The Paulk Pack: Foster Failure

Yes, I'll admit that I failed. We have fostered many dogs and cats this past year and I have been oh so happy to see them find their furever homes. I knew I was in trouble after this bizarre white dog arrived. Penny was fully trained when she arrived, however we had no idea what commands she had been taught. She was terrified of men and barked incessantly at anyone new while running in the opposite direction. She refused to eat most meals and would toss her food dish and kibble aside. She would pace in circles like a caged lion all day long. She was quiet at first in her kennel, but as she became more comfortable, she started yelping and barking all day. No treats, kongs or bully sticks would quiet her. The ONLY things she wanted were to be with me or be chasing her frisbee.

Secretly I hoped no one would respond to the posts we put up advertising her. I hoped that no one would call. This neurotic dog had already formed an unhealthy attachment to me and it was working. She was winning me over! I couldn't help it!

In the process of getting Penny prepped for adoption, we planned to get her spayed but learned that she had a stage 4 heart murmur. No doctor's would spay her with this problem. We went to Georgia Veterinary Specialists and learned that she had Patent Ductus Arteriosus, or a heart problem in which blood flows between two arteries that are supposed to close off at birth, but don't. The veterinarian said most dogs with this condition develop congestive heart failure within their first year of life, and don't survive with out surgery. Penny, at almost 3 years of age, had no signs of heart failure, which was a miracle. We scheduled her surgery for February 14th, Valentine's Day.

Once again, a wonderful group of clients and friends contributed to this expensive surgery and we raised enough funds in just a few short days.

The day of Penny's surgery, this neurotic white German Shepherd was sitting in my lap in the vet lobby. If she could have crawled up the wall to escape, she would have. The vet assistant had to drag her away from me as she was in full blown panic mode. Later that afternoon, the veterinarian called me to let me know that everything went very well and that she would be ready to come home that evening. I picked her up and we headed back to my house for her recovery. I didn't want her to have to recover at the kennel with barking, etc. going on. She needed to relax (yeah, right) and let herself heel. Of course I think she finally got Charles wrapped around her paw too. In fact, in just a few short weeks, Charles was the favorite and I, well, I was chopped liver. Isn't that how it always goes around here? *SIGH*