new foster dog home? It’s different every time. But I thought I’d share Titus’s first few hours with us to give you a taste. Titus – The Beginning 3:00 p.m. Two awesome SPCA staffers pull up in front of the house (their willingness to drop Titus off seriously decreased […]