This is Rusty. He is not an adorable, cuddly puppy but an older, skinny, arthritic, slightly tattered Heartworm positive mixed breed dog with a pancreatic enzyme disease but he does not deserve to live in a kennel for 23 and 3/4ths hours a day. He looks a lot like one of our rescued dogs and we began fostering him when the shelter got too many dogs a couple of weeks ago, he was pretty much next on the euthanasia list. But Rusty has some great qualities about him ---- he is housetrained, he knows several important commands, he walks GREAT on a leash, he gets along well with other dogs, he is SOOOO happy to be out of the shelter and shows that constantly. Oh, his owners were found but they "don't want him anymore because he keeps running away"...after 6 or 7 years of being shut in the backyard and having food thrown at him occasionally, and by his heartworm test and pancreatic enzyme deficiency that prove he was not taken to the vet in many years, I can't imagine why Rusty would want to run away.
Yes, fostering does take time away from your own animals, it does cost some money, it does take a commitment of time and energy on your part, and there can be an emotional investment that makes it hard to let the animals go, but it is definitely all worth it. A new forever home may not be found for Rusty, but that's OK, then he will become a permanent part of the Barker pack...My next vehicle may need to be a little larger though.
