Happily Foster After....

Fostering is addictive...and sometimes it leads to some miraculous events. When I first started fostering for SDAR, we got Spencer. Spencer was a large mastiff with nowhere to go. His owners had gotten him as a puppy, and then decided he was too big (did they not know they had gotten a mastiff???). He was skinny. He was slightly fearful. He was desperate for attention. Shortly after we started fostering Spencer, he became deathly ill. We immediately called Nola, who gave us the name of her vet, and we rushed him over to Animal Medical Center. By the time we got him there, he couldn't even walk. They carried our poor giant teddy bear to the back on a stretcher!! We waited what seemed like the longest hour ever! Then the vet came out and told us his stomache had twisted and he needed emergency surgery. Of course the surgery was scheduled, while Nola, already in debt with all her other rescues vet care, started trying to figure out how to pay for it. We decided in that eternity we waited to find out Spencer's fate that we had to have  him in our family...forever. We told Nola we would take care of the vet bill, and have never regretted it. The vets saved Spencer's life, and in turn he saved ours. We lived in Wildcat Canyon when the wildfires hit. If Spencer had not alerted us that something was wrong, we may not have had time to get out. And we continue to foster now. There is no better feeling than fostering a dog and watching it grow, become socialized, and find a new family. So, consider fostering. You may find that perfect new companion.You could save a life, and it may just save yours!

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS....

Many of our pets would love to find a forever home for the holidays, but many animals given as gifts end up in shelters, or rescues, or just on the streets. So, please consider before giving a pet. Be sure you, or the person recieving this pet, is prepared for the lifetime commitment an animal requires. If you are giving a pet to your children, understand the majority of its care will lie in your hands, and do not do it unless you are prepared to commit to its care. If this pet is for someone else, discuss it with it's prospective owner. Make sure they are prepared to care for this animal for it's entire life. It may ruin the surprise, but better to ruin the surprise than to realize too late that this person was not prepared for this pet. If you are adopting a puppy, be sure to remeber that getting a puppy is much like getting a baby. You have to be prepared for chewing, house training, and other issues that come with puppies. Be sure to understand also the financial commitment required of owning the pet. There is food, bedding, vacinations, licensing, routine vet care, possibly emergency vet care, grooming, flea/tic medication, and much more. Once you have decided that you, or the person recieving the pet, is prepared for the commitment, be sure to go to a reputable rescue that will make sure the animal recieves any vet care required before adopting out the pet. A reputable rescue will make sure the pet is wormed, vaccinated, and altered before adopting. And then, enjoy your new pet!