In our first few blogs, I want to take the time to explain why we do what we do. I am very new to this so please be patient as you read through and know that I am an animal rescuer, not an English major.
In our pack of 5 (currently), we have a variety of personalities, breeds and past experiences. Before I introduce them all to you, it is important to know that every one of these dogs came from a rescue, and had already formed their personalities long before they came into our lives.
About 8 years ago, I adopted Frankie (formerly known as Dandy) from Australian Shepherds Furever, a 501c non profit. I had recently lost my 2 year old Australian Shepherd to cancer, and the decision to adopt again was agonizing, but hopeful at the same time. I was still grieving a tremendous loss, and fear of losing another dog loomed over me like a dark paralyzing cloud . My fears didn't stand a chance when I saw this sweet angel posted for adoption.
Although I had adopted from other rescues before, this rescue stood out to me. Maybe it was the breed that I was in love with since I was a child, maybe it was the friendships that formed after my first encounter with Frankie's foster mom, or the encounter with the late Joe Darlington that had me on the phone talking to him for 2 hours about deaf dogs, blind dogs, what a Double Merle is, and how they are unaware that they are any different than any hearing or seeing dog. We talked about more than just dogs that night and it was like talking to a friend I knew my whole life. This seemed to be the theme of my experiences with everyone in the ASF group. The rescue did a full investigation on me and after what seemed like the longest few days of my life, I was approved to adopt. From the moment Frankie was adopted into my home, I knew I had found a place amongst like-minded loving and caring rescue people as a bonus to my new found love in Frankie.
After about 6 months, someone from ASF approached me about becoming a foster. I just couldn't imagine how i would do that. How could I bring a beautiful sweet soul into my home, without falling completely in love and keeping him or her??? How could I even begin to imagine handing this dog over in the future to someone and breaking my heart and potentially theirs. It just seemed impossible to imagine. After a phone call with another foster and volunteer with the group, the only question I was actually left with, is "How could I allow any dog to be euthanized for no fault of his/her own, just because I was being selfish about how I would feel when the time came to adopt him/her out to a loving and deserving family who would allow them to live their best life?" And THIS my friends is how I became a foster mom.
In fostering, I have seen the grim side of rescue, the painful, dark and scary side of rescue. I have seen neglect, abuse, starvation, and uncaring humans. I have also seen how like-minded people band together to work hours on end networking, dealing with horrible, abusive humans, while being loving, caring, and supportive doing whatever they can, even when it almost always means sacrificing their human needs to support even just one animals life. I have seen dogs that are moments from death, shine bright when given a chance at life. I have seen the smiles that dogs have when they are on their freedom ride.
We will leave this here for now.
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