Cleveland, OH
Hazel arrived to join the Secondhand Mutts family on September 12, 2017 and left for her foster home a week later. She was very lucky to be matched up with a Kathy – a very skilled handler who just happened to have a similar looking dog with similar (high) energy named Zoey. Over the last 3 months Hazel has attended about a half dozen events, we’ve received about 20 inquiries on her and of those just a few private meet and greets were set up. Just last week she got her first hopeful application! Along with that application comes the hardest part for a dedicated foster provider…..saying goodbye.
Kathy has put a lot of work into setting Hazel up for a successful adoption. She has taught her basic obedience she was lacking. She has provided her with structure which she desperately needed. She has provided her with ample exercise (there really isn’t enough time in the day or a yard big enough for Hazel to burn all of her energy). She has provided her with a warm bed at night and a dog sister to bond with.
Fostering is not easy on the heart. Our foster providers give a lot of their time, some of own finances and a ton of emotions to the dogs they take home. The responsibility of being a constant and committed foster seeing the dogs needs all the way to their adoption day is a huge responsibility for setting a dog up for a successful adoption. Kathy learned this while fostering Hazel and along the way she fought those emotions of falling in love.
In the rescue community there is a fine line when a volunteer is fostering and when the line is crossed and a connection is made and the foster provider is clearly falling in love. When this magic happens we have an unspoken responsibility to not only the Secondhand Mutt but to the foster provider to emotionally challenge them and make sure before they hand off the leash to the new adopter they won’t have regrets. We challenged Kathy.
“Just realizing that alone helped me see the girls need each other and guilty they are a joy when they are together. After a lot of thought this past weekend I realize she was brought into Zoey and I life for a reason. Zoey’s separation anxiety has gotten significantly better and she has put smiles on my face. Today she is no longer foster hazel. Officially Hazel is part of the Parma Estates!”
Congrats to Kathy on being a “foster fail” and giving Hazel everything she needed to prove herself to you and to Zoey it’s match for the books! We couldn’t be happier and are even more elated you’ll still make room for future foster dogs.
