We had been fostering for MABTR for a couple of years. We had 3 resident dogs and felt the calling to open our hearts and home to these homeless dogs to give them the best chance at a great life. We were NOT looking to adopt a 4th!
But then on March 1, 2017 the call came in…one of our adoptees was not adjusting well to his new home. It just wasn’t a good fit and he needed to be removed immediately. I left work to pick him up. I met his new mom, who tearfully handed him over. She said “He’s a good boy, but my other dog just doesn’t like him.” I assured her she was doing the right thing, that I would take good care of him and find him another great home.
I took him home and he was, in fact, a really good boy! He was 10 years old. Butch had lived his life with a family that really loved him and trained him well. For unknown reasons, he found himself in a rescue. I thought to myself “This will be an easy placement!” and I went to work looking through applications. I found him a good home almost right away. The day before he was supposed to leave, the potential adopter sent me an email backing out. Ok…moving on to the next application. We found an older couple who was ready to adopt an older dog. We started the process and then a few days before he was ready to go, they had to back out, too.
By this time, Butch had been with us nearly a month and he followed my husband everywhere. They went on Saturday excursions in the truck, they chopped wood together, they even rode on the 4 wheeler together. After some soul searching, we decided Butch had found his new home…but unfortunately, with that came the heartbreaking decision to stop fostering. He completed our family…we now had 2 boys and 2 girls and they are the Fab Four.
Butch is nearly 15 now, has arthritis and has lost his hearing. But he still likes to go on Saturday excursions with my husband, followed by a nice nap in front of the fireplace. He’s still a good boy and a perfect fit for our family. – Sarah S
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