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.