My First Fosters – Final Update
As the puppies grew, I eventually moved them into a safe enclosed outdoor playpen, about 15x15 feet. They had an insulated, heated igloo dog house tucked under a pop‑up tent with all sides covered, plus gravel and grass under their feet. Twice a day I let them out for extra socialization — kids, cats, my elderly dog, chickens, and even the ducks. They wore their little harnesses for a few minutes at a time to get used to them, and I tried leashes too… but they mostly wanted to chew them up. I guess that’s fair when half their toys were rope.
They were fed twice a day with extra food left out for grazing. And they had the whole backyard to explore — cement, gravel, bark, grass, and of course the mud puddles (duck world). Their personalities really started to shine.
Copper, the tan male, was focused and eager to follow.
Rascal, the black‑and‑white male, was high‑energy, curious, and goofy.
Mel, the white‑and‑black female, was gentle, mellow, and reminded me a little of a Mastiff.
They received all three rounds of vaccines and are now back at the shelter, ready for adoption. Dropping them off was heartbreaking. They seemed to understand something was changing — the crying, the way they buried their little faces into my arms, the frozen‑in‑fear posture. It broke me. I miss them already. But the shelter gets visitors every day, and I know someone will see them, fall in love, and take them home.
I’ll keep fostering puppies and kittens, hoping that one day I won’t have to.
Please, let’s push for an end to unnecessary breeding of cats and dogs. Free spay and neuter programs for all pets. We’re in a true overpopulation crisis, and healthy animals are being euthanized simply because there’s no space. Somewhere along the way, the ball was dropped — it’s time to pick it back up.
