I'm officially attached.

It's going to be VERY hard to let this one go!



Don't get me wrong - all of our fosters are great, and I've loved them all. I just don't get attached to all of them to the point where I want to keep them. I think it's better that way. Tyson is really pulling on my heartstrings, though. He's an incredibly special boy. I miss him already, and he's not even gone yet.

Breeders...ugh!

I hate trying to talk people I know out of buying from breeders. It seems like such a circular argument, and I rarely ever "win."

Them: "But I want a purebred dog! Nothing but a purebred!"
Me: "There are thousands of purebred dogs in shelters all over the country. Petfinder.com is a great resource for finding the perfect dog for your family."

Them: "But I want a dog that is registered, so that I know for sure it's purebred!"
Me: "Registration papers do not make a dog more lovable, more trainable, or inherently more valuable than a dog (purebred or mutt) without registration papers."

Them: "But I want to know where my dog came from!"
Me: "Unless you're buying from a breeder who temperament tests, health tests (for genetic disorders, not just an ordinary yearly vet check-up), and who works and shows their dogs, you really have no idea 'where they came from' because their breeding is nothing more than a crapshoot, a 'cross our fingers and hope this turns out well' deal."

Them: "But there is a reason why the dogs are in shelters or rescue groups!"
Me: "And those reasons rarely have anything to do with the dog. People give up their pets for all kinds of stupid reasons: allergies, couldn't be bothered to train them, moved somewhere were dogs weren't allowed, didn't have time for the dog when they had a baby, etc."

Them: "But I want to be sure that my dog has never been abused, so it won't 'snap' on me someday!"
Me: "A stable dog will not just 'snap,' no matter what it's gone through in its life. Look at my Remy. He was neglected and abused for the first 13 months of his life, and I've never know a dog more trusting and sweet than he is. Reputable rescue groups thoroughly temperament test their dogs and only adopt out the best of the best. I'd be happy to help you find such a rescue group."

Them: "BUT BUT BUT! I WANT A PUPPY FROM A BREEDER, AND I WANT IT NOW! *WHINE WHINE WHINE*"
Me: *sad*

Tyson's potential adopter is coming to look at him tomorrow. If all goes well, Tyson will be adopted by the middle of next week! The sooner the better, because I'm getting pretty attached to him!

New foster - Tyson

This is Tyson. He's about 10 months old or so, and he was rescued from a neglectful home by a sweet elderly lady. She knew she couldn't keep Tyson, so I was contacted as a potential foster home. Brent and I totally fell in love with him when we met him on Monday, and it didn't take long to decide that he would be coming home with us. We have a potential home lined up for him, but I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch. ;)






Bella and Remy are doing really well. They both turned two recently (Remy in February and Bella in March.) They've been so patient and sweet about sharing their home with our plethora of fosters recently. We're so lucky to have such good dogs that get along with any dog we bring into the house. I hope they continue to enjoy sharing their home with foster buddies because Brent and I really do love fostering and want to continue it for as long as we're able to.

In not-so-good news, Norris (a former foster and favorite of ours) is going to have to have surgery on his ankle to repair an old injury that never healed correctly. Poor guy! His owner is going to be moving to Arizona soon, so we're not going to be able to visit Norris much longer. We're going to miss him like crazy! He's turning out to be such an amazing dog. He's 7 1/2 months old now, and he weighs about 40-45 lbs. He's going to get bigger than everyone thought he would!

Brody got adopted!

Brent and I now have three (four, if you count Remy) adoptions successes under our belts! We're getting our next foster - a white-with-chocolate-patches red nose male pit bull - tomorrow or Wednesday. We would have really liked a break from fostering, but as long as there are dogs in need, our home will be open to them.