Jesus, he's like a gremlin. Comes with instructions and shit.

Today's title-quote courtesy of The Hangover

This foster has had quite a rocky start. Don't get me wrong, he's adorable, super sweet, and he and my dog actually get along! (She can be territorial, so I was a little concerned.)

I was getting ready for class yesterday when my boss told me our fosters had arrived (she's taking care of a shy Blue Heeler mix she calls Denver, and mine looks like a slightly larger black American Eskimo Dog). She said they were both sweet but that mine had opened his stitches where he was VERY recently neutered and had caused an infection.

My boyfriend and I ran him to the vet that afternoon and they instructed us to wash... you know... it every day and give him pills twice a day. Great! I've never even owned a male dog before, and now I have to pay special attention to... blech. Plus, this little booger does NOT enjoy taking pills. It took us half an hour yesterday to shove his antibiotic down his throat. (Apparently, he's too good for peanut butter and baby food.)

Photo taken from this site

He has to wear a huge cone on his head. The problem is he likes to be right under your feet; I swear I'm going to have cone shaped bruises from all the times he has rammed into me. The cone also confused the heck out of my dog. It took her until this morning to realize he was a real dog. At first she was avoiding him, but now she wants to play. I'm just glad she's gotten more gentle as she's matured. They were supposed to be closer to the same size, but he turned out smaller than expected.

This one's actually my picture, shocking, eh? Link at his finest!

I knew I was taking in a heartworm positive dog, but didn't expect an infection as well. Unfortunately I promised my boyfriend if this foster didn't go absolutely well, I wouldn't do it again, and so far, this is not going as well as planned. But you know, he's going to be so worth it. This little guy is something special; if I didn't already have Lana I'm sure I'd keep him. We have a lot to do while he's in my care - heartworm treatment, getting rid of his infection, and some much needed training. I don't know how I'm going to fit it all in, but I will.

Wish me luck,
Kayla, Lana, and Link

Don't you want to take a leap of faith?

A quote from one of my absolute favorite movies, Inception.

Subtle advertisement for Inception

I find this quote especially fitting today because I have officially taken a huge leap of faith. It is something I have wanted to do for a long time, but I do not have support from the people I love most. Conundrums like this are not easy to overcome. However, there are so many worse things than fostering a dog. I could be broke, pregnant, or tattooed, and I'm worried my mother will be upset that I'm helping to save a life. Yes, my apartment is small, but Lana and I will make room for another; as long as there is room in your heart, you know what you have to do.

The foster, who I've decided to call "Link" (from Zelda, of course), will only be with me for about a month while he goes through heartworm treatment. After that, he will be transported up to Brooklyn to find a nice, Northern family. I haven't even met him yet and I know it's going to break my heart to give him away, but so far, I'm really happy with my decision. In fact, as I was writing this article, my boss called to let me know our fosters would arrive this afternoon.

Link and his pretty horse - coughOcarinaOfTimeIsTheBestcough

I will meet Link after class, and I couldn't be more excited. Hormones are admittedly playing a role in this, but my eyes are watering and I swear my headache is gone (oh right, I took an aspirin). I bet Karma acted as a catalyst.

Much love,
Kayla and Lana (and soon to be Link)