Fostering Love

I like to highlight specific dogs on my blog, but West Jersey Volunteers for Animals is desperate for foster homes for several dogs that should be in 1 animal homes. These are animals that may need a little bit of special attention, or may just need a place to be reminded how to live in a home. Fostering is a way to "test drive" having a dog, or a way to have a pet when you are unable to commit to providing a lifelong home for one. Fostering allows an ease-in period or a great opportunity for an animal lover who may travel a lot to give a dog a home part time.

A dog in a foster home is easier to adopt to a forever home. They are used to a routine, so their temperament tends to be better. A kennel is noisy and uncomfortable, so a dog in a foster home is well rested and less stressed. They receive regular exercise and play time, so they have a healthy outlet for their energy. They receive a consistent diet at regular feeding times, so they have a healthier weight and coat. They are observed in a home for health issues that may need treatment.

Fostering a dog isn't just feeding and providing a home for an animal that you will have to give up in a week or a month, or sadly, as long as a year. It's saving a life. It's saving the life of the dog you fostered for WJVA, allowing us to pull another dog from a local shelter and afford to house him/her in a private kennel, and freeing up a spot at said local shelter for another dog to live. 3 lives! That's 3 lives you're changing!

As I've said before, WJVA is a hands-on organization. Any health issues that may need to be addressed while in your care are covered by our vet. WJVA will provide temporary kennel homes for foster dogs, free of charge of course for foster families who may go out of town or need a break. WJVA will even provide food if necessary. Volunteers can pick your foster dog up for adoption events or you can come to adoption events and meet potential adopters with your pooch.

I've read and reread this post prior to posting it. My intention is to educate, not guilt. If you're thinking of getting a pet but would like to test it out first, this is your opportunity. If you're looking for a way to volunteer with an organization and have a love of animals, this is your opportunity. Do you have a warm home during this cold winter that could be the diving board these dogs need to make the leap to their forever homes?

Sheba the Snow Angel

When Ribby was a homeless dog, he had a friend named Sheba. Sheba was down on her luck and wasn't ready to make many friends. She enjoyed Ribby's company though (come on, who doesn't?!) and they played whenever they had the chance. Ribby joined our family a year and a half ago, but his girly friend Sheba is still looking for a home.

We aren't exactly sure what mix of breeds Sheba is, but think she may have some boxer in her. Maybe some terrier? rottie? American bulldog? A medium-large girl, about 65 pounds, and about 4 years old, she's in great shape. She has been in a foster home for a few months now, following more than a year in a kennel. She picked right back up with perfect potty habits, and has the run of the house even while her foster mom is out for the day. She can be crated during the day, but doesn't get into any trouble when left alone out of a crate.

Sheba looooves her long walks and rides in the car. Her foster mom has a convertible that she rides in and lets the wind run through her ears. During her long walks, she'll take breaks to lie down and bask in the sunshine. She knows she's a beauty!

Now that the weather is turning cold, Sheba is looking forward to making snow angels. She just loves to roll around in the snow!! Even though Sheba doesn't get along with many other dogs, she's a love bug to her human friends. She is very shy at first but it won't be long before she's rolling over for belly rubs and leaning up against her human for security.

Sheba is looking to be the star of your home. Do you have a stage on which she can shine? ;

Wanna play fetch with me?? Huh? Huh? Come on! I'm a fun guy!

I'm gonna go with the shot to the gut right away.

Seriously. How cute is he?! Meet Langley. Langley's fallen on some hard times recently. His owner passed away and no one in his owner's family wanted the responsibility of a pooch, so he ended up at PSPCA.

We obviously can't ask his previous owner what is in his mix of breeds, but the folks at the SPCA and our rescue seem to think mayyyybe there's some pit bull in him, although he has short legs, so maybe its bull terrier? He has a wirey coat so there's some kind of wire-haired terrier in him as well (duh, Amy; way to state the obvious) and is buff and white in color.

He's about 40 pounds, but like I said, with short legs. He's put on a little bit of weight since the photo above was taken.

Langley is about a year old, but still has a lot of puppy in him. He is very active and will need a family that can give him sufficient exercise. The first time I picked Langley up for an adoption event, we bonded immediately (his paws and belly were soaking wet from trying to catch the water coming out of the hose; don't tell Hubby I let him in the car without drying him off ;). Once he got over his very brief shyness at our introduction, he was very excited to be headed out on an adventure! I let him sit in the front seat since Hubby was unavailable for the adoption event that day. He is wonderful in the car! Like I said, there was some excitement when we first hopped in, but nothing that made me regret putting him in the front seat. (Ok, well, maybe I wasn't watching the road as much as I should have. Did you see his face? I couldn't stop looking at his cuteness!) By the time we reached Petsmart, only about a 5-10 minute drive, he was sitting in his seat with his front paws on the center console staring at me.

Although he does have a lot of energy, Langley seems to follow commands well. At adoption events with a lot of activity surrounding him, he will pay attention and "sit" with (just a wee bit of) prompting. He will need a strong leader to use his energy and intelligence in a constructive way. I bet he's got a whole slew of tricks just waiting to be honed. Because he does have a lot of energy, we feel Langley would be best suited for a family with older children, maybe 10 and older, who won't get scared or knocked down when he plays. I think a fenced-in yard is second on Langley's Christmas list (behind #1: a family to love, of course) since he loves to play ball!

 He loves other toys (or recyclables) as well:

and will allow his humans to take them away without any aggression.


Langley is neutered, up to date with vaccines, microchipped and will be heartworm/lymes tested before adoption. 


Whatdya say? Ya up for a game of fetch?? The only thing he won't fetch and return is your heart. He'll steal that forever!

And now for the dog portion of our show!

I can't lie. I don't love every dog I come across. I have a natural love for all animals (well, I could do without anything that has more than 6 legs and furry things with rat-looking tails), live by the mantra "animals are people too" and believe they should be treated that way. I also feel that animal homelessness is just as big of a problem as human homelessness. Can you imagine if we euthanized people who didn't have homes? Yeah, I expected that reaction. So why is it ok to euthanize an animal who doesn't have a home?

Back to my not loving every dog thing. Please don't take that as I don't want the best for all animals and I only help the ones I like. Take that as I treat my animals as I would treat my children if I had them (down Mom-mom Micheli and Mom-mom Walton. We're getting there.), and I just can't let myself love them all, otherwise I'd be the cat/dog/completely broke/husband-less lady who spent all her money on pet food and couldn't afford quality vet care.

Bryan and I have been volunteering at adoption events with West Jersey Volunteers for Animals since Ribby came into our lives. Who are we to say we're too busy sitting on the couch to pick up a dog and get them out of a kennel for a day of meeting people and getting some fresh air? Had we not been doing that, we never would have known about Buster. While my bank account wouldn't have minded that, my heart, Buster's untreated allergies, and Ribby's boredom level would have. Now that Ribby and Buster have found a home, it's time to provide some face time for those who are still waiting. [I would like to provide the disclaimer that I will never post false information about a dog just to get him or her into a home. That's not fair to the humans offering their home or the animal looking for said home. The situation needs to be right, or the situation is not a solution to the problem. ("Problem" being 2 fold: animals that need homes and humans that have so much love, they need to share) I will provide information as accurately as I know it to be, however, some of our animals have never had the chance to be observed in a home and on a routine. With all animals, there are unknowns. (insert Ribby's Chewbacca-esque whining for treats while pointing eyes upward to the top of the refrigerator here)]

So, first up:

Shaggy

Shaggy was pulled by WJVA from the Philadelphia SPCA in February, 2009. His hair was matted and overgrown and obviously uncared for. To say he was scared would be stating the obvious, who wouldn't be when dropped off to strangers and placed in a wire cage with other dogs barking all around you? Anyway, he was dropped off with very little if any information. We believe he is about 2-3 years old and is a Cocker Spaniel mix if not purebred. His tail is not docked, and he's a bit larger than most Cockers (maybe 25-30 pounds?), so we think he may be a combo of Cocker and Cute :). He absolutely loves toys. He cleans our car out for us whenever we pick him up for adoption events. He'll find an empty water bottle that you thought disappeared months ago! He loves his toys so much though that he's not friendly when another dog or unknowing person tries to take them away. For this reason, he cannot live with other dogs or small children who may not know better than to take his toy away. He enjoys playing with other dogs, as long as toys or food are out of sight, so play dates are ok. Shaggy, like all Cocker Spaniels I've ever met, has a lot of energy. Remember, he's been living in a boarding kennel for almost a year now. The furthest he's been able to run is about 6 feet without hitting a fence or reaching the end of his leash. With regular exercise and a lifestyle routine, Shaggy will most likely be a great, well behaved dog. He's ok in the car, never car sick and never an accident. He does have bursts of energy that can take you by surprise, but again, he's probably so excited about his outing that he has trouble containing himself. With regular exercise and rides, that will most likely lessen and he'll be more "sleepy dog" and less "woooohoooo! A car ride!! dog." All we need is a foster or forever home for Shaggy to prove himself. The ideal home (foster or forever) for Shaggy will be a home with no children or only those older than 10 or so (mature enough to understand that you cannot snatch a toy away from Shaggy without him being angry), and one with a fenced yard in which he can run off some energy. He has been crated part of his time in the kennel, so he would probably be fine to be crated while his humans are away from home. As long as he has his own toys to keep him occupied, he would probably be fine roaming the house while you're away as well. While he will need grooming to keep his hair managed, Shaggy requires no medications as of right now and is fully vaccinated, neutered, and heartworm/lyme negative. Please contact me if you know of anyone who may be interested in fostering (even temporarily, or on a weekends or weekday only basis!) or loving Shaggy permanently. WJVA is hands on. We'll never let a dog go to a foster or forever home and then not support the humans who take our animals in with education, training tips, etc. If anything, we'll pester you for pictures of them in their new home.