Foster Coordinator Needed

May 9th, 2012. That was the day I found out that I am not Wonder Woman. What led me to this very devastating realization? Guilt. I was sweeping up the piles of fur that had been blanketing my floors for at least two weeks and I felt a sudden pang of guilt. Guilt that I was cleaning my house instead of grading the piles of student papers or working on that dissertation I started over a year ago or finally dealing with the paperwork that was laying throughout my house. I felt guilty for cleaning my house for the first time in two weeks. Yeah.

So, with that realization, I am admitting that I can no longer dedicate the time to the Foster Coordinator position that it truly deserves. I am hoping that one of our wonderful supporters or volunteers will feel the call to step into the role in my place.

In a nutshell, this role involves coordinating the intake of new fosters, movement of fosters from one placement to another as needed, recruiting new foster homes, and coordinating the approval of new foster homes. I am also currently handling all of the intake, medical records, and adoption processing for our fosters, but I think those pieces could be potentially be handled by other volunteers who would be willing to learn our software.

We also have two wonderful volunteers working on the Foster Team that are a great support to this role. So, the new FC would certainly not be in this alone.

Are you looking for a way to get involved, but can't foster? Want something you can do from home? This really is a great volunteer opportunity for someone who has the time and organization to do it. If you're interested, please contact our office. If you'd like to learn more about what I am currently doing, please email sunshine@bhsva.org.

BHS Adoptables of the Week: Emma and Punky

When we met Emma in the pound, she was trembling in a corner, terrified of these strange people she had never met. She was very pregnant at the time and we placed her in our foster program while she gave birth to her babies. She is currently still nursing two hulking boys, so she will not be available for adoption until mid- to late-June. We think she is about 3-4 years old and is crate-trained and very close to being fully housetrained. She is taking great care of her babies, but she clearly wants to be cuddled and spoiled, too. Even though she is not officially available for adoption yet, if you are interested in meeting Emma when she is available, please download an application from our website at www.bhsva.org and submit it to our office at info@bhsva.org.

Pumpkin (aka Punky Brewster) came to us because her loving owner could no longer care for her. Punky is a special girl that prefers a stable, quiet environment. She can also be very affectionate and cuddly when she's had enough down time throughout the day. She will often cuddle with me on the couch in the evenings and looks forward to waking me up in the mornings with a gentle purr to remind me it's time for breakfast (who needs an alarm clock when you've got cats?). Punky would love to find a forever home where she can be the only cat. If you are interested in this gorgeous girl, download an application from our website at www.bhsva.org and submit it to our office at info@bhsva.org.

BHS Adoptables of the Week: Foxie and Tyson

We pulled sweet Foxie from the pound as soon as we found a foster spot for her. Those beautiful eyes showed just how much she wanted a family to love. Foxie is a 4 year old female Shepherd mix that was born in January 2008. She rarely makes any noise at all as long as she is with her people. She loves to cuddle, gets along well with other dogs. She hasn't been tested much with cats, but seemed only mildly interested in the one cat she has met. This little girl would love a family with children she could run and play with. If you are interested in Foxie, please download an adoption application from our website at www.bhsva.org.

One of the unique features of Tyson is his gentle bird-like purr. He is the sweetest, gentlest soul. He loves attention and can be very vocal in his attempts to get you to hold him. He may not be a show cat, but he has more love to give than you can imagine. If you are interested in this unique little man, please download an adoption application from our website at www.bhsva.org.

No, Emma, the Cats Don't Want to Play

Some of the joys of fostering lie in the utter ridiculousness that living creatures exhibit at times. I think my favorite part of fostering is getting to know the various quirks and neuroses that each different foster animal brings into my home.

My sweet little foster baby Emma (known in my house as Emmy Lou Who) really seems to love other animals...all of them. But I think she may love them a little too much.

Since she was pregnant when I brought her home from the pound (VERY pregnant) and I didn't know her medical history, I wouldn't allow my large Rottie mix Lobo or any of the cats to go into the basement where she stays. And while we waited patiently (well, some of us waited not so patiently), Emmy seemed content to ignore the animals that would peer in at her from the basement door. She had bigger issues to concern herself with, like how she would ever get her figure back after giving birth to puppies that were clearly part Sasquatch

After the babies came, however, my little Emmy Lou Who made it known in no uncertain terms that she was entirely aware that there was a house full of animals that she did not have access to. She would talk, in a very animated manner, to the raccoons that knock over the trash cans and to the birds that build their nests under the upper deck, just oustide the basement door. And when my Lobo would peer in at her through the basement window, Emmy would have what I would describe as a doggy conniption.

Eventually, I relented and allowed Lobo into the basement to visit with Emmy, thinking there was a strong possibility that she may try to eat him. But I just wanted her to calm down and see he was not a threat to her or her babies. I did not, however, expect her to be so gleefully excited about finally meeting him that she would actually pee with joy. Yes, this little girl peed right where she stood when that giant of a bear came into the basement. And then she began playing. Since then, I have found that Emmy doesn't just love dogs. She also loves cats (and the cats are super-excited about that...).

Emmy now has free roam of the house on a regular basis. She still spends most of her time in the basement with her babies, but occasionally she will come upstairs for some Emmy Time. When she comes upstairs, she spends a full five minutes prancing excitedly in place like it's Christmas morning and she's looking at a tree full of presents with her name on them. When she finally regains her composure, she spends several more minutes going from animal to animal saying,

"Hi! Hi! I'm Emma! Hi! I remember you! You're a cat! I love cats! I'm a dog! My name is Emma! You can call me Emmy! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Wanna play?"

No, Emma. No the cats don't want to play. They want me to give you a sedative.

Eventually, after she has made her rounds to greet Lobo and all the cats, she finds a suitable lap to cuddle in. Now, it doesn't really matter if there is already a computer or a book orrrrr a cat in that lap. Emmy manages to plop her cute little behind right down on top of who or whatever might already be there. And there she will stay for as long as she thinks she can leave the babies alone.

Currently, she is cuddled in my lap talking to her reflection in the window. Yep. She just knows there is a little grey Chihuahua staring in at her from outside and she really wants that dog to come in and say "Hi!"

Faith, Love, and Determination: Pat Greier (Foster Home of the Month)

Pat Greier and her husband, Paul, have been fostering longer than I've been with BHS, but the first time I saw Pat take in a very opinionated Cocker mix I thought she was a bit...ummm...crazy? Turns out what I thought was crazy is actually just a perfect mix of love, faith, and determination.

That Cocker mix is still with her, a foster failure who found his forever home when he found Pat. Since that time, however, I have seen her continue to take in the most difficult cases.

Jasmine was terrified of everything and everyone. At adoption events, she would tremble and hide next to Pat when others tried to approach her. She refused to walk anywhere with people around, so Pat would have to carry her. Pat worried over that sweet, tiny little girl day and night. She worked with her to build her confidence and carefully screened her applications to make sure she went to a family who would continue to work with her and treat her with care. Jasmine is now a happy, healthy girl with a wonderful family. I cannot imagine she would have had such a happy ending if Pat hadn't saved her.

Daisy was a beautiful little JRT who loved to run. Most foster families have had to chase down a foster dog at least once. The first thing Daisy did when she came out of the pound was slip her lead. Pat and her husband spent quite a bit of time chasing this mischevious little girl through their neighborhood all day and night only to find her the next morning lounging comfortably on the neighbor's dock gazing out over the water. After that, Daisy always wore two leads when walking. She took some training, but Daisy was eventually adopted by one of Pat's neighbors and she still comes running when she sees Pat walking down the road.

You may remember the incredible story of Chester Scruffy Garcia, the senior dog we pulled from the pound minutes before he was set to be euthanized. Scruffy accurately describes the condition of this poor old boy, but that didn't deter Pat from taking a chance on him. Pat took Scruffy to Dr. Weitzman's office for vetting where a microchip was discovered. Pat and her husband spent the next several days doggedly searching for Scruffy's owner, wanting to make sure they knew what became of their baby. After some impressive detective work, they located a name and address. We sent a letter and the next day, Chester Scruffy Garcia was being tearfully reunited with his owner. This magical reunion would never have happened without Pat.

These stories certainly don't begin to encompass the lives Pat and Paul have saved. There are too many to count. But they do give you a glimpse of the love, the faith, the determination that this phenomenal couple devote to this noble cause we call animal rescue.