This is a story about my foster child named Stella. The name actually suits her. And her forever family agreed. Pictures cannot do her face nor coloring justice. When they saw her in person that was it- done deal. And what a great family. New house, building a fence. Two kids, a "cat that thinks it is a dog", and two parents- one of which is home all the time. PERFECT for a new pup. And what do you know? They like and have had Dachshund mixes. I am pretty sure Stella is half schnauzer and half wiener...
Schwiener Dog Stella.
Stella's original human mom fell in love with her (litter of 5 or 6) at first sight. Her mom was fighting cancer and thought she had beat it, and sadly only lived 6 more days. Stella's first mom died at the age of 32. So BTRTOC(rescue) came into action to transport Stella the Orphan, get her vet care and a foster home (me). That's how it happens. A lot of people are usually involved and often we pay the majority if not all expenses out of our pockets.
After a bit of networking, a found a new mom who said "she is EXACTLY what we were looking for" - thus things were meant to be and turned out okay. And her little three year old daughter said very adamantly "we are taking her to our home now" when they came to visit Stella. All her original mom wanted is a good home for the little dog that she fell in love with such a short time ago. She was counting on others to fulfill her wish.
Stella is a live wire and I miss her. She would pull out my underwear, and carry my dirty laundry throughout the house. Yesterday as I let the bug man in my home, I saw a pair of black panties sitting on my stoop. It was good for a 20% discount so I do not complain. If I touch it, Stella carries it. Things like a bag of her own poop, paper towels, clothes. She follows me everywhere and loves me the most (I have 4 other dogs). Very loving and dependent on me. It is so easy to get attached to a puppy. You hold them when they cry, take tons of baby pictures and send everywhere, love their little feet, love their breath, lay with them so they can sleep, come running when they cry, protect them, hand feed them, and doggie-proof your house and yard. Yes, they become family immediately and in your divine care.
Stella looks like Wolfman. She has a beard and gets sticks and leaves stuck in it, with her wiener body and tail. Brindle color with stripes (like, where did that come from?). Smart, normal pup that you fall in love with after a few minutes much less a few days. And that is what we fosters do- fall in love, do it out of love, then get sad when they leave and we do it all over again once we are ready. There are too many dogs out there that need us so we make room for more.
The transport for Stella was a mother and daughter combo- and her kid fell in love and asked not to go on any more transport rides with her mom because it was too hard- she cried when Stella left her care after a four hour drive. Many people have such tender hearts and cannot give fosters up- we call them "foster failures". People always say fostering is hardest part (half the time you don't know what you are getting, keep them brief time and have to say goodbye after becoming attached).
We want the best homes for our babies. They indeed become our babies. It is like a break up. You want to see them one more time, to feel like you used to feel when you held them...but you know you will still have that pit in your stomach because the goodbye is forever and you may never see them again. The bond is breaking and your brain tells you there will be another very soon but your heart and stomach still grieve. You just want the best for this wonderful dog. And we are the lucky ones. Lucky to have the honor of "owning" pets and having them touch our lives, even when brief. I learn something with each encounter.
Stella is only 12 weeks old today. She was/is loved every step of her journey. Stella never lost her groove.
(Bye Stella. I love you.)
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