There is no way to tell the story of Russell from beginning to end as a short story. His story is far too long; and far from over. So I will do my best to keep it as short as possible. I'll divide it into chapters so it doesn't have to be read all at once. The 7 chapters of Russell's Story will be posted semi-monthly.
By August of 2011, Russell had been with us for seven weeks. During that time I had forged a pretty strong bond with him. He continued to progress in his house breaking, but refused to go outside when it was raining. We had to practically drag him down our back steps and make him stay outside until he went to the bathroom. As the summer was winding down, we went on one last camping trip. Russell was now trained well enough to be let loose in open grassy areas without having to be on a leash. My two Beagles can be trusted for short periods of time to run loose, but Russell was, and still is to this date, the only foster we could trust not to run away. It seemed, however, that my wife would return to her job as a school teacher and my son would return to high school for his senior year with us only having fostered two dogs the entire summer.
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| Lizzy Lemon |
I had mixed emotions as I said goodbye to Russell, giving him a hug and kiss.I was glad he was finding a home, but wished I could have gotten him house broken better and tried harder to see if he had it in his heart to show some of the love I felt was in there.My wife and son were not all that sad to see Russell get adopted. The thought of having to worry about him peeing in the house after the busy school year started was not something they looked forward to. They both knew that I had grown very fond of Russell and assured me I had done as well as I could with him.
Four days later I got an e-mail that Russell was being returned. It seemed that Lizzy Lemon and him had gotten into a short fight and frightened the son. The mom felt that it would be better to only have one dog. They chose Lizzy Lemon.
I had mixed emotions when I picked up Russell at the Paws and Prayers office. I knew that my wife and son would not be too happy, but I was determined that I could work with Russell to make him a better dog. He seemed happy to see me, wagging his tail and running to me when he saw me enter the office. I gave him a big hug and kiss on the top of his head, assuring him that I would find him a better home.
When we arrived back at our house, Russell seemed glad to be “home." As soon as we got inside, he started running around, crying, and wagging his tail. He had never expressed that much emotion about anything. It was the first sign I had gotten from him that he could have an emotional bond with a home. We seemed to have turned a corner.
At one of the first adoption events I took Russell to in early July, I had met a woman who really seemed to like Russell. She told me that she had recently lost her dog after he was ill for a long time. She liked Russell, but was not ready for a new dog. She left me her e-mail address and told me to let her know when Russell was adopted. I let her know of his adoption and subsequent return four days later. She came to the first Saturday adoption event after Russell’s return and decided she was ready to adopt him.
When the woman, who I’ll refer to as “S”, came to see Russell, it seemed like they would be a great fit for each other. S was a semi-retired woman in her sixties that lived alone and lead a quiet life. She rarely traveled, had a fenced-in backyard, and was looking for a laid back dog for a companion. She adored Russell and knew of all his good and bad traits. Once again, I said goodbye to Russell. I felt that this would be a better home for him.
I followed up with S several times over the next six months. Russell was adjusting well to his new home. He still liked to pee in the house when it was raining outside, but S didn't seem to mind. She sent me some pictures of him relaxing in his new home. I was happy for both S and Russell.
I finally felt that Russell had found his perfect home. He had built a bond with a person and would be cared for and loved for many years to come. I no longer felt the need to contact S on a consistent basis. I let her know to contact me with updates on Russell and, most importantly, if she ever needed anything to add in his care.
I actually felt pretty good about myself and my ability to find forever homes for these lost and forgotten dogs. Many months later I would change my mind about myself and my abilities.
To be continued . . .
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Content By: Beagle Bob
"Beagle Bob" Dietrich is a foster parent for dogs along with his wife Vicki and son Robert. Bob is a full time Fire Fighter/Paramedic, Vicki is a high school math teacher, and Robert is a full time college student. They have two Beagles, Mandy and Buddy.
Images: 1, 2
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