The Zoo

Welcome to my zoo.

We just got our new foster dog, Charlie.

Charlie's story breaks my heart.  He's gone from home to home.  He was rescued by Weimaraner Rescue of the South this past spring, and was heart-worm positive.  He's got some scars on his legs, may have experienced a broken leg, and probably suffers from arthritis.  He's a big 95-lb. gentle giant; he's really the calmest, most gentle dog I've ever met.  Even high-strung Ace is getting along with him (a miracle).

I think because Charlie has been abandoned so many times, he gets upset when he doesn't know where you are.  He barks if you don't let him back into the house right away after his bathroom break, follows you throughout the house, and cries when you leave him alone. I hope that with time some of that will go away.  We've also learned that giving him a peanut butter-filled Kong greatly helps with any separation anxiety (at least until he eats all of the peanut butter, anyway).

Isn't Charlie a funny name for a dog?  I like it because our pastor, and favorite Charlie ever, shares the same name.  (A high honor for Charlie The Dog).  Plus, Charlie is really a people name, not a dog name.  :o)  It's like my friends' cat, Bob.  Just makes you laugh to say it.

Why are we fostering?  I've always wanted a weimaraner.  When we first got married, we lived in an apartment in Dallas and Matt said that I could get a dachshund as a compromise.  That's how we got Tyson.  Ace was a rescue (dumped in the middle of the road on busy 6th Avenue in Decatur).  Two dogs is really plenty, and Matt had a "no more dogs" rule to protect me from becoming the crazy dog lady.  He did give in, though, when I asked him about fostering.  Weim Rescue has over 50 dogs right now and about 15 of them didn't even have foster homes (where the dog lives until someone adopts them), which is costing them an arm and a leg in boarding fees.  I figured that fostering would allow us to help a dog in need, and also give us an opportunity to know for sure if we could handle such a large breed in the future.

If you've thought about getting a dog, why don't you consider rescue?  You can get wonderful mixed breed pets locally at the shelter or even find a breed-specific rescue, like Weim Rescue and Dixie Dachshund Rescue if you want a specific type of dog. They make wonderful pets (many of the adults are already house-broken) and all need loving homes.