(Picture Left: "Bujoe" -- a very lucky dog, indeed.)
I guess it is somewhat a miracle that in these days (since the New Year) of greatly diminished dog adoption inquiries we actually succeeded yesterday in the adoption of one of our recently rescued dogs.
"Bujoe" is a somewhat large (72 lbs), older mixed breed dog who, despite a glowing profile from previous owners, landed on the Euthanasia list of the pound shortly before Christmas.
The shelters were of course packed and the Kennel Cough ("Illness") that inevitably hits almost every dog that comes into the pounds provided the nail in Bujoe's would-be coffin.
But, in one of the very rare instances of a Craig's List posting actually meeting with success, Bujoe represented that fortunate and rare occurrence.
Three young women roommates offered to foster Bujoe.
Normally, I am reluctant to send either foster dogs or dogs for adoption to a triple roommate situation. There are simply so many things that can (and usually do) go wrong in this kind of placement despite the noble intentions of the person who actually does the calling and offering: One roommate turns out to be "allergic." Or, another freaks out the first time the dog pees on the floor, barks or sheds fur on the furniture.
But, even more than the inevitable "conflicts" that almost always arise in multiple roommate situations (where it is primarily one person who wants the dog and the others initially and merely "go along to get along,") there is also the fact that roommate situations tend not to be stable over time.
But, in this case, all three roommates were dog lovers and fully on board for the fostering. Moreover, the young women all seemed to realize that under the circumstances, "fostering" was the more responsible way to go as opposed to an adoption which requires an ideally permanent commitment (and situation) to the animal.
I was, in fact, very lucky with this particular foster placement. The dog, Bujoe turned out to be everything his former owners said he was (housebroken, great with people, kids, other dogs and presumably, cats.) The young women turned out to be everything they claimed to be -- and more.
Both, humans and dog were balanced and in harmony with life and with each other.
It made for a very successful foster situation.
But, ultimately temporary "fostering" is not the ideal when it comes to our long range goals for animals.
It is that elusive and hard to find, (forever) adoptive home.
Last week, a very pleasant and intelligent young woman called offering foster, (with intent to adopt) for a dog. Nellie is married and lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and she and her husband now felt they were in a good part of their lives to help and ideally adopt a dog.
Perhaps due to the very unfortunate experience with another recent dog foster ("Lisa") I felt much more cautious (or even fearful) about sending a dog directly from the shelter into any new foster home. -- If the foster did not work out, I had no more boarding spaces left to put another dog.
I told Nellie that I could offer "no guarantees" with any dog coming directly from the shelter or how that animal might be able to immediately "adjust" to the noise, stresses and crowds in Manhattan.
But, we did already have one dog for adoption already living in a Manhattan apartment and apparently doing very well. That dog was Bujoe.
A few days ago, Nellie and her husband made an appointment to meet Bujoe in the foster home and yesterday morning, Nellie called, very enthusiastic, to adopt Bujoe. We met yesterday to take care of the paper work.
It is very good news for us and obviously for the dog, Bujoe. It represents one of our first actual adoptions of the New Year.
But, as of this moment, it is not clear whether the three young women who fostered and took such good care of Bujoe until he was adopted, will immediately take in and foster another dog.
As said, roommate situations tend to be generally tricky and unstable. -- Everyone has to be on board and in the same place at the same time. That is hard to pull off as stars aligning perfectly in the heavens.
But, sometimes it actually does occur.
And, at least for one needy dog, the stars all perfectly aligned at the right time -- a time that actually saved Bujoe's life.
He is a very lucky dog indeed. -- PCA
*******
"Bujoe" is a somewhat large (72 lbs), older mixed breed dog who, despite a glowing profile from previous owners, landed on the Euthanasia list of the pound shortly before Christmas.
The shelters were of course packed and the Kennel Cough ("Illness") that inevitably hits almost every dog that comes into the pounds provided the nail in Bujoe's would-be coffin.
But, in one of the very rare instances of a Craig's List posting actually meeting with success, Bujoe represented that fortunate and rare occurrence.
Three young women roommates offered to foster Bujoe.
Normally, I am reluctant to send either foster dogs or dogs for adoption to a triple roommate situation. There are simply so many things that can (and usually do) go wrong in this kind of placement despite the noble intentions of the person who actually does the calling and offering: One roommate turns out to be "allergic." Or, another freaks out the first time the dog pees on the floor, barks or sheds fur on the furniture.
But, even more than the inevitable "conflicts" that almost always arise in multiple roommate situations (where it is primarily one person who wants the dog and the others initially and merely "go along to get along,") there is also the fact that roommate situations tend not to be stable over time.
But, in this case, all three roommates were dog lovers and fully on board for the fostering. Moreover, the young women all seemed to realize that under the circumstances, "fostering" was the more responsible way to go as opposed to an adoption which requires an ideally permanent commitment (and situation) to the animal.
I was, in fact, very lucky with this particular foster placement. The dog, Bujoe turned out to be everything his former owners said he was (housebroken, great with people, kids, other dogs and presumably, cats.) The young women turned out to be everything they claimed to be -- and more.
Both, humans and dog were balanced and in harmony with life and with each other.
It made for a very successful foster situation.
But, ultimately temporary "fostering" is not the ideal when it comes to our long range goals for animals.
It is that elusive and hard to find, (forever) adoptive home.
Last week, a very pleasant and intelligent young woman called offering foster, (with intent to adopt) for a dog. Nellie is married and lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and she and her husband now felt they were in a good part of their lives to help and ideally adopt a dog.
Perhaps due to the very unfortunate experience with another recent dog foster ("Lisa") I felt much more cautious (or even fearful) about sending a dog directly from the shelter into any new foster home. -- If the foster did not work out, I had no more boarding spaces left to put another dog.
I told Nellie that I could offer "no guarantees" with any dog coming directly from the shelter or how that animal might be able to immediately "adjust" to the noise, stresses and crowds in Manhattan.
But, we did already have one dog for adoption already living in a Manhattan apartment and apparently doing very well. That dog was Bujoe.
A few days ago, Nellie and her husband made an appointment to meet Bujoe in the foster home and yesterday morning, Nellie called, very enthusiastic, to adopt Bujoe. We met yesterday to take care of the paper work.
It is very good news for us and obviously for the dog, Bujoe. It represents one of our first actual adoptions of the New Year.
But, as of this moment, it is not clear whether the three young women who fostered and took such good care of Bujoe until he was adopted, will immediately take in and foster another dog.
As said, roommate situations tend to be generally tricky and unstable. -- Everyone has to be on board and in the same place at the same time. That is hard to pull off as stars aligning perfectly in the heavens.
But, sometimes it actually does occur.
And, at least for one needy dog, the stars all perfectly aligned at the right time -- a time that actually saved Bujoe's life.
He is a very lucky dog indeed. -- PCA
*******
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