Past Paw Prints

Here are some dogs that have made an impact on my life in one way or another.

Otis. You’ll find Otis below as well, because he was with me as a foster twice. Otis came back to me when his first home didn’t work out after nine months. I had Otis for four months, and he joined me at work almost every day and adventured to different hikes or parks on the weekends.  Otis became so attached to me that adopting him out hurt both of us, but thank goodness he bonded to his new dad right away. I still get to see him every once in a while when I need to socialize a new foster or just for a slobbery, face kissing pick-me-up.

Baxter was my first bona fide, all-by-myself foster dog. You can read about his story here. He was with me for four months, and during that time we learned a lot together. We went on adventures, we took lots of naps, we had doggy play dates, we did everything together. Baxter was quite the extraordinaire dog, and he had the fan base to prove it. His perfect family came along and they have been living happily ever after since. I miss him a lot sometimes, but the email updates I get saying how happy he is make it all worth it.

Georgia never actually lived with me, but my family was waiting to bring her in when her current foster home had to move away. However, she got scooped up right away and was adopted to a wonderful family who adores her!

Zabora, my first pull from MCHS.  I shared the fostering of her with an Love and a Six-Foot Leash who was packing up for a big move. Zabora is one of the most loving dogs I have ever met, and by far the best cuddler. I have never had a dog who loved sleeping as much as I do! Zabora had a harmless neuro issue that made her a bumbling, teetering little dog. It was the most heartwarming thing I have ever seen. She now lives with a couple who enjoys gardening, so she spends many weekends lounging out in the yard with them. She is also a recent big sister to a human baby, and loving it!

Otis, my first foster. He stole my heart because I immediately became his “person”, and he followed my every move. We spent two fabulous weeks exploring the trails and woods of Montgomery County while he learned to be comfortable in his own skin. He found his forever home the first day I brought him to work with me and is now living with a pitty girlfriend. Update: Otis is back with me because his big sister and him didn’t get along (she was a big bully, and he’s a scaredy cat). We’ve been loving his return because he is such a great dog! Read more about him on his Adopt Me page.

Dixie was a Humane Society foster that I had the pleasure of dog-sitting for a few days. Being ten weeks old, she taught me about taking care of a puppy. While she was as cute as a button, let’s just say I’m sticking to older dogs for a while. She was actually adopted by her foster grandmother and now lives on a farm with her best friend who happens to be a kitten.

Mandy is the first dog I was ever fully responsible for on my own. It sounds silly, but she taught me I could successfully take care of a dog, which gave me the confidence to pursue fostering. Every time I dog-sit her we go on adventures to parks or I take her out to eat with me. She is my go-to for when I need my dog fix.

Barley, my sweet dog that joined me on evening walks for fourteen years.  He greeted me at the door whenever I got home, immediately investigating whatever sniffs I brought for him. He came with me to the barn every afternoon until he got too old, and he loved our trips to Maine. Come to think of it, him and I were a lot alike. Life gets weird when you lose a dog like that, but it makes you appreciate all the time you had together. Miss ya Barles.