Rosalina's daily development has been thrilling to watch. When we got Rosa from the Roanoke Valley SPCA, I was excited about the challenge to socialize this "shy" little puppy.
Let me first say... I have been a dog owner my entire life. I am pretty familiar with the care that is necessary for a dog to live a fulfilling life. I can feed the dog. I can play with the dog. I can pet the dog. Dogs need water. Sometimes dogs need medicine. Dogs need a comfy place to lay down. Dogs need some attention.
It is pretty simple.
However, when I got Rosa home for the first day at our puppy foster home, I realized that I may be in over my head...BIG TIME.
We let Rosa out of the crate in the backyard to get acquainted with her surroundings. We like to give our foster pups a chance to learn the backyard before we let the permanant (non-foster) canines out to meet them.
Rosa got acquainted with her surroundings alright. Immediately, this smart little pup found her way to the most likely escape route (at the corner of the fence in our backyard, behind the bushes). She couldn't get out of the fence (because her foster mom is a genius, and had already checked for any possible puppy escape zones). Rosa proceeded to bury herself in the leaves behind the bush.
I gave her time. Lots of time. She wasn't coming out. I had to grab and pull the terrified puppy out from the bushes. I have a poison ivy rash to prove it.
I decided to let her meet the other dogs, because clearly she wasn't SCARED ENOUGH. Sammy and Gracie came out to meet Rosa, and an amazing thing happened. Rosa LOVES the other dogs. She enjoyed their company from the get-go. Rosa just wasn't familiar with humans.
For the first week, Rosa would run and hide anytime I came into the room. It seemed that no amount of coaxing, playing, and sitting quietly could convince her that I am not an alien monster.
We would hold Rosa and give her lots of lovin', but she was always nervous around us.
Rosa was feeling a little sick a few days into our foster, and the great folks at Roanoke Valley SPCA asked me to bring her in to fix her up. Right around the same time, I emailed a "weekly update" to my good friend Ann Marie, who is the Foster Coordinator at RVSPCA. I confessed that I am not sure Rosa is enjoying her time at the Merritt foster house. I told Ann Marie that Rosa is having a hard time adjusting.
I picked up Rosalina on Saturday morning. As soon as we got home, I started to see differences in Rosa. It seemed that she was happy to be back in a home. I felt that her time in the vet had given her time to think about our happy home. Rosa almost immediately started approaching me for food, love, and attention.
As I said earlier, I now only have two days left with this little angel. I will miss Rosalina so much, and I feel a special connection to her because of the development I have witnessed. It will be hard to let her go. However, I promise you that the pros greatly outweigh the cons, and the laughter greatly outweighs the tears.
I wish for Rosa that she finds an adoptive family that has all the love she can take. I pray that her new home boasts a comfy couch, a huggable human, and maybe a dog or two.
So...do ya got what it takes to be a foster mom?
-Courage: To yank a scared pup out from behind the bushes in the backyard
-Compassion: (Obviously)
-A comfortable couch: A must-have, in my opinion
-An ink pen: To sign and abide by the foster agreement
-Objectivity: To be sad when the puppy goes back, but excited for the new experiences the puppy will have with his/her new adoptive family
To foster a puppy, fill out a foster application at www.rvspca.org and give my buddy Ann Marie a call, 540.339.9505 (if you're in the Roanoke area). If you're outside the Roanoke area, call your local SPCA.
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