Rescue Me: Honey, Foster 7/24/09-8/20/09

Honey is our first foster dog. The weekend before I picked her up at the kennel, we had applied to become foster parents for Great Dog Rescue New England, the organization from where we adopted Sam. I received a phone call that following Monday evening, asking if we could foster an 11 month-old husky/terrier mix named Honey, whose New England adopter changed his mind about her after she was already placed on transport. I said yes and proceeded to panic for the next few days. How would Gabe and Sam react? How would Alan and I handle it? Would this new dog be a handful?

I had been in touch with Sam's former foster mom about fostering and when we found out we were getting Honey she told me that she had Honey! She told me that Honey was really laid back and very friendly and that I had nothing to worry about. I was still apprehensive but I felt a lot better, and as the Friday approached and I left work early to pick her up, I was really excited.

Poor Honey. When I arrived she coughed and coughed and coughed. As a small puppy she had a severe case of pneumonia. She was loaded with antibiotics and managed to pull through, but she has a piece of scar tissue on one of her lungs. It may be a permanent cough or she may outgrow it, there is no way to tell. After that stressful journey and being placed in this strange person's car, she coughed a lot. Because of this cough, she was scheduled to be euthanized. Once again, Sam's foster mom in Tennessee was called, and on Christmas Eve saved this sweet dog from death.

The first evening with Honey was a bit rough. She paced a lot, and didn't know where to sit, and of course Gabe kept staring at her from the living room so she wouldn't leave the kitchen. She cried a lot and seemed very restless and I felt terrible not knowing how to help her. When she coughed I would talk to her and pet her and it would stop almost completely. She would perk up considerably when we went outside though, and we quickly discovered that she loves (I repeat, loves) to wriggle on her back in the grass. The evening passed and she wasn't a big fan of her crate that evening but she must have been exhausted and eventually fell asleep.

The next day she woke up and was ready to play! She decided she would make fast friends with Sam and Gabe, regardless of what they thought, and that she would explore the house and discover all the new toys. That Saturday morning I walked each of them individually. It took me two hours, from 6:20-8:20, and when I was finished with the last dog I was pooped. No one else was though! And so resumed a day of new adventures. Gabe didn't want much to do with Honey and she came on a bit strong with Sam but he's a friendly little guy and didn't seem to mind too much.

Sunday morning I took her to a meet and greet for GDRNE. There were 13 dogs there and it was a gorgeous day (too hot, but we were able to be outside) so a lot of people showed up. Honey put her best foot forward, was so personal and lovable and commanded belly rubs from all. She didn't cough once! Several families expressed sincere interest in her and I felt positive that she would go to her forever home soon.

On the following Thursday evening as we were settling into our routine with the new recruit, I received an email that an approved adopter would be calling me with questions about Honey. On Saturday night I emailed the adoption coordinator because I hadn't heard anything and was wondering if she knew from experience how long these things usually took and she informed me that the woman called her the previous evening and changed her mind. She said there were two more applications in for Honey and that she'd emailed them and would keep me posted. Unfortunately, it is now the following Friday afternoon and we still have not heard anything. I don't mind keeping Honey for a bit longer though.

She has completely come out of her shell. Where we used to have to coax her and sometimes give her a little push into her crate, we now just say "go to your crate!" with a little treat and she hops right in. She hardly ever coughs! The only time she gives a few little coughs are in the morning when we first wake up, and when we come home from work when she is extra excited. Otherwise, even when she is romping around in the yard or with other dogs, she doesn't cough at all. It seems to be just a mental stimulation thing, and I am so happy for her.

It's been two weeks today that we've had her and while that's certainly not long, we've been able to adjust to her and she to us pretty well. We are going back to my parents house in NY for the weekend and they have two dogs as well so it should be an interesting trip. She'll get to meet her foster grandparents and aunt and uncle (dogs) for the first time! I am hopeful that next week she may find a forever home, but if not there is another meet and greet on August 15th that we will go to and I am confident that people will not be able to resist her!

I like Honey a lot, and I could certainly keep her. She is a sweetheart and fits in well, and I wouldn't mind having her around. I would like her to find a home though, so that we can foster another dog. The more dogs we can foster up here, the more can be pulled from the brink of euthanasia in the south. If you're reading this, Honey needs a home, and she would make you so happy. Are you looking for your new best friend?