Foster doggie - Romeo

I have been missing our little foster Wishbone.  I have never had a little dog and I wasn't sure our big dogs would like it, but it was really fun having her in our house. I loved seeing how my other animals were with her.  At first, they were obsessed, then they got used to her and kind of brought her in as one of our own. I loved seeing that. I figured we would take another foster dog if asked.

Saturday morning, I stopped at my shelter (West Columbia Gorge Humane Society) to pick up some doggies to take to an adoption event. When I arrived I saw our newest resident.  He didn't have a name, he was a little chihuahua/terrier mix.  He came to us from a high kill shelter in California.  He was set to be euthanized on Saturday morning.  A local Vancouver woman who rescues animals from this high kill shelter got him on a transport Friday and had him sent to our shelter.  He was SO scared.  He wouldn't lift his head and would barely walk.  I got in the kennel with him and it took about 10 minutes for him to move onto my lap - one step at a time. Then he laid down and stopped shaking.  "He's coming home with me", I said. We would foster him.  I texted Trevor a picture and said "I am bringing this guy home with me." and he said "okay"

I decided to name him Romeo because I was totally in love with him, within a second.

I took him to the vet to get his rabies shot. He laid on my lap in the car and didn't lift his head. When I carried him into their office, he buried his head in my neck.  The vet asked to do blood work because he was so lethargic and his heart rate was very low.  I think this little guy had given up on life. 

I picked him up later in the day and took him home.  Again, he laid with his head down the entire way. I stopped to see Trevor and Romeo wouldn't walk on the leash.  Then we got home. I carried him inside and the second his paws hit the floor, he came back to life. He ran around, went right for the back door. I let him out and he ran around the back yard, tail wagging, looking up at the sun.  I sat down and watched. He came over and climbed up on my lap. I looked down at him and he licked my face.  I burst into tears. 

This little guy was supposed to have been killed that morning.  Instead, he was alive and he was happy about it.  I cried for a little bit because I hate that we live in a world where dogs like this are killed in shelters every day - thousands of them....every. single. day.  Then I stopped crying and continued loving on him.

I let my other dogs meet him and that went pretty well. Buster was obsessed, just like with Wishbone.  Maggie was like "whatever" and Asha couldn't track him so that annoyed her.

Romeo is not too sure about Trevor. I think at some point, he must have had a bad experience with men.  But he sure does love me. He gets along with all our doggies and kitties. He likes to chase the kitties.  Maggie is his favorite, he jumps up and lays down with her. Its very cute.

He sleeps with me most of the night and then I hear him playing with kitties. He has started to know him name and comes when I call him.  He runs around the yard and kind of prances when he is on a leash.

I took him to an adoption event on Sunday and we meet the woman responsible for saving him. She was so happy to see how happy he was!  She said that he was so scared that he became aggressive and when she was moving him from one kennel to another in the car, she had to literally dump him because she couldn't reach in to get him.

And now look at him....

This little guy is just waiting for a family of his own. I would love to keep him, but if we keep him, we can't help others.  He can stay with us for as long as he needs...until he finds the RIGHT family.  I am so glad he was saved from his scheduled death.  I love him.  With all my heart, I love him and I wish we could save them all.

Please adopt, foster, volunteer, donate and SPAY AND NEUTER all your pets.