ButterBall

Over the years, I have fostered a countless number of dogs. These dogs ranged from age, background, breed, personality types, and more. I usually would foster with my parents helping, aka in charge of most things. However, once I got older, I was allowed to foster on my own. I got to pick the dog,

The stray

Last night I was driving around when I spotted something on the road. At first, I thought it was just a fox. However, soon I noticed a bright collar around a little cat’s neck. The car was pulled over, and I jumped out. Having fostered and rescued dogs for years, I was ready to run.

The first pet I lost

I couldn’t handle the idea that she would not be here anymore, and to cope, I decided to act like I didn’t love her. I would play with my dog and ignore her. I still slept with her and did everything I had to do to keep her comfortable, but I tried as hard as possible to limit our time together. I couldn’t handle the pain without her. She was my best friend. She always knew exactly what to do to make me smile, and I treated her like nothing when she needed me most. She didn’t understand my pain. She didn’t understand why I was afraid to love her. She didn’t know.

Lessons from my dog

She tries her best every single day to live a “normal” dog life. Every day she pushes past her fears. She may analyze every step she takes. She looks out onto our floors with determination to cross the room without tripping herself up. She looks upon stairs with fear and determination. I watch as she takes 5 maybe 6 minutes sometimes to begin her climb up the stairs. She puts one paw down and takes it off. She repeats the process over and over again.