Kevin’s Story

So normally my foster dogs stay with me until they find a home, but sometimes circumstances require a switch. We had a foster who wanted a senior, and we have a dog in need of an experienced foster who needs a LOT of behavior help. Honey is now off to a new foster home and Kevin is with me. Kevin is one of our dogs that recently came from South Korea.

One picture was taken of him today in the shelter, cowering in the back of his crate. The other was taken a few minutes ago. He’s been in my house for a little under two hours. He watched me play some feeding games with my dogs (and ate two treats that I tossed into his crate). My dogs and I are now relaxing in the living room. He can see us from the kitchen, but we’re not bothering him, we’re not interacting with him. He’s casually watching us. Twice he’s stood up to come to the front of the crate and sniff the air, checking out the situation. He’s going to need a lot of time and patience, and I’m hoping that my dogs can work their magic and teach him how to dog properly. I’ll keep you all posted on his progress.

December 2nd, 2020

Kevin is starting to try being a little playful when he’s outside with the other dogs, which Simza is so excited about. She’s pretty sure all dogs should want to play with her.

I wish I knew what the scar on his nose was from. I wish he could tell me what his life has been like, and what things scare him most. I wish he understood my words when I tell him that he is safe. For now, I will just keep showing him that he is safe. I will let him learn that humans can be good, and living in a house is nice. And I will let my dogs tell him that I am okay.

December 13th, 2020

I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I can stand to foster, doesn’t it break my heart to give them up? Here’s the thing, I’ve fostered 17 animals this year, including Kevin. Each has had their own needs, whether it was bottle baby kittens, a cat with Feline Leukemia, a fearful dog, a dog who just needed to not be in the shelter, a sick kitten who wasn’t recovering in the shelter. If I kept the first one I fostered in January, what would have happened to all who came after? The truth is, some of them would still be living in the shelter, scared and unable to be handled. Some of them honestly probably would have died. This is what I do. I get them ready for forever. Yes, my fearful dogs and cats learn to trust me. No, I do not believe that sending them to a forever home breaks their trust. I take care to make sure that, once they’re somewhat comfortable with me, they start meeting other people, so that I am not the only human they know.

This is fostering. It saves lives. It gives my life purpose.

December 16th, 2020

December 19th, 2020

I spent a very long day outside shoveling, so now I’m getting some good dog snuggles in.

December 22nd, 2020

Apparently these kids think I need a good snuggle. Ava laid on me, Newt on her, Kevin on Newt.

December 23rd, 2020

December 25th, 2020

Snuggly boy.

Kevin says Christmas is exhausting. we didn’t even leave the house today, except for me to take pictures of the other three.

December 27th, 2020

Sleepy puppers.

Snuggly boy.

December 29th, 2020

Kevin would like to lodge a formal complaint that the other dogs are taking up too much space on the recliner.

January 3rd, 2020

Ava says “Mom, please make these gross boys get OFF my chair!”

January 5th, 2020

Well…they WERE all asleep, but I stood up, so now everyone is up, lol.

39 days Kevin has been with me. As of today, he is officially considered available for adoption. He still has things to learn, like basic obedience and how to be more confident away from home, but those are things he can learn with a forever human. He has come so far and I am so incredibly proud of him. From the terrified boy cowering in the back of a crate, unwilling to come out even to eat, to a playful goofball who loves a good cuddle. This is why fostering is so incredibly important, and I will always advocate for more people to do it. Fostering gave Kevin a chance, for the first time in his life, to live out of a cage. Fostering helped him learn to be a companion, rather than a feral dog in a cage. Fostering brought him to life.

I will miss him dearly when he finds someone to love him as much as I do, but I will let him go knowing I did my job, and that he’s ready to move on.

January 8th, 2021

Today was a bittersweet day. Kevin found his forever people. He took to them fairly quickly, especially for such a shy dog. He LOVED their dog and she loved him. He met the humans first, and once he seemed comfortable with them, we introduced him to his new sister, Sunny. Play bows and nose kisses all around. They spent almost 2 hours getting to know him and hearing about the things I’ve worked on with him, his story, his quirks. They could tell this one was hard for me, and they did their best to make both Kevin and I feel comfortable, to assure us both that this was the right fit. They promised to keep me posted on his progress so that I can keep all of you updated.

Saying goodbye is the most challenging part of fostering, especially with cases like this one. But as I’ve said so many times, I am the bridge to forever. I am here to teach trust and love. I pave the way to a better life. And then I let them go, to make room for the next lost soul who needs my help. Kevin, you are a very special boy and I will keep you in my heart forever. I look forward to seeing you live your best life.

I got this update from Kevin’s new mom tonight: Hi guys! Kevin has been doing well his first night home! We know he’s a little nervous, but he has been adjusting well! We have a crate set up for him, but he hasn’t been in it once! Right now, he’s sleeping next to my husband after our walk. He ate his dinner right up tonight! We decided to call him Sully!

My heart melted a little when I read it. I’m so happy for my boy.