Our plan was to foster. Our plan still is to foster, but maybe with a permanent dog in residence too. Yes, our first foster failure was our first foster dog after Lucy's passing. We meant to take some time off from a "full-time" dog, to just "marathon foster" for a while, one after the other. Plans change.
Our first foster from Foothills Animal Shelter (http://foothillsanimalshelter.org/) was "Little Bit". She is a pittie, of course. Brown and white, just like little Lucy Lu. One polka-dotted ear, one brown ear, just like Lucy Lu. Was it meant to be? I don't think the ears alone would've gotten us, but...man, her personality is too cute. She was surrendered about a year ago, having recently had puppies and with a not-so-nice "husband". Her coat and skin was in bad shape and they immediately put her on different (better) food to combat her allergies. It worked - she was adopted and went home with a family, but unfortunately it didn't work out. She came back with similar skin issues (probably from cheap food with chicken or some other trigger), all red, itchy and yeasty. Enter "us". We were happy to foster her until her forever home came along. Well, it turns out that forever home is ours. She needs love, stability and, well, love. She knows no words ("walk", "treat", etc.), probably a sign of little human training and interaction. She's had a hard life of 5 years, been bounced around way too much but somehow has developed a wonderful personality. Amazing. She deserves a home.
Her name is now "Ellie Mae" and she is all sugar and sweetness. She has this endearing habit of bringing you an offering at important times - like welcoming you home, or if Tom brings her home and I'm already there, she grabs something to bring you. This also happens when she has to go outside (now that she knows the dog door, this isn't as common), when she's hungry, when you wake up in the AM, or basically when she wants something. What does she bring, you may ask? Mostly a stuffed toy. But, in a pinch, she'll grab a blade of long decorative grass from the yard, a winter hat, sock from the laundry basket, a stick, etc. You get the picture...actually the picture is below.
A toy offering.
Needless to say, she stole our hearts. We ordered her collar this week. Collars are lifetime members in our house...it's a right of passage, it means you get to stay. The collar is called "Raccoon in the Forest", from a shop on Etsy.com: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoofCoutureInt?ref=l2-shopheader-name.
Lucy's spirit is still strong in our hearts & home and always will be. But Ellie needs us. Lucy, I hope you understand.
Sunbathing
