Today  I  had another one of those magical experiences that I am occasionally blessed with while doing rescue work. Our current foster dog, Miss Sassy Pants,  met her future family for the first time. We are keeping Sassy while she undergoes some medical treatment prior to her placement. We anticipate she will be ready to go in about two weeks.

Her new family is so eager and excited about getting her that they wanted to come visit her now. They arrived along with the sheltie they already own. It was amazing. Sassy immediately went up to them and started sniffing. She wanted them to pet her and jumped up on the couch with the lady and gave her kisses. She played and rough housed with the husband. She tried to get their sheltie to play with her. She brought a stuffed toy and squeaked it and dropped it at our feet.  I  have never seen Sassy so much as touch a toy before and rarely does she try to play with our dogs. Sassy is nine years old and was so happy when this family came that she acted like a pup.

This is one of the miracles of rescue work. Sometimes the dogs just recognize their new family. They act as if they have been waiting all their lives for this person/people  to show up. It makes allowing them to move on so much easier for us when we see the dog is happy and ok with it.

Do we miss the foster dogs when they go? Most  certainly, but that is how there’s room for the next one. And there is always a  next one. At last count we have fostered over 40 shelties! It will be a glorious day when there is a shortage of dogs for us to foster. I  think it is possible that day will come.  And I look forward to it. Not to the absence of the foster dogs but to the fact there is none available because every one has a home!!!