Fostering animals is an integral part of our success. Because of foster families, we saved and adopted out 1,009 animals last year, more than any other year.
In December I too had the opportunity to foster a dog named Noelle, transferred to us through one of our rescue partners. The poor girl was so matted when they found her, you couldn’t even tell she was a dog.
It was, however, evident that Noelle had most likely been hit by a car. They rushed her to the emergency vet, raised money to cover the cost of her care and surgery needed for her broken pelvis and dislocated hip. Despite all this, they could not find an available orthopedic surgeon to perform her life-saving surgery.
I called Heritage Animal Hospital who was able to perform the necessary surgery the very next day. I drove to pick her up from the rescue and headed straight to Heritage. The surgery was successful but Noelle had to stay in the hospital for several days followed by six weeks of cage rest. She would definitely need a foster where she could recover in peace.
I agreed to foster her though I was a bit nervous; nervous whether I could properly care for her; nervous of the thought of hurting her; and nervous of getting bit (a real possibility). There were so many things I would need to learn, but I had tons of support from our very own Hope Clinic.
It was more than surgery Noelle would have to recover from. She would still have to recover from whatever trauma caused her to end up in such terrible condition. Eventually, Noelle would need to be spayed, receive a dental, and have multiple mammary tumors removed, all while giving her as much time as she needed to recover in between each surgery and procedure. Finally, Noelle would need a forever home.
Throughout the first six weeks of recovery, we also discovered that Noelle struggled with a condition called Sundowners, much like the human version of Alzheimer’s. It was not going to be an easy road and the foster commitment would not be a short one. Luckily, because of wonderful supporters like you, once we commit to an animal, we can remain committed.
While Noelle has had many obstacles to overcome, she remained a happy dog. The meds for the Sundowners and the special food were helping, allowing her to relax and begin to trust me. Enrichment tools such as a food puzzle, a Kong and a snuffle mat helped keep Noelle from becoming bored and restless. She even began to bond with my other animals.
Noelle recovered well from her pelvic and hip surgery. She did great through her dental and spay. Her first mammary surgery was a bit
challenging but again she recovered well, with only one more surgery to go.
When I picked her up from the shelter after her mammary surgery, I was told Noelle had tried to bite everyone so they requested I get her out of her kennel. She laid with her back to the door facing the corner. As I approached the cage, I called her name. She looked and then looked again, getting up and moving toward the cage door. When I opened the door, she put her paws up on my chest as if to say, “I want to go home!” At that moment, I realized I had failed once again as a foster! I had no intentions of adopting another dog, but Noelle clearly had a different plan.
Sometimes we pick them. Sometimes they pick us. One thing for certain, Noelle has found her forever home!
– Marcie Cornell
Executive Director
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