2013 In Review

Well, another year of fostering comes to a close. It's been an eventful year. We've had 28 dogs come into the foster fold, 16 from British Columbia, 10 from Taiwan, and 2 token dogs from California (we rescued Coleman/Floof who even though he was Californian and I told myself not to go down that road again looked too much like Lemon. The little friend he was found with was euthanized. Duke hitched a ride with him after his pending family realized he was 2-3x the size he was supposed to be.)

We had A LOT of quick fosters this year, and dogs that didn't get posted on the networking sites they had homes lined up before they came, just pending the week of review in a foster home, and meet + greet.

Snapped up before we had a chance to heavily network/ get applications in:

• Zipper (adopted by Meshum, who was supposed to only be cat-testing him!)
• Katrinka (although we posted her that day, she went to a training program and was applied for that night!)
• Sunshine (golden retriever, networked through a friend, put application in same day as arrival)
• Lexie (pre-approved adoption, to my good friends Sarah and Tyler)
• Sunday (pre-approved for adoption. The original dog applied for -Cinderella- wasn't an ideal match. But we found one. Sunday stayed all of four days.)
• Lacy (had an application before she arrived, though needed to be approved)
• Polly (pre-approved, needed meet + greet to confirm due to child in the home.)
• Neela (a leftover pre-approved application brought Neela over, hoping she would be the fit.)
• Heli (pre-approved repeat TG adopter, brought to foster to screen with other dog in home)
• Duke (although his first home had to bail because he was bigger than what they realized/too big for strata I got a message from previous foster Suzie's family looking for an outgoing male. Guess what, I just got one! No need to network :) )
• Do-A (Do-A was very special in that I had a senior couple come to me looking for a middle-aged lab. I took the application and found Do-A, who turned out to be a perfect match).

Most of the other dogs had multiple applications. Coleman stayed the longest although we aren't quite sure why. But that is the mystery of the foster home. Sometimes the dogs you think will get multiple apps wait for awhile but get a perfect app, some dogs you think will likely be around a bit have tons of applications, some dogs a dog gets lots of apps but it's hard to find "the home". Each one is unique, but each one -barring Champ who is adoption pending, deciding between 5 homechecked families I guess-, they go where they're supposed to.

These are the faces of 2013.

From L/R - Angel, Cinderella, Cashew, Cheddar, Coleman, Obi, Zipper, Leila,
Wrangler, Champ, Peanut, Riley, Sunshine, Katrinka, Lexie, Sunday, Alice, GG,
Vibo, Lacy, Neela, Polly, Heli, Duke, Chopin, Levi, Do-A, Penny

It wouldn't be a year end reflection without some highlights. Here are my "Top 10" for 2013.

#10 -Sunshine: Sunshine was my first golden retriever foster from Taiwan. Like most goldens she was beautiful inside and out. I haven't had a golden in awhile now, but I'm sure I'll be asking to foster one again soon. I was also overwhelmed by the response of adopters who would really like to adopt an adult golden retriever.

#9 Dog of Beauty: Neela. Everyone has a look of dog they like, but sometimes a dog is so gorgeous it's universal. This year, the resident beauty queen was Neela the Formosan Mountain Dog. @ 26 pounds she looked like a miniature Belgian Malinois. I couldn't take her anywhere without being mobbed!

 

 #8 Heli, the one I learnt from the most. Usually it's not a puppy that teaches me the most in the year. But at just under four months Heli had more intensity in her than any dog I've seen before at that age and although she wasn't here long before being adopted, my dogs and I needed to sort her out some. Heli taught me the importance of making a breed-savvy match.

#7 Champ. Champ is my new foster dog with The Victoria Humane Society, which is created by Penny Stone and other employees/volunteers that have been fired from the SPCA. I'm excited to be a small part of this new adventure. I'm also very glad that the VHS will be doing homechecks, a vital piece of the adoption puzzle that in my opinion the SPCA greatly misses out on. Also, it's pretty awesome that the new Victoria Humane Society will focus solely on BC animals.

#6 Riley. Riley in and of himself was a good dog, but not one that I remember a lot. We had him a few weeks, of which the first two weeks he spent grieving the loss of his previous family. Riley was the only dog I have had personally surrendered -he was previously a daycare dog-, where I got the papers signed and was handed his leash collar and watched his previous home walk out the door. There was good reason he was surrendered -nippy with children and not a fan of their erratic movements-, but even with good reason, it was still very hard to watch. Still, as much as those few weeks hurt, Riley now lives with a retired couple who don't much like kids either.

#5 Perfect Penny. Every once in awhile a truly "perfect" dog waltzes into your life. A dog that is loyal, by your side, quiet, good with everything you introduce them too. A dog that the second day you know them it feels like you've known them a lifetime, as if you move in sync with one another. They are few and far between, but Penny was truly a perfect dog. Brilliant off-leash, bomb-proof personality and exceedingly loyal her new family calls her "Penny the Wonder Dog". It will be a long time before I meet another rare "perfect dog", but having one is truly a wonderful experience.

#4 The Border Collie who got away. It's no surprise that Zipper went to a cat test and never returned. His bomb-proof, sensitive but loyal nature was a winner. Zip was awesome all the way around, although he had energy for days and needed some much needed "calm training". It was a joy taking him up to try herding, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Three borders is too much for me, but I'm glad he will continue with sports in his new home. If I was going to foster fail this year, it would have been Zipper.

#3 GG. GG was an amazing girl with multiple applications. Although on paper there were more ideal homes, I decided on a whim to do an application that was all of a five minute drive away. Well, GG found "her girl" there, and the previously super quiet dog HOWLED and HOWLED all the way home from the homecheck. She knew where she was supposed to be. I had some disappointed other applicants, but in the end, a VERY happy GG (now Molly) whose family is very happy to have her.
When dogs know, they know. :)


Recent Update from GG (Molly) and "her" girl.

#2. Coleman (aka Floof). No matter how much logic sways a person, some faces can't escape you. California rescue is a strange creature in itself, with how big a thing it has become and how unfortunately a lot of it is shady. Still, when I saw Coleman's little face and how much he looked like Lemon I couldn't sit by and do nothing. The little friend he was brought in with was euthanized. So, despite trying to stay away from Cali, Floof came, spent over two months with me (we're flooded with small little dogs) and was eventually adopted to the manager of Paws and Claws here in Victoria. He reminded me love is more important than everything else. It is not where your from that matters, it matters that wherever you end up, you end up loved.

Floof with Lemon



Floof's picture... I couldn't say no.
 

#1. Do-A -the dog that almost made me cry-. I have yet to cry over a foster dog. Mostly because I find it to be such a happy thing, for them to go on their way. Besides, if I was sad about leaving, that would just filter down to them and they would be sad. But Do-A's adventure nearly had me bawling.

I was contacted over the summer from a older retired couple who had recently lost both of their black labs. They were searching through the SPCA but couldn't find a middle-aged mostly lab that would suit their lifestyle. They were finding lots of Rottis, pits, mixed-breed and the odd lab mix with some sort of behavioural problem, but at almost 70, they weren't up for that. So, I found Do-A in Taiwan and had him sent to foster. He was a 5-6 year old yellow lab, and from day one he was perfect. Loved to fetch, housetrained, calm but playful, a real follower. The type of dog you're happy to foster and the type of dog you know will make whoever they adopt them infinitely happy.

So Do-A hung out with me for a week or two, and then met his parents. Love at first sight is the best way to describe it. Since Do-A has been adopted he has protected his dad from a cougar, he goes boating every weekend, he follows his dad around the 5 acres every day, and sleeps at the foot of the bed. From a stray of 3-4 years to treasured family pet of two seniors who needed a happy, laid back lab. He will start therapy work in the fall, where he will go to hospitals to sit with seniors, and possibly attending childrens' reading programs. I think there's a little magic in all adoptions, but this one takes the cake.

Beautiful Do-A (now Tucker), the epitome of bombproof. 4-5 years on the streets, and the best dog you could ask for!

Well, that's all for 2013! We already have fosters lined up for 2014, so stay tuned :) I hope we get as many awesome dogs as we have had this year. Only a few annoying ones slipped in this year ;)