1.10.2008

Dogs On Thursday: Reunion

We love to keep up with our foster pups, and are very lucky that 5 out of the 6 families who have adopted one of our fosters have kept in touch with us. We have had a standing invitation to visit with Annie and her family. They live about an hour away, so it took us awhile to make our way to their piece of the prairie but we had the chance to visit with them this weekend.
Look how much this beautiful girl has grown!

April, 2007 - 4 months

January, 2008 - 1 year old

When we pulled up, they had her outside where she was playing in the snow. When she heard Mr. C call her, she ran over and almost knocked us down - she remembered us!


We had both calmed down at this point

What a great smile!

There was all sorts of yipping and happy whining and little kisses going on. When we went inside, she took turns laying by each of us, sneaking in little licks and nibbles, smiling the whole time. She was very diplomatic and would go to each person for a bit before moving on to the next person, sharing the big puppy love with everyone.

We heard all of the sweet and funny stories they had about her. My favorite was how she loves to nibble - she unties shoelaces and if you take your shoes off, she'll gently grab the end of your sock and take it off. She got hold of her 2-legged sister's stuffed teddy bear and carefully took it's clothes off, laid them in a pile on the floor, and then proceeded to rip it's stuffing out! Such a dainty little girl!

To say she is the most spoiled member of that family is not
exaggerating - she is lavished with love and attention. She has the best kind of life a dog could want - she is actively included as part of a large, dog-loving extended family, with a huge backyard, has playdates with lots of doggy friends & cousins, and even gets to sleep in bed with her mom and dad. She is just full of joy and love and I hope it never changes for her.

They told us about this one new quirk of hers that we couldn't imagine, so they sent us the picture to prove it - Annie thinks she's a bird!



After making pests of ourselves for a couple of hours, it was time to go. Annie had come outside with everyone to see us off. She knew we were leaving - she jumped up and put her paws on our shoulders and gave us both kisses - I almost started to cry. Then she turned around and ran inside and laid down in her spot by the door, as if to say, "It was great seeing you, but I'm staying here with my family!"

And then we got an update from Cody/Oscar's proud parents. Cody was the smallest of the 3 runts from our first group of fosters, but was the scrappiest of the four.

Cody/Oscar - 6 weeks old

Cody/Oscar - 4 months old

When he was adopted, he was barely half the size of his Aussie shepherd/BC mix sister.

Our foster-pony (1 year old)

When you foster, a piece of your heart goes with each dog when they're adopted. It's a bittersweet experience and it's so reassuring to know this dog you have cared for is being so loved and treasured. It's why we're going to do it again. Soon, I hope.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What wonderful updates! I am so glad that they are both in happy homes.

Lapdog Creations said...

WONDERFUL! And look at Annie.. I'm cracking up picturing her carefully removing the clothes before going to town destuffing... and the birdbath pic is amazing... that's one they should certainly submit to the doggy calendars!!!
I'm so glad you got to spend the time with them... like you said, a piece of our hearts go and stay with each foster forever... I'm getting a little worried about our Bella (now Cotton)... I haven't heard from her parents for awhile and the last email wasn't so great... I don't think they were ready for an active pup!

Sonya said...

Boy she changed so much. Looks very happy. I love seeing the pups after they have found the perfect home.

Paula said...

That was a beautiful post!
I love the pictures of the dogs and especially the one in the bird bath!!!
Your right about fostering dogs too, a piece of your heart does go with them.

Dianne said...

What a wonderful update! I can't imagine how very hard it must be to give up these wonderful little souls. Seeing the lives they have with such loving families must help a little bit. Still, each one you foster and give up is quite a sacrifice. My mother would say "it's another jewel in your crown when you get to heaven".

Lynn said...

How nice that you get to visit!! And even better that they end up in loving homes. LOVED the dog on the bird bath and how he'll take off the doll clothes before ripping the bear to shreds! lol