Do you have a story about our rescue you can share with us…
Please email us at info@dogrescuecolorado.org
Vanessa Reid
Foster parent
My “when it clicked” foster story:
Like many fur fosters growing up, I brought any animal I could find home. I was convinced that every creature, wild or domestic, from a frog to dog, couldn’t survive without my nurturing hand. Most had four legs and fur but, a few (a few more then my mother liked) had scales.
I had thought about fostering for years. My hesitation was, the hard part, the letting go. I didn’t think I could handle the heart break of saying goodbye. I kept wondering how do people do it? How do you love, nurture, teach, nurse and rehabilitate and then one day, too quickly, you just let go? Even after I had finally decided to go for it, the little voice in the back of my mind told me I wasn’t strong enough to do it. This is a girl who couldn’t even watch Lassie or Benji as a child without crying. I have a few Disney movies to this day I won’t watch again (like Fox and the Hound, how could you just leave the poor fox behind?).
I had even thought about backing out but, I kept telling myself, I made a commitment and I’m sticking with it. Then the day came when I got my first foster. I was excited and scared, ready to embrace this precious fur baby (for once they really DID need my nurturing hand) but, I also wanted to run. It was a strange mix of emotions.
Once I got her home, something clicked, something in me knew I had done the right thing. I just knew I had found a new purpose, she immediately opened my eyes to just how much these babies need us. Her willingness to forgive humans for whatever they had done, from horrific abuse to tossing them away like trash, and still trust in US made me realize, it had nothing to do with how strong I was, she was the strong one.
All this time I thought I was going to have to be the strong one to have to say goodbye. I was wrong, all along they have been the strong ones to say hello. No heartache I ever go through or tearful goodbye will ever compare to what they have already overcome.
We worked hard together; learning basic commands, getting some meat on her bones (her favorite “training” by far), she went to day care with my own fur babies, her new friends, her new family. She nestled in nicely, just a sweet, sweet soul. I had her about three weeks before she was adopted.
Maybe because she went with a dear friend it made the first goodbye a little easier. It wasn’t a final goodbye at all, it was a different feeling. While I was so sad to see her go, the life that awaited her far outweighed any heartache. In fact, my heart didn’t ache. My heart was happy.
The questions I had before fostering the “How do you love, nurture, teach, nurse and rehabilitate and then one day, too quickly, you just let go?” The answer is you don’t. You don’t let go. A piece of your heart goes with them. But, if they can let go of all that has happened to them and give me a piece of their heart, I will gladly return the favor.
At the end of the whole process my only thought was “why didn’t I do this sooner??”
Amanda Reycer
Adopter
Dog farts are the worst, seriously how can they be that bad? He eats the very best food and is exercised regularly but still so they are lethal. We laugh and gag and then laugh again every single time he lets one go. He is a good sport about our laughing but that is probably because he not only gets to sleep on the bed, he gets to sleep under the sheets!
We wanted a dog very badly but didn’t just want any old dog, we wanted the best damn dog ever. After searching for months we stumbled upon Einstein formerly known as Benjamin Whittaker. Who wouldn’t love that face and oh my gosh those eyes that were screaming “could you be my new moms?!?!” The moment we met him we knew it was a done deal, Benjamin would become Einstein and he would be the best damn dog ever!
The day of our wedding was perfect. The wife and her people were getting prepped and primped while Einstein, my people, and myself ate, drank, and then fumbled into our dapper clothes. To be honest, Einstein looked the best in his bowtie like he always does. People always say the bride steals the show but we both agree the entire family stole the show; the wife, Einstein, and myself!
From adventures in the mountains to naps on the couch we are a furever family loving doing life together. You might say he is spoiled but really we are the spoiled ones because we have the best damn dog ever!
– The Reycers
Eric & Jay Levy
Foster parents and Adopters
We had been fostering dogs with MFDM for about 6 or 7 months when our 13 year old dog Nana really starting heading downhill.
Nana was my first dog, and a true family dog. She was one of the main reasons that when I met my husband, I decided he was a good guy, because she actually ran and jumped into the car with him after meeting him. Nana loved everyone she met but was leary of men, and I knew it was a sign that Nana decided he was okay. She ended up being a great family dog, and loved it here in Colorado. I knew there would NEVER be another dog like her. She passed at the end of July 2015.
Our family was grieving, including the rest of our pack. My boy, wasn’t eating and would barely lift his head when I talked to him.
We were all lost.
And then, we got this bonded pair of very scared dogs in to foster. They lived for each other. They were these tiny, crouching, scared little beings that were mistreated and dumped by their previous owners at a high-kill shelter. They didn’t trust anyone. They were dog-aggressive, and I was feeling so down I couldn’t wait to get them adopted. I wasn’t emotionally ready to deal with their problems. All I could think about was mine.
I missed Nana.
Then, Nikki came over and helped us reintroduce the dogs, and after about a week’s time, these sweet little dogs integrated into our pack. I watched my depressed dog initiate play with them. I watched the puppies climb their way into my kid’s laps and lick their faces, and be silly. I saw my kids laughing. Myself too. No one was immune from their antics. We were all laughing and smiling again.
We got a call from Nikki asking how they were doing. She asked us to have the girls change the dog’s names because they’re weren’t really good.
I think at that point, when my daughters renamed them, Audrey and Luna, I realized just how attached they’d become.
A week later, I walked into the living room and saw my step-daughter with tears in her eyes holding Audrey like a baby in her lap. And 2 days later, Luna jumped up on Rory’s bed at bedtime and layed her head down on Rory and sighed the biggest sigh of relief, and Rory started bawling.
I knew then, it was time to talk with Eric about making it official. We talked about finances, and responsibilities, and knew it would be tough, but ultimately these dogs came in and helped heal this family, and we realized that we absolutely couldn’t let them go. These dogs were now a part of our pack, our family, our hearts, and souls. And we haven’t regretted a single day. They surely didn’t replace our Nana, but I truly believe that they were meant to be here with us, and I am so thankful for My Fairy Dawg Mother Rescue.