*Update Sam's Profile is up -- Saved a life yesterday, and now I need to save my carpet!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Update#2: Sam's profile is up. If you know anyone in the Ottawa area please share: http://www.hopefulhearts.ca/adoptables/2013-139.htm

Update with Pictures.

Yesterday I went to a certain shelter to scoop up a sweet boy that was about to be sentenced to the gas chamber (yes that's right, :-(  the gas chamber). Not sure how anyone could deem this sweet special boy as unworthy of being put up for adoption but they say black dogs take too long to get adopted so they don't try.  Other than having black fur, which is apparently a grave crime, he is amazing. Sweet as pie, trained, obedient, cuddly, playful, friendly with my dogs and cat, ... perfect. And when he got home, he was STARVING.

I was told by the rescue I'm fostering him for that when the dogs are scheduled to be euthanized they don't bother feeding them anymore. (They also don't bother walking them it seems as he had peed and pooped in his cage and wasn't cleaned up. So he got a good bath when we got home.)

He ate up a whole bowl of food, and then took all of winston's and sophie's leftovers. I stopped him eventually but man he was so hungry I felt sorry for him. Even after eating some of the homemade chicken parmasean dog buscuits that Sophie and Winston made for him ;-) he was still famished. I tried to offer him Peanut Butter in a kong as a bedtime snack but he wasn't interested in PB. So I popped more of the homemade treats into the kong and put him in his crate. He was fine at first but started making a fuss halfway through the night. I caved and let him out. I kept him in my room instead. He went out in the yard before bed and again at 1am so I thought he should be good till morning.

I woke up this morning to the sound similar to the the last bits of ketchup being squeezed out of the bottle. 'Torrential' is the only way to describe what occurred in my bedroom this morning (and then subsequently all over my back yard).

After going through constant bouts of diarrhea with sophie for her first year or so I know I should have known better, but this guy needed all the love (and food) he could get and I couldn't say no to a little extra food and leaving him in a crate just seemed so mean after all he's been through.  Anyway, he is resting now and feeling much better, but I have a literal 'sh!t storm' to clean up in my bedroom. I am tempted to just brun my bedroom to the ground and cordon it off permenantly. I'm not really sure how I'm ever going to sleep in there again, and I may end up with PTSD when this is all done, but I will go out today and finally buy myself a steam cleaner. I don't think a simple spot bot is going to do as I have a lot of area to cover. I'm thinking of getting a more powerful upright carpet cleaner like the Hoover Power Scrub Delux Cleaner or something along those lines.

I know from previous discussions that the spotbot is well recommended, but does anyone have good bad experiences with upright carpet cleaners? ...anyone know where I can get a hazmat suit? ...

Otherwise, words of sympathy and encouragement are welcome to help me get through the clean up. This is not going to be a fun day (although, totally worth the experience of saving a life!)

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

OH! I love his  little face!  Thanks for the pictures and I hope all the icky is gone! 

[Leslie and Halas]

He is beautiful! He's going to make some adopters very lucky.

[Debbie & Gibbs]

That second picture looks like he is saying -- thank you for sparing my life, love you. 

[Robin and Libby Louise]

what a face!!!!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Hi Sherri,

I've been thinking of you and hope I did not miss an update to your story. How are things going now?

Hope all is well and you all had a wonderful Christmas.

I had to laugh the other day thinking.....Well remember when you said you wanted to stay home Christmas with your dogs and not go to the relatives?   You certainly had a good excuse this year.

So, if you get a chance update this post.  Thanks

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks for checking in Joanne. The first week was pretty rough, I didn't update as things were haywire and there was too much to do. This guy is keeping me on my toes. It's one thing having a puppy when it is your only dog, another thing having a puppy when there are two other dogs in the house. It's been challenging to say the least. I did go visit family for christmas this year. I stayed with an aunt and my cousins who have really taken to sophie and winston, so they got to come too. Sam went to another foster home for a few days. He was so happy to be back when I picked him up.

Finally No more diarrhea, but not before a $400 carpet cleaning bill.  I had to put him on a prescription diet (sorry Karen - it was the best thing to deal with the situation and it's only temporary) and he got a shot of what I think was flagyl as well as the pills, probiotic, and panacur. I had a few 'words' with the rescue management folks about why it took a week to get him into the vet. I had to kick up a fuss on the facebook group for fosters before they finally got him an appointment. There were too many volunteers in the kitchen and nobody was communicating to each other. Everyone means well but until they get more organized I think this might be my first and laster foster.

Anyway, wish my first foster experience went a bit more smoothly but that's not to say I regret it. Sam is a very sweet pup and I'm still very happy to have been able to step in when he needed help. His profile should be up today so hopefully he will get adopted quickly.  I can share it when it comes out.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

oh, and i should mention the fecal test was negative (phew!). The vet also said that the weakness in his back legs (have I mentioned that yet?) is likely not hip displaysia and should go away with exercise (double phew!).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Trial by fire, lol. I'm sorry your first foster experience wasn't easier, but when you see photos of him with his new family, I know you'll think it was more than worth it. :)

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I think you're right Karen. I think when I see him with his new home I will cry like a baby :)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Wow Sherri, bless you. Sounds like you have had a rough patch but I do hope Somme wonderful family gets Sam soon. Think how easy life will seem with just two doodles and a full time job....

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

that's true F, my two doodles are a piece of cake in comparison. :o)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

So glad you wrote and I totally get what you've been living.

Maybe now is the time to step up and not back away from this group.  Have paper and plans and a proposal in hand is what a great leader like you can do!   I know you are passionate about wanting to do this or at least lead in a rescue. 

-A cooperative with a vet to get each animal seen at the time of the pull.  Vetted, stool check, meds, and immunizations before going onto a foster home.

The vet bills one person or organization. No one without a big gold credit card can handle these situations alone for a week. Yet, those without the finances are usually the ones who do have that time to volunteer.  So it is always an issue.

Write down what you think could be an improvement so your situation does not happen to others. This is why foster homes stop fostering. It is not for the love of labor, it is because at home, nearly impossible situations take place without organization and communication.  Glad you put your foot down. Now, next time, have a list ready when an unexpected phone call makes you a sucker again.... soon.

Have that list ready and pull it out of the drawer. Tell them what you need and expect.  Stay firm. If they can't agree, then you can find another that will. So many need help.

Unless it is some ideal re-home situation, such as an unexpected death, most situations are just like you describe.  First and last disasters.

I really do think you can make a difference.