Hey all. I know it's been a good few months since our last post (October -- whooo) and I thought it might be nice to take a minute to apologize for that.
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| Forgive us? |
And also, to explain why we fell off the face of the earth for a while.
Those of you who know me via other social media sites (DogForum, Tumblr, and Facebook are my other main networks) know that I'm in the foster care system, and that I've been living with a foster parent for the last few years. Her attitude toward me was less than desirable, but we'll not get into that now. We've steadily clashed on a number of things since I moved in, and a few months ago, those tensions reached an all-time high. I interfered in something I probably shouldn't have, got pissed off when she disregarded what I had to say (which is an ongoing issue) and the night ended with her promising to give seven-day notice on me.
For anyone not familiar with the foster system, this meant I had seven days to find somewhere for the dogs, find somewhere for myself, pack, and be out of the house. Seven days is not a lot of time, as anyone who's ever been evicted from a house could tell you, and when you have two dogs, it's even less time. I spent a week frantically calling rescues, local pet funds, dog sitters whose ads I'd picked off bulletin boards, friends, acquaintances, and anyone else who might be able to help. Within a couple days I had somewhere for Ghost to stay; he went to hang out with a family I had house- and dog-sat for over summer (featured in our "Catch Up - Dog Sitting!" post). I know the family well, and they adore their two existing dogs. The only concern was how the dogs would get along, but they quickly took to each other.
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| Throwback photo of Madi and Diesel, the family's existing dogs, from when we dog-sat over summer. Look, there's me! |
I had somewhere for myself, too. My choir director had offered to let me stay with her for a while until I could get on my feet again. However, her rules were no dogs (allergies, landlord) and I wouldn't expect anyone to take me and one of my dogs into their home.
That left me with Grem. Finding a temporary placement for a well-behaved, trained puppy is one thing. Finding a temporary placement for a fearful, reactive five-year-old dog is another thing entirely. We met with a woman who works for the social system who had mentioned possibly being able to take him for a while, and Grem and her existing dog got along great. But I had no solid answer.
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| Still not sure why nobody volunteered to foster me immediately. I mean, I'm adorable, right? |
I was out a day early for ridiculous reasons and luckily, the foster system paid for a dog-friendly hotel for a few nights. I arranged for Ghost to go with his fosters that Sunday, along with all his belongings, and continued to frantically search out places and people who might take Grem. I called up a local group who's known for funding care and vet visits for impoverished pet owners, and through luck and the miracle of people, the group approved a request to fund two weeks of boarding for Grem. That would give me a bit of extra time to get something together for him, and might be just enough time.
Sunday morning, the woman who we had previously met with (Mary) called to offer to take Grem. She had taken stock of her situation and would be happy to help. He went to her Sunday afternoon, and then I went with a social worker to pack up the very last of my items. That was a very crowded hotel room for a night.
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| This was my bestie at Mary's house. His name is Bear. |
Fast forward three months. Ghost was officially rehomed two months ago. After being turned down from one house and finding nothing else, I realized it would be hard enough finding a place. I'm eighteen with no credit, no references, and still in high school...and I have a dog. Not the best odds for house-hunting. The family watching Ghost texted me after having him for a month. After a discussion between the whole family, they decided that they'd love to keep him permanently. The mother texted me to ask if I'd be willing to rehome Ghost to them. I already knew the answer was "yes" and the emotional response was to that definitive answer.
With only one dog, it became slightly easier to find housing... but not easy enough. I had been looking for a place with a friend who would be happy to split rent with me, but between the two of us (both working barely-adults with pets, my dog and her cat) we still didn't have enough money to find something.
Two weeks ago, my choir director's husband put me in contact with a man he knew who rented out rooms in his house, and a week later, I moved it. I had a full week to myself before Grem came home, and now that he is home, we've been trying to get back to where we were. His cues are shot, his reactivity is back tenfold, and he's a bundle of nerves. It feels like all my hard work was for nothing. But I have him back, and that's what matters.
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| Home at last with Mom. What an ordeal. |
