Letting Go

Tomorrow I will do the hardest part of fostering, letting go. No matter how hard you try not to get attached to a dog or any animal that comes to stay with you on a temporary basis, it happens. Most times you'll not have any trouble letting go because deep down you know the dog or cat doesn't fit your lifestyle or doesn't relate well to your other animals. My past two foster experiences were wonderful and the dogs were fabulous but I knew in my heart there was someone better for them out there. This time is different. It happened almost instantly. When Star arrived almost a month ago she was scared and wondering why she was leaving her home and coming to mine. My husband and I were taken with her beauty the moment we saw her. She had our hearts immediately even though our heads were screaming you can't!

At first all fell into place and we could see her with us forever, but the more comfortable she became the more we realized that she and Josie were in a power struggle and while the struggle happened mostly outside, it was a struggle that would take time and training to overcome and realistically one I'm not in the position to handle right now. But the longer she’s here the more she made her way into our hearts. Her personality, zest for life and pleading eyes had us. However when you're head and heart are saying two different things life as a foster becomes complicated.

The hard part comes into play because for the most part Star fits with us. She's slipped right into our routine. She learned our commands for entering her crate when we run errands and for bedtime. She's learned to wait patiently for her food. She is everything we love in a dog, except Star and Josie both want to be the queen of the backyard. Star fits like a glove only the glove is a tad too snug. While you could live with the fit, is it fair to make Josie and Star fit. It's not and my head knows that. While my heart will ache tomorrow, I have a great feeling about her intended home. So tomorrow my family and I will say goodbye to a beautiful soul.

Until next time, Woof, Woof and Roo, Roo!