Sunday, July 27, 2008

Foster Family Birthday Party Reunion


Close to a year ago, Brian and I took our first venture into dog fostering, volunteering to help one of the area rescue organizations with an influx of puppies from West Virginia. This was the complete reverse of pre-meditated... I got an email asking for help, called Brian and a few days later, we had two little 10 week old coonhound/lab puppies that just oozed cuteness.

Both found great homes, continued to grow and develop into two beautifully handsome dogs. The two had not seen each other since late September, but met up today for a little reunion. We weren't sure how the two would behave, and I think it is safe to say that all six adults were speechless when they almost immediately started to play... like brothers, like when they were puppies...completely inseparable. Brian and I were perhaps the most stunned, because we remember well just how much of a pair these two were, and to see them doing the same thing, only 30-40 pounds larger, was a happily emotional sight.

Casey had always been the smaller of the two, and a bit of a clown. Beetle (now Sam) was and still is the larger, and was somewhat protective of his brother. They both loved to play tug, to run and to chase, to roll each other over, and to lay ontop of one another. I remember one instance where Casey dragged his brother across the kitchen floor--- by the ear!

Both dogs were very malnourished when they came to us, and were so young and impressionable. To look at them now, with their beautifully shiny coats, and sleak body figures, it is hard to remember that they were just skin and bones at 10 weeks, and that their future was grim before they were rescued from the shelter in West Virginia. And, to see how important they are to their families is just completely moving.

I don't know if these dogs actually remembered that they spent the first 13 weeks of their life together, but dogs do smile, and these two wore grins from ear to ear for two straight hours.

We didn't know what to expect when we started fostering, and I don't think we could have scripted it any better than how it actually turned out.

That's a 'wuff' for now!



Top- Then: (Photo 1: first few hours after getting them, Photo 2: 1 weeks later, Photo 2: 2 weeks later

Bottom- Now (today)









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