05/01/2024
Why am I fostering Tucker?
It all started with Mollydog. When I met Molly, a full aussie, she was a senior dog. She was Robert's dog for 15 years at the time of her passing. When I met her she was the sweetest girl, who only had eyes for one person, her one true love, and best friend, Robert her human. She was a senior dog and I was lucky enough to help take care of her before, during, and after her stroke. I think God's timing was gentle and generous that Robert didn't have to be alone to say goodbye. I cry remembering the goodbye. How do you begin to feel your heart again when your 15 years together are complete. There was a silence and emptiness around home. We decided that we could help a dog in need of a home, in the helping there could be healing. In helping, be able to honor Molly. We applied for dogs 1-3 years old but they were meant for other families. In our application process the rescue found 2 girl aussie/collie's from the pound. They were about 5 months and were surrendered to the pound and the rescue by God's Grace took them in with a foster. We adopted Gracie (named after God's Grace) at about 6 months. She was a rescue, with some anxiety/trauma to noise and movement. She is 4 now, and although she has made great strides, there is something in her that is sensitive very much like me. If I cry, she is there to lick the tears away. If I'm sick, she lays on me. She loves people, even though she's been hurt and confused in her beginning stages, she loves people. She has been a light for me through many tears. Molly was sweet and Gracie is kind. She has rescued us more than us rescuing her. More on her story later. I noticed a post from a veterinary assistant in desperate need of a foster for her aussie, Summer. She had already tried to rehome her however the family didn't understand the kind of breed an aussie and the kind of care they need. They returned her, and within a day of responding we met Summer and took her immediately. I never fostered before but I couldn't not help. She was house trained and a good dog, she just needed a place along the way to find the right home. I reached out to the rescue organization that we adopted Gracie from and ...and if I could foster her, they would be able to help find her a family and make sure her care was kept up before then. Within the first week, we took her to their adoption partner in Allen, TX. People were able to come visit Summer and submit and application. Summer was so good, she was wanted immediately, Summer gave her paw to only one person (not even us) and that was debi. Summer gave her paw of approval and said, this is my family. They picked each other. It was a blessing on all parts. Debi, Jeff, and Summer, it was like they have always been together. Today Summer passed her CDC and her therapy test with 'Baylor Scott and White' and is a therapy dog. This is not a typical foster process and story however it is a brilliant one. Unfortunately, the rescue organization we worked with had to close down. They saved so many dogs and families. We never intended to foster, although if I won the lottery I would intend, we just wanted to help. We were able to help with the rescue's support. Following along with a new rescue and seeing all of the doggies on social media being helped and needing help. I submitted an application to be a foster, if there could be a dog to help that we would be a fit for at some point. We don't have any children right now (more on that later). We cannot commit to a second dog right now but there was a dog in need from a family who just had a baby and could not take care of Tucker. I hope that if that was our situation that there would be help when trying to do the right thing. So we met up with Tucker and with the tears and goodbye, blessed this family and said you're doing a good thing. I respect anyone who is willing to seek help and try. I have respect for them and the tears and strength it took to release Tucker to us. Tucker isn't a bad dog. Like would say, Tucker isn't a bad dog, he is a dog behaving badly (read or listen to her book, it's great and the reference is when he daughter was crying when she said bad dog, and corrected her by not defining the dog and defining the action). Tucker is inherently loving, funny, cheeky, and full of energy. He is very communicative and hasn't yet learned ...he has not yet learned boundaries, sharing, listening, recall, manners, or socializing. He isn't a bad dog. He is just behaving badly, it's not his fault. He just hasn't been taught yet, but it's not too late because to his core he is a loving and happy boy. I look at Tucker and I see me, he just needs to be taught kindness, and manners, and sharing, and trusting, and friendship, and safety, and patience, and discipline, and communication. The more you love him the more he flourishes. The more love you put in the more result you get out. By love, that means time out, by love that means being tested, by love that means changing your energy to calm, by love it means that each frustrating situation or experience that happens is a learning curve, it means that you are learning and growing just as much as he is. He is what I would expect a toddler who cannot speak yet is. If I ever want to parent, this is a great avenue of training. There are things I am learning in my strengths and things I need to strengthen. Tucker is more than I expected but he has been so fun and loving to learn who Tucker is. So, why am I fostering Tucker? I wanted to help, in a moment of time in my life where I can help. Maybe it's also my need to help find evidence that I'm being a good human. I subscribe to God's timing but it is in our own moving that timing happens. So I made a move, took a step, took a chance, tried something new, you know all those things. I am fostering something that God wants me to learn and grow. Something that I want to contribute to my legacy. If I did nothing else, I helped when I could.
Tucker is available for adoption with Lonestaraussieresue.org
