The Final Chapter
This week was a bit off. Us Service Dogs can sense these things. My Foster Mom was acting a little strange and I could not figure out why. My Foster Dad was working in his office for days on one of those computer things for hours and hours.
There were longer walks, more treats and lots and lots of hugs. Now, don't get me wrong, all those things were amazing and well-deserved as I am the most amazing dog. But things were just a little unusual.
It has been over 3 months since my human went into his PTSD Program. I miss him but know he is working hard to get healthy and he knows how well my Foster Family is taking care of me.
I was incredibly lucky to have found my foster family. They treat me like a member of the family. We even go on trips to the pet store so I can pick up cool stuff.
This morning, we got up extra early to go for a walk. We went to my favorite places and I was having a blast checking out all my favorite spots. We were walking for a long time and I could feel sadness coming from my foster mom. I have been on ticks and fleas all day wondering if I had done something wrong or if there was something bad about to happen.
Later that afternoon there was a knock on the door and my Foster Dad came rushing out of his office to answer the door. I went to the door with him and see the nice Rescue lady again with her camera pointed at my face. So rude! I looked past the lady and saw some guy standing by her car. He looks oddly familiar, but I was not sure who he was or why he was there.
The lady calls me outside and then it hits me. It's my dad! I cannot put it into words what I was thinking at this point, so I added in the video the rescue lady took.
I just could not believe he was home! I could not believe he didn't forget about me. I was just so happy.
I honestly don't know how long I was out there with my dad before we went into the house. I can tell you my tail hurt from wagging so hard.
We talked for a few minutes, but if you remember, my human is not much of a talker, but today he was talking a lot for him. After a while we started collecting all my stuff, I had collected over 3 months and we were all saying our thanks. My Foster Dad disappeared and came back with a package for my real dad.
It was a framed picture of me in the coat I had been given a month earlier. Now I know what my Foster Dad had been working on in his office for the last couple of days.
My human got very quiet and kept wiping his eyes for some reason. Very odd. I think he liked the present. I personally thought it was very cool. I looked amazing in the photo.
Here is what it looks like.
It was time to go and I was excited to leave with my dad, but suddenly realized I would be leaving the people who took such good care of me for all those months.
I could tell they were happy for me but they were sad I was leaving. Afterall, I am just the best looking and most well-behaved dog you have ever seen. There were hugs and extra pets all around. And off to the car we went for the ride home.
I heard the rescue lady ask my Foster Dad about his experience with fostering and this is what he said, "I feel we got more out of fostering a dog than we put into it. Many people were thanking us for what we were doing but didn't recognize the benefits we received from our dog. It was not work or a chore; he was wonderful and a pure delight to have around. I look forward to my next foster dog".
This was an incredible experience all around. Fostering is an important part of every Rescue organization. In our case, it’s even more important as the veterans who need a place to house their animals while they receive the medical attention, they need is extremely stressful. Sometimes they put off getting that help because they don’t have someone who can care for their pet. Knowing their companion is being well cared for aids in their recovery.
If you are interested in hearing more about the program or becoming a temporary foster, email starsandstripesrescue@gmail.com. If you cannot foster but wish to support us in other ways, check out our Support Us tab on our website.
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