You've Come a Long Way Baby!

I've been meaning to share some pictures of my awesome former fosters on my blog.  I got this Christmas card from Robin which shows TWO dogs she adopted from our group.    The one I fostered is Corrie - she's the white one on the left side.    Rita is the other dog that Robin adopted from our group.  Corrie was a handful when I fostered her but she is the perfect dog at Robin's home.   In fact, Corrie was such a trouble maker when Robin came to adopt another dog from us one weekend she specifically wanted to see Corrie.   And I proceeded to try and talk her out of adopting her and directed her to the other dog she was interested in!   I have to chuckle at that now, but Robin persisted and came back to me to talk about Corrie.   She ended up adopting her and it became a happily ever after.  

Corrie came from a Southern Missouri Humane Society where she was an owner surrender because she kept escaping ... from a NON fenced in yard.    That is one of the all time stupidest reasons to get rid of a dog - and especially one they'd had a while.    Corrie was estimated to be around 7-8 years old and she had a very difficult time at the humane society.   She was one of the dogs the staff took pity on and would let her lie at their feet under the front desk during the day.   Robin is pretty much a saint to everyone in our group.   She adopted a very sweet senior dog named Chester from one of my friends in the group and Chester had to cross the Rainbow Bridge just a short time after Robin adopted him.    It was very hard on her I know, and to come back to our same group and give another senior dog a chance shows what a fantastic person she is.   Wow!  What an amazing woman.   Thanks again Robin for giving Corrie a great home.

And then there's Velma (fka Calypso) who was adopted by Katie, Dan and their other dachshund Niko.   They have become just the happiest and loveliest family I've ever seen.    Velma found the perfect home in Katie and Dan and became the dog she was supposed to become.    Velma was a puppy mill breeder and the most terrified of all the puppy mill dogs I've ever had.     I was really worried about her.   She's a stunningly beautiful girl and a lot of people couldn't look past her beauty to the scared girl behind that magnificent coat.   Just a couple of days before Katie contacted me, I met with a couple who were interested in her.   I explained to them on the phone how nervous she was, but it wasn't until they met her in person that they saw what they were up against.   I was so disappointed that I immediately came home and changed Calypso's petfinder description to warn anyone off her.      I talked and emailed with Katie and when I met her I instantly liked her and her boyfriend Dan.   I also fell in love with their beautiful dachshund, Niko.    So they went ahead and went home with Calypso and renamed her Velma.

They did not have an easy road of it, it was really hard for them but they stuck to it and having Niko by her side really helped Velma.   Now a year later you'd never know Velma lived the first years of her life, unloved, in a puppy mill.    She's happy and affectionate and just beautiful.     Two weekends ago was their "Gotcha Day" for Velma.   So Katie and Dan made the drive all the way to Arnold PetCo just to make sure to give us a wonderful picture of Niko and Velma to commemorate the day.    It's in a great frame, and I can't tell you how long I've been trying to get a copy of this picture of her!! :)   It's a great picture of these great fur babies.   Thanks to Katie and Dan for not giving up on Velma!

Yay for these great dogs and the great people who gave them a chance at permanent happiness.    Everyone tells me they couldn't foster, but you know what?  I couldn't do it if my fosters didn't go to all these wonderful homes so thank you all out there who adopt instead of shop!