It has been a very active few months with foster dog and kitten adoptions along with some new faces joining the pack so far this year. I’ll try to keep it as brief as possible for this update on my rescue efforts and will dive into some details in other posts. I get lots of questions about supporting my rescue efforts, so I have lots of links at the bottom if you’re interested. I am always, always grateful for all of the support to help me help more of these sweet and innocent rescued souls. On to the updates:
- I hit 26 foster dogs and kittens in 2021. What a year! I’ve been working on a video with all of the sweet little faces, but it’s already March and I am slow on this project.
- Long-term foster chihuahua, Ellen, was adopted on January 2 by a loving family who has been teaching this blind little gal to walk on a leash and she’s even been off on a vacation to Palm Springs! I love to see my fosters go on to live their very best lives.
- Scottie dog, Cody, stayed for just a couple weeks before he was adopted by another wonderful family who love him so much.
- The three kittens I picked up in mid-November to bring some life in the house when I thought I’d be losing Macaroni and Murphy shortly, stayed until February because they were diagnosed with ringworm. Blitzen, Dasher and Vixen are the sweetest kittens I’ve ever fostered, and I hope they all have wonderful lives.
- In our extended time together, Vixen attached herself to my side at all times and we established a wonderful, loving bond. I say often that I’ve been loved by many animals over the years, but never so fiercely as this little black kitten loves me. I adopted her on February 28 and I’m so grateful that she is mine forever. Her siblings were both adopted quickly from Lawrence Humane Society.
- The last week of February through the first week of March saw so many adoptions: Gigi, Tinkerbell and bonded pair, Monkee and Marlee, all found their forever homes!
- On March 4, I picked up two 6-week-old puppies to foster while their foster family went on a spring break trip. Sadie has been a wonderful and helpful nanny dog with little Squirt and Fanta, but they are A LOT of [poopy] work! And I’m thrilled to report that they are getting adopted together next week! They will get to grow up together and I am so happy for them.
- This week, I picked up a scared little chiweenie, Walt, as a foster and I can’t wait to help him build his confidence and teach him that walking on a leash isn’t so scary. He is so loved already, and he is becoming friends with the entire pack, including the puppies, surprisingly enough!
- Melvin hit his one-year anniversary here this week, and he and I hit the vet yesterday to celebrate with some renewed vaccinations and a fructosamine test to ensure we are managing his diabetes well. He is a beloved member of the pack, foster or not.
- In less happy news, Murphy and Macaroni were both really struggling at the end of 2021. I’ve never experienced two senior dogs suffering with life at the same time, but neither were eating consistently and both did little more than sleep. They are both blind, and Murphy is also deaf, so it can be tough to know when things are really wrong. There were some shocking and serious health concerns for awhile, but here on March 11, 2022, they are both here with me. They eat regularly again, even if I have to cut up roasted turkey deli meat for Macaroni to enjoy a meal. It’s all worth it, but I have a feeling we will need to schedule two quality of life vet visits soon just to make sure we are still on an ok path. I need help with several things – specifically Murphy’s toenails and general grooming – so I’m anxious to get some hospice care advice on these two old gentlemen.
- Sadie, Sal and Finch round out the permanent pack, and they are all doing well keeping me company.
I’ll write a little more about the old guys and other happenings soon. I hope your 2022 is off to a great start, and if you find yourself with room in your heart and home for a best friend, that you’ll consider adopting a homeless pet.
I get asked a lot how people can support my efforts. Please consider supporting the wonderful local rescue organizations near you. I foster for both Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary and Lawrence Humane Society. I know they both would be grateful for your donations. If you’d like to support me specifically, I have established an Amazon wishlist to keep supply needs simple, and you can always send me support for the puppy pad fund at my Ko-Fi page. I appreciate you all so much.
For more day-to-day updates, I post a lot of videos on my Instagram stories, so please follow me there for all the cute animal photos and updates.
