A Little Background on Donna and Randall and How The Fostering Happened

As people who know my husband and I are aware, we lost my 17 year old dachshund bitch, Brenna, in late January. She was my last show dog (though I still have her senior daughter, Haley, who is pet quality) and the end of my bloodlines. And, as my mother said, Brenna owned my soul. Her passing was wrenching and oh so hard, and I knew it would take time before I was ready to bring another dog in.

Sunday night, I was cruising the Petfinder listings like I usually do just to see what's available in Texas, and when I did my search for dachshunds, I mistakenly didn't restrict it to young or adult dogs. It was set for "all ages", so the first thing that popped up were the local shelters/rescue groups and what did I see but a 12 year old dachshund bitch available at the Waco Humane Society.

Also, as people who know us are aware, I finished radiation treatments last spring for my third stage oral squamous cell carcinoma. I'm in remission, but like anyone who has gone through cancer surgery/treatments without insurance knows, the medical bills swamp you. Because of that, adopting that senior girl just wasn't going to be an option. But, after looking closer at the Waco Humane Society's website, I noticed they were looking for foster homes. So that was my goal for Monday afternoon. I was hoping that girl hadn't been euthanized.

I called early Monday afternoon and spoke with Liz who directs the foster program. I told her that Randall and I were looking to foster a small senior dog and I'd seen Lucy on the site the night before. Liz was thrilled to have someone looking to foster a senior, though she told me the dachshund had been fostered with an employee so she was out of the "system" for fostering. However, there was another senior dog in serious need of a refuge and she told me about Elvis.

I would like to say right now, that when Randall and I went out to visit the shelter, I was very, very impressed. It is an incredibly well maintained, clean, bright shelter and not at all what I was expecting. I had also been told that they do everything in their power not to euthanize an animal...hence the fostering program. Hearing that REALLY had me interested in volunteering because, while not strictly a no kill shelter, their focus is on adopting/fostering animals. The plant itself is wonderful and everyone we met yesterday is obviously an animal lover who wants the very best for his/her charges.

If you've not made a visit to the Waco Humane Society, I highly recommend it. If you have the opportunity to volunteer, please consider it. Obviously they accept donations of items/money as well. And, well, there is also the chance to open your home to a needy dog or cat either through adoption or fostering. Do please consider it. These animals are so in need of a forever home.

So this is the background on us, and my next post will go into Elvis and what he's been through and what we're looking at.