Fostering…. Chicken Soup for the Soul.

How do you fill a void in your heart where your pup had made his home? That is and has been my question for the last 6 months. Wilson has left a HUGE hole in my heart and although he will never be replaceable, and the search is still very active, I have found that by giving love to other labs in need, I am able to somehow fill a part of the void with my nurturing those in need. Wilson himself was a rescue and he would be proud to know we are helping more of his friends.

Caden was my first foster and will always have a special part of my heart. Caden is a lab mix who came to me thru my friend Ann who was contacted thru Lab Rescue of the Labroador Retriever Club of the Potomac. Caden came in as a stray and was seriously underweight and HW positive. He underwent treatment for HW and I had to feed him 3 times a day in order to start a healthy weight gain. Caden is such a love bug. He loved to cuddle up on the sofa while we watched movies. I took him to the Mid Atlantic Land Rover rally where he got to play in the woods, camp and meet other pups. Caden was ultimately adopted by Ann and is living a happy life with her other 2 dogs and her boyfriend’s 3. A pack of 6 makes for a very active and playful environment for him, full of love and adventure!

Sam is my second foster. My friend Jane, who works with Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond and I went to pick him up as he was an owner turn in. Sam is VERY overweight, so I immediately put him on a green bean diet. Sam has become my shadow. He follows me wherever I go and has a very silly and almost mischievous personality for a 6 year old lab. Sam is as gentle as can be and a quick learner. He is excellent on and off a leash. Sam has already lost almost 7 pounds in the last few weeks that he’s been with me.

I am fairly confident that Sam will find a wonderful forever home for the holidays and I will continue to foster Labs in transition. It is very difficult not to fall in love with these guys and quite honestly, I would love to keep each and every one of them… but then I think about all the other labs out there that need a foster. If I adopt now, I couldn’t keep on helping, and although it is hard to give them up, I know in my heart that these pups will ultimately find the love and happiness they deserve in their new forever homes.

Wilson is and will always remain my Number One and I will never give up on finding him. Each pup has his or her own personality and I have been blessed with getting to know them for who they are. They are gifts. They make me laugh. They give me hope. They share such a tremendous amount of love with me. They help to fill the void.

How to Catch a Lost Dog

Do not expect a dog that has been away from human contact to act like he used to when you come across him. He may act aloof, giving the impression that he is a stray, a feral dog, abused, or aggressive. He may be fearful, and will not come even if it is his owner who is calling. Here
are some tips if you come across a lost dog (hopefully Wilson!)...

Never chase the dog. Move away from him, calling him to follow.

Stay calm when you see the dog, and call him in a soft voice. You may want to try using phrases he gets excited about: Want to go for a ride? Want a cookie? Where's your ball?

Sit or kneel. The dog will probably be frightened, and these postures are less threatening. Open your arms when you call.

Try to face slightly away from the dog. Let him approach you from another direction.

Of course, the first thing to do is CALL ME IMMEDIATELY if it looks like Wilson...

Lure him in with meat... mmm...raw,yummy meat or some smelly treats.

Wilson is a pro at playing hide and seek…this we know!

As recently as 2 days ago, we have had multiple sightings in the upper Cedar Plains Road and Hadensville areas. Sharon, Ann, Annette, Gary, Angie, Jennifer, Chelle, BJ, Billie, I and so many others have responded to sightings to no avail. By the time we get to where someone “saw him 5 minutes ago” he’s already somewhere else. Where IS he?? The folks that were taking care of him on Cedar Plains Rd said he just didn’t come home one night – they thought he could easily find his way. Did he get disoriented after they picked up his buddy Remus and left him to find his own way home? Did he find a really, really good scent to scurry after and just lost his way? Did he simply have so much fun that he wasn’t ready to come home that day on June 7^th? I have been learning a ton about animal behavior from vets, animal advocates and zoologists. I have learned that it is not unlikely that after about 72 hours, dogs can typically go into “survival mode” and tend not to act as domesticated as one might think. Obtaining water and food become their goal and surviving the elements in nature becomes their main focus each day. Becoming more un-trusting of their environment is also not uncommon. Poor Wilson.

So the good news is that Wilson has been spotted several times trotting thru the back yards in the area. Is he being fed? Being taken care of? Or is he doing the best he can to survive every day alone? Is he ok? Is he happy? Does he miss his big fat bed and his chi- chi, baby, squirrel and pink octopus toys? Does he need his little feet to be taken care of? Does he need a big fat hug?

Wilson turned 6 last month. He missed his birthday party. What is it going to take to bring him home?