I’m sure all you parents out there have had the ‘fortune’ of listening to your kids pine for a pet. We certainly have had our fair share of pet petitions in our house. The kids have been wanting and asking for a pet for AGES (despite the fact that most of them are actually afraid of larger animals). We thought we had quelled these queries earlier this year by bringing a parakeet into our home. His name is Hugo and we’ll do a post on living with a bird later.
But this post isn’t about a bird. It’s about a dog! Let me back up and start from the beginning. We have a wonderful friend here who loves animals and has made it her life’s work to rescue those she sees and finds are living in unfit conditions. While walking home from the gym one day, she and her husband saw a momma dog that was obviously nursing some new puppies. They followed the momma and found that she had a litter of 6 new babies. Our friends decided that since their mom was taking good care of them, they were so little, and they were secluded at the bottom of an empty ravine, they would just keep an eye on them and make sure that they were okay. They returned to the ravine nightly to feed and check on the pups.
As the pups grew, they started to get louder and louder and even started to venture out of the ravine and into the streets. The neighbors were getting annoyed and the streets here are not a place for little puppies. Our friends decided to take action. It was time to get those pups out of there. They took them into their house (under quarantine, because they were covered with ticks) and called the vet to get them started on vaccinations and the like. Then they put out a call for foster families for six puppies. Which is where we came in.
We thought it a perfect fit. Our children would finally get to have a dog and we’d be able to show them how much work it is and why we don’t have one! We get to see what having a dog is all about without the commitment! PERFECT! Well, we answered the call and now we have a dog! Until the end of September, at least. Then he will be put up for adoption and boarded here until his vaccinations are up to date and he reaches 4 months old. At that point, he will – if not adopted – catch a flight to the US and get adopted there.
So, without further ado, here’s Hallabat!!
We are excited for this experience, but to be honest, we are also a little tired. We thought we were done with having kids, but this little guy is still a puppy! And we’re dealing with everything that comes with puppies: getting up at night, potty training, trying to get him not to bite, and training him to be good for his future family. It’s a tall order, and to complicate things, the kids just started school. We’ve got a lot going on…Stay tuned for updates on our fostering endeavors!
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