Why We Foster

Marcus Hill

Marcus Hill is one of the coolest guys I've never met, except online through Facebook. Some six years ago, Marcus and his wife Criss got into fostering dogs and the odd cat for the Humane Society of Wichita County shelter. Here is his story about......

                                      WHY WE FOSTER

People ask us how can we foster a dog (or cat), give them all that love and attention and then hand them over to a stranger. My answer is that saving a life is more important than breaking my heart over giving up that foster critter. Here is Romeo's story, from a near death experience to a happy loving home.

Romeo the day he came into the Shelter.

Romeo had been found hiding under a piece of tin roofing out in a pasture. Note the discolored areas around his face (photo right), on his nose and jowls. There were more under his jaw. We figure he had been attacked by a hawk and dropped in that pature.

We didn't know it, but there was an almighty abcess under that dark spot in front of his ear. I took him home to foster not long after this photo was taken.

The day after we got Romeo home that abcess burst, so we bandaged it up and applied a lot of love. He was a happy camper, romping and playing with our big dogs. He thrived and grew and wormed his way into our hearts.

A big boo-boo gets a bandage!

We had Romeo in foster for quite a long time. Hard to believe no one wanted such a sweet pup.

A little one-on-one love.

For a while he played with another foster pup we had named Sarah. Sarah got adopted before Romeo did, and we were happy for Sarah, but very sad for Romeo.

One day we got a call from the shelter. "Bring Romeo out, someone wants to met him." That someone was Sam Dillon.

Here he is (bottom photo) two years later racked out on the couch in his forever home. I don't thing Romeo could have found a better home. He is loved, he has two doggie buddies and a pair of fine people that give him all the love we could have and more.

And us? We have fostered another ninteen dogs since Romeo. The latest one, Speckles, is headed to Helping Hounds Dog Rescue in New York on Monday afternoon. Then we'll get us another foster pup and do it all over again.

Heart broken? Yes, but happy as a clam that another dog is saved from possibly being put down. We can't do this alone, it takes a team. From the person that found him to the person that adopted him in the end. We all had a hand in Romeo's success story. And you can do the same, all you have to do is step up and risk a broken heart.

And look who was waitng for us at the shelter. Sam and his buddy MacKenzie, come to take Romeo to his new home. The meet and greet went well and the clouds parted and the sun shown through. It was a great day all around. — with Sam Dillon.

Going to meet his new family....

Be it ever so humble....

Introducing the 'New' Dog

[Note: We're a little behind on our publishing schedule. Please bear with us as we play catch-up!]

Rowdy checking out the back patch.

Rowdy, a Chihuahua-Italian greyhound mix (Annie suspects), checked in at Lazlo & the Bean's Bed & Barkfest. Strangest-looking little dog you'd ever hope to meet.

I see clearly now what Kimber down at the shelter meant when she described him to me as a "deer-legged Chihuahua"!

Like nine (is it, now?) guests before him, Rowdy is a rescue on the Rescue Road to Forever. He had to leave the foster he was with rather abruptly -- for reasons beyond his control -- so Rowdy will be with us until Dog Runner’s next trip, Monday, to Helping Hounds Dog Rescue in Dewitt, NY.

Annie: We decided that Rowdy looks a lot like a little meerkat and is so unlike his name. He's sweet, mellow and very affectionate. He has a habit of snuggling in and laying his head on your arm or chest. He is absolutely endearing. Beano and Lazlo took to him right away, as did Jim and I. Some family will be very lucky to have him.

[Actually, Rowdy left last Monday and arrived in Dewitt Friday. At last report yesterday, he is winning hearts and minds among the good folks at HHDR.]

Our regular reader knows we have two home dogs, Beano and Lazlo. Laz was a foster fail who came to stay a couple of months ago. Beano, the unchallenged alpha, has been with us some five years now.  Each time we bring home a new foster, like Rowdy, there are those initial moments of apprehension, watching to see whether or not Beano will approve.

Introductions are made in our backyard with the new dog on lead. Beano, of course, establishes up front that this is his turf. When new guy shows proper submission, Beano immediately turns curious, and the round robin sniffing begins!

Annie: I have to say, that Beano has relaxed considerably since we adopted Lazlo. He has relinquished most of his toys - even his favorite night-night buddy - to his little brother. He accepted Rowdy and CJ with very little ado. Maybe he's just adjusting to the fact that every few weeks a new dog appears for a while and then, with little fanfare, is gone again. I so wish I knew what went on in their minds!

I think Lazlo is a Chiweenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund) mix and, very active (Beano is actually losing weight trying to keep up with this little firecracker!) and single-minded. However, he does think of himself as top dog and doesn't like sharing - and that goes for his humans, as well. For instance, if Beano is curled up in my lap, Lazlo will come and place himself higher so that, eventually, Beano will relocate. Laz gets away with it because everyone, including the other animals, loves him. What can I say? Rowdy and CJ learned quickly that 10pm, when Beano and Laz are sent to bed, was their time for individual cuddling with us.

[Whew! We now return you to those thrilling days of What's Happenin' Now!]

"Can we go?"

This picture remains the same, day in and day out. I see it every time I pull into our drive when the dogs are out. Only the dogs change as fosters come and go along the Rescue Road. That's our current foster, C.J. (right above) who's been with us about a week now. Of all the chihuahua-mixes to come through here, C.J. is the most chihuahua-ish -- hyper, skittish, animated, and more than a little demanding at times.

Annie: I am constantly amazed at how easy it is to fall in love with each of the fosters we've had. Regardless of personality, there is something about each and every one that captivates me EVERY time! CJ is no exception. He is quieter that most, but he seems to have had more training. He's very agreeable, not demanding - although I think he'd like it a lot if Lazlo would allow him more alone cuddle time with the humans!

C.J.'s first couple of days were Beano and Lazlo laying down their rules for the patch. Not that Lazlo's that disciplined. It's just that as the Little Brother, he feels compelled to back up Beano's dictates. By day three C.J. was easing into the mix, a new trio testing and toying with one another.

Fostering truly is a family affair!

C.J. is good on inside skills save taking to his crate, the focus of this week's training. He will get on just fine in New York.

~~~~~~~

Jim & Sage

 In closing, let's give a Texas-sized THANK YOU and SHOUT OUT to Joan Nickum. She knows who she is, and some of you regular readers may, too. Joan made it possible for Annie and I to participate in our first rescue relay yesterday, driving Sage, a beautiful young Schnauzer. Our leg was from Wichita Falls to Childress, Texas (Sage will eventually land in Phoenix, Arizona). Truth be told, Annie and I have lusted after Dog Runner's gig ever since we first heard about Dave and Elaine. What could be better than road tripping with dogs!

Sage, crated and ready to start the journey to Childress, Texas

Dog Say the Darnedest Things

Lady cat-watching

NOTE: Lady, our sixth and longest in-residence foster, left Texas en route to New York yesterday. She challenged us, brought us to question our methods and in so doing worked her way deeper into our hearts than any other foster to date. She is greatly missed.

Ever wonder what your fosters say about you behind your back? Oh trust me, they do talk amongst themselves when we aren't around.

Lady, our most recent foster, was in her final stage of crate training. For those few readers unfamiliar with the sport, Crate Training is convincing your dog partner that being caged is a good thing! Some dogs, like Lady, take more convincing than others.

We were leaving Lady caged for longer periods of time and at different times during daylight hours. To be fair, we confine Beano to his crate as well, sort of a remedial refresher course for him, too.

Lady being a “talker” ~ she has a wide range of vocalizations which she’s not shy about using. we know she and Beano must be swapping tales of woe betwixt their respective cells….

Lady: WELLOFALLTHENERVE!! CANYOUBELIEVETHEYJUSTWALKEDOUT!!

Beano: Put a sock in it, sister, no one’s around to hear your “Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me” routine.

Lady: HOW Could THEY??

Beano: Easy, kid, they don’t LIKE you that much.

Lady: Oh, Really!

Beano: Trust me, they’re counting the days until YOU, dear sister, are out of here!

Lady: Aw, come on. You’re just trying to frighten me because YOU’RE Jealous!

Beano: Fine. [BIG YAWNING SOUND] Don’t listen to me. No hair off my tail, honey.

Let’s see….Opal, as I recall, was the first. I kinda liked her a little bit. How long did she stay? Two weeks?  

YOU're still here?

Lady: What are you going on about???

Beano: Oh, nothing. I was just thinking back to the beginning of this Open-Your-Home-To-All-Comers catcrap “they” call FOSTERING.

Beano:  You know they're never coming back, don't you?

Lady:  WHAT? You're kidding, right?

Beano:  Oh, heck no! They do this to me ALL the time!

Lady:  What are we going to do? I have no food ... no toys! Arrrrgggh!

Beano:  Oh? No toys or food? My, oh my. They left plenty for me.  I even have your squirrel!

Lady:  I'm NEVER speaking to them again! NEVER. EVER. AGAIN!

Beano: Geez, I've never known them to let one of us STARVE to death…

Lady: What do you mean, starve!!

Beano: Leaving you locked up with no food and all. Dog, they must really be down on you!

Lady: They saved me from starving once! They will save me again!!

Beano: [SOUND OF CRUNCHING] Didn’t leave you so much as a pig stick, huh. Guess they’re having a tough time finding some place to dump you.

Lady: That’s it! I’m NOT listening to YOU anymore!! OHMYDOGWHEREARETHEY!!!

[SOUND OF KEYS AND DOOR OPENING]

Lady:  YOU'RE HOME YOU'RE HOME YOU'RE HOME!! LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!! Oh, I love you so much! I knew you'd be back!

Beano: YOU'RE HOME YOU'RE HOME YOU'RE HOME!! LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!! Oh, I love you so much! I knew you'd be back!

Lady & Beano February 18, 2014

The Lady & The Scamp

With some five days remaining until Lady, our big red foster, boards an eastbound transport to New York, our resident bad boy Beano is finding out that girls don't carry cooties!

"Take a picture; it'll last longer!!"

And Lady, for her part, has learned a thing or two since landing in our laps with five puppies a month ago. Mainly, I think, she has learned that...

YES! There IS life after childbirth!!

Cats are NOWHERE near as much fun as they look like they SHOULD be! Once you get to know them, in fact, they're down right boring.

ALERT when they wave a pig stick under your nose and start cooing that ridiculous language of theirs: YOU ARE BOUND FOR THE BOX!!

Annie:  Kidding aside, Lady has become such a big part of our lives. She had such a rocky beginning with us - emaciated and still dealing with her five puppies - she has grown into such a wonderful addition. 

She is so intelligent and lively. When she wants attention she will sit beside you and slowly start her high pitched yip. If you continue to ignore her, the yips become longer, like a song, and the nudging begins.

Nap buddy

Although she is crated at night, she loves to snuggle ... and let me tell you, it's like cuddling with a pony! She likes lap sitting, or resting her head on some part of you and there is no getting up to move without effort, unless she decides she wants to shift position too!

I don't want to think about her leaving. It brings such a lump. I will worry about her from the moment she steps onto that transport until we hear she has found her forever home with some lucky New York family. I want the best for Lady, because she SO deserves it!

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CREDITS:

Still Photographer ~ Annie Miller

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Proofreader        ~ AnniePie Miller

Co-Writer          ~ Ann E. Miller

Co-Writer          ~ J.W. Miller

Videographer       ~ JimTXMiller

Off-Camera

  Commentator      ~ Allen Dean Porter

The Beagle's Tale, Part 2

Old English Beagle

About the time of the Norman Conquest and the arrival in Britain of the Talbot hound that odd notes begin to appear regarding an All-English hunting hound known as the North Country Beagle. The written record, however, is scant in the extreme regarding the origin of this dog since this was before huntsmen and kennel masters began keeping detailed, written records concerning their breeding activities.

One minority school of thought contends that the North Country beagle was among the oldest of dogs known to man, originating in the British Isles and coming down through the ages from the Celts. Another majority school holds that the Northern was a smaller, faster off shoot of the Southern hound, also a descendant of the Talbots brought over by the Normans. Whichever way you choose to vote, the term beagle begins to appear in the literature in the 11th century.

Being an English minor as well as a journalist, of course, I can’t help but muse on the etymology of beagle. A quick check with ancestry.com on possible origins of the English sir name reveals it was either a variant of Beadle OR originally a nickname relating to the English hunting hound. However, we also find the old French term begueulle, meaning a noisy shouting person.

Whatever the origin, by the time of Henry IV and Elizabeth I, beagle was applied to any hound dog in England. The above mentioned royals both were particularly fond of a quite diminutive breed known as a pocket beagle. Rather than a novelty, huntsmen bred these pocket-sized hounds to go after game that had taken refuge in dense thickets and undergrowth where the larger dogs could not follow. Common practice was for the hunter to carry one or two of these pint-sized demons in his pocket or saddle bags until needed.

WARNING! The true old English pocket beagle went extinct well over 100 years ago! Today's so-called pocket, or teacup, beagles are relatively new breeding creations, often achieved by breeding litter runts. Such breeding is little more than abuse. These dogs display a whole host of abnormalities directly resulting from being bred to be small.

By the 1700s fox hunting was gaining in popularity, and some clever kennel master thought of breeding a North Country Beagle with a Foxhound. The result was a nearly "perfect" fox hunting hound and pretty near the dog we today know and love as the beagle.

Mere months before a young biologist embarked on a world-changing voyage aboard the

From the Journals of Charles Darwin

HMS Beagle, Reverend Phillip Honeywood  established a formal breeding program. His dogs were nearly pure white, smaller yet than the North Country and were known as Honeywood Beagles. One Thomas Johnson further refined the breed to devise rough-coat and smooth-coat varieties.

Beagle varieties abounded by the 1840s with four distinct types being the most popular. They were the medium beagle, the lapdog beagle, the fox beagle and the terrier beagle. Less than 50 years later, however, beagles were in danger of vanishing entirely from England as had their forerunner Southern and Northern hounds. Records for 1887 revealed only 18 packs of beagles remaining in the country.

The Beagle Club formed in 1890, and the first true standard for the beagle breed was written. A dozen years later 44 beagle packs were registered in Britain.

General Richard Rowett is credited with importing some exceptional beagles from England and breeding them in the United States about 1876. Rowett's beagles generally are credited as the first models for an American breed standard. That American beagle was formally recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1884.

Today the beagle rank 4th in popularity with Americans.

Our own Charlie Beagle, our 2nd foster on the Road to Forever, literally is somewhere along that road tonight as this is published. Good Lord willing and the snow doesn't get too deep in the Northeast, he and the rest of Dog Runner's charges will arrive in DeWitt, New York, some time Saturday.

God speed, Charlie!

Snowed Under & Iced Over...NOT!

Dear Friends & Followers,

Just a few dozen lines to let everyone know that we have not been abducted by aliens, fallen off the edge of the Earth nor found religion and ran off to join the Tea Party cult (NOT EVEN A REMOTE POSSIBILITY!). We cannot blame our absence from this blog on the weather, either, since we are not iced in all that deeply--I mean, I did get up and make it to my day job by 7:05 this morning. Certainly we were not hit as hard as our friends down in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for which I hope we are truly thankful.

Charlie is great. Antibiotics knocked out his cough, and he has learned to tolerate spending the night in his crate, at least. Given time, I actually think he will come to appreciate having a cozy, enclosed space all his own. For now, however, he still prefers Annie's side of our bed. Last word we heard on Dog Runner, Charlie will be heading for New York Monday evening, barring any further delays due to weather and/or road conditions.

Beano is ... well ... tolerable, I suppose. He has been somewhat green, shall we say, these past several days. Seems he is jealous of Charlie in spite of our best efforts to engage both dogs equally.

The boys had a dust up over a rawhide chew a couple of days ago. Hackles were raised, teeth were bared, guttural growls were voiced. In the end, however, the only injuries sustained were to feelings. No physical harm was done to or by either party, and Beano immediately confined himself to his crate for the remainder of the evening, pouting.

Consequently all rawhide chews have been confiscated and hidden away. Charlie's will be packed with his other belongings, and Beano will get his back after Charlie has left the house. But the incident also has prompted Annie and I to reconsider and reevaluate just how we will continue to foster rescue dogs.

Annie: To be fair to Beano, he has always exhibited a jealous side, so his disdain of Charlie is really nothing new. He is very protective of his toys and food. Opal just ignored him, and, as she was larger, he pretty much (had to) let her have her way. Charlie, on the other hand, is his size (albeit not as heavy) and more laid back in disposition - Beano may consider him more of a threat. He does try to engage Charlie in play often - sometimes to Charlie's chagrin. They each have their moments. Again, I believe this is due to their similarities rather than differences.

Interestingly, he knows when he's pushed it too far. And I swear, he practices his scowl when we aren't home! I do find it amusing that he now knows when he needs confinement. He doesn't think twice, just goes directly to his crate and stares out until given the nod that he can rejoin us.

Meanwhile, I've been working on a blog post about beagles, and frankly, the research has taken longer than I expected. At least, that's my excuse for being absent since Saturday last and I'm sticking to it. Until next time, then, stay off the roads, keep your dogs close and share the blankets with someone you love!

The Second Time Around

(Comments made in blue text are Annie's thoughts)

Isn't that the way it goes? The first gets all the pictures taken, one or three albums dedicated exclusively to their special moments. They're the focus of post after post daily on half a dozen social networking outlets. Heck, entire blog entries go on and on about the nature of their poop, for cryin' out loud!

Charlie Beagle

Then the second comes along, maybe even a third, and...well...the bloom tends to fade from the lily, so to speak.

Lord, don't we treat our pets just like our children, often in more ways than we are comfortable owning up to!

By accident of birth, I happen to be the first born of four. I would be the last one to suggest that our mom loved any one of us more than any other, for her love was unconditional across the board. Yet, everyone knew; Mom liked me best.

So it goes with foster dogs, as well. If it hasn't happened to you yet, I dare say that it will, sooner or later.

Our first foster, Opal Hound, was...is...special to us. We came within a breath of adopting her ourselves, and it purely was knowing that we could not give her the physical space and exercise a hound her size needs that prevented us from keeping her. So off Opal went to Helping Hounds in New York where someone would give her a home to fit her particular needs.

With Opal, it truly was a case of love at first sight on my part. She had me from the moment I laid eyes on her face in a Facebook posting.

Now comes Charlie Beagle; an older, calmer, smaller addition to our family of two humans, a house dog, four cats and a bird. Love at first sight with Charlie? Mmmm, not so much.  

I beg to differ. Beano and I are smitten.

Please understand, I like Charlie. I like Charlie a lot, in fact. I just do not love Charlie with an intensity to match my love for Opal.

Charlie will make some family an outstanding, loving pet. He is bright, attentive when he wants to be, house trained, well mannered, maybe a little sloppy with his dining habits, well behaved on a leash, comfortable in a crate (except at night, alone in a strange room) and is not excessively vocal. 

He is a Beagle after all, so his bark is quite distinctive and when he bays, the Beagle hound in Beano perks right up!

Beano and Charlie take a break between wrestling bouts.

Moreover, he is a great companion for our beagle/Boston, Beano, as they share some common breed traits, are well matched in size and are about the same age. Charlie is curious concerning the cats, but he does not chase nor otherwise antagonize them. As for the bird, he's is fairly ambivalent. 

Beano seems to have taken to Charlie and vice versa. I think Opal, as much as Jim and I were infatuated with her, intimidated our older pup. She was taller and livelier than he was used to, and could easily wrest away his favorite toys. He can be quite selfish! Charlie, so far, has shown absolutely NO interest in cow, Beano's best inanimate buddy. That makes Charlie A-OK in Beano's books!

And while we have not had an opportunity to introduce Charlie to small children, we have no reason to believe he would be tempted to eat one, even if they did deserve it.

Charlie is a great dog. If it were not so, I would tell you, because that's my job. But when it comes to puppy love, the chemistry simply isn't there this time around. And I can tell you, this is a much more comfortable place from which to foster a deserving dog along the Road to Forever. 

Charlie had my heart from our first meeting, several days before we picked him up. I too, think he will be a wonderful addition as some family's forever dog. Beano and I intend to enjoy the heck out of him while he visits with us.

So it is that while Charlie is our second foster, he certainly does not rate second-best!