By: MMDR and Elyse M (with a special note from Foxy's buddy Alec)
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| The gorgeous Foxy |
By: Elyse M
I recently
moved to Manitoba from Ontario with my little dog Riley in tow. It was her
first time living without another dog, and it was immediately apparent to me,
as she lost her appetite and spark, that she needed a buddy. I couldn’t commit to another full-time dog,
but I thought I’d give fostering a try.
I got an
email from Manitoba Mutts on the day before my Fostering 101 session, asking me
if I’d be able to pick up a dog after the meeting. She’d just been spayed, and
she needed a place to recover. Thrilled, I said yes.
I picked up
Foxy on a Thursday night. She was the sweetest little thing, still dopey from
her medication, but not too dopey to give me a little tail wag and a lick on
the hand. When we got home, I rounded up my dog and my roommate, and the four
of us went on a walk to get acquainted (just a short one – Foxy was still out
of it!).
Having
never fostered before (or even adopted a dog) I was worried I’d end up with a
hyper dog with a lot of behavioural issues. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Foxy is so laid back and friendly, she’s
smart, and her manners are fantastic. She is even ringing a bell at the front
door to let me know when she needs to go out.
Foxy is honestly
the sweetest girl I have ever met. When
she first got here, she was sore and uncertain. She cowered at loud noises, and
barked or growled at new, hyper dogs. Now, she stands her ground, and meets new
dogs cautiously, but calmly. She’s still not sure how to play with toys, but
today, for the first time, we had a game of tug-of-war. It made me a little
emotional to see this sweet dog, who after more than a year of life, is finally
learning to have fun.
Foxy’s got
so many great qualities. She loves to follow me from room to room, and as soon
as I look at her, she rolls onto her back for tummy rubs. She spends a lot of
her time taking naps behind the couch. I always know where she is though,
because her snores give her away.
When I get
home, Foxy is always thrilled to see me. She makes little grunts and groans,
and wags her bum so hard she’ll sometimes fall over from the force of her
happiness! She has made friends with half of the neighbourhood, and our morning
walks are punctuated with stops for pets and treats. No one can believe that I’m fostering her –
her manners are “too good!”
She’s also
a brave protector: one night as we were walking, a jackrabbit ran right at us,
only swerving at the last minute. Foxy
looked up from the leaf she was smelling, looked over her shoulder at the
rabbit, and then looked to me as if to say, “Huh. That was weird.” She then
went back to sniffing the ground. I’ve never felt so safe!
I can’t
wait for Foxy to find her forever home. It will be sad to see her go, but I
know that whoever adopts her is going to have the sweetest, most loving companion
they could ever hope for. She’s still a little shy, but I know that whatever
love you give her, she will return a thousandfold.
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| Foxy waited a surprisingly long time for her furever home! |
When Elyse first wrote Foxy's blog post, she included a very special letter for us, from Foxy's great friend Alec, who is a young student in Elyse's classroom. Foxy and Alec spent some very fun time together, so Alec wanted to help Foxy find her furever home.
By: Alec
Foxy is a nice dog fostered by Ms. Malcolm. Foxy was
the greatest dog in history. She knows how to behave.
She had a pregnant early. And now, she got spayed.
Foxy knows how to sit, lie down, and play with a toy. She plays really well. Foxy
listened to Ms. Malcolm and she knows about the right thing.
By September, I’m here to look after Ms. Malcom’s
dogs. Foxy listened carefully. We walked around the neighbourhood and she’s
good on the walks. She never barks at all and they didn’t wanted to go near any
other dogs. Foxy had a rest now while I can tell her the stories about
different things.
Later, I played with her. Foxy is really good. Ms.
Malcolm told her, “Go see him!” Foxy played with a squeaky toy here. The best
thing that she didn’t bite me at all. I loved her because she licked me really
good. Later, she had a rest while I can
do my storytelling for practice.
After storytelling, I give Foxy hugs and she gave me a
kisses like a good dog.
You should take Foxy home and have a new family. She’s
not homesick because she’s having a great start. I love her and good luck Foxy!
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| Foxy the Hero, Vanquisher of Coyotes, takes a nap. |
Then, on Sunday, we were all stunned to hear this incredible story from Foxy's foster mom. (We all also expected an instant foster fail... but Elyse stayed strong and waited for Foxy's perfect new family to come along).
Breaking news: basically Foxy is a hero.
I was out walking the dogs and took a detour along a path that cuts through a field. Riley, my 10 lb dog, was off-leash and frolicking through the grass, and Foxy was acting really weird. Fur all bunched out, tail straight up, ears up. Riley jumped into the really long grass just off the path, and Foxy goes insane. She dragged me halfway into the bushes, barking her head off. Riley comes flying out of the grass, and there's a ton of crashing. Five seconds later, from about 30 feet from where I'm hauling a snarling Foxy back out of the bushes, there's about 3-5 coyote-sounding howls. Which is about the time I booked it back home.
So basically Foxy saved her foster sister from a gang of coyotes. Insane!!! (Also, I have learned that strolling through a field at night is not the best plan.)
I was out walking the dogs and took a detour along a path that cuts through a field. Riley, my 10 lb dog, was off-leash and frolicking through the grass, and Foxy was acting really weird. Fur all bunched out, tail straight up, ears up. Riley jumped into the really long grass just off the path, and Foxy goes insane. She dragged me halfway into the bushes, barking her head off. Riley comes flying out of the grass, and there's a ton of crashing. Five seconds later, from about 30 feet from where I'm hauling a snarling Foxy back out of the bushes, there's about 3-5 coyote-sounding howls. Which is about the time I booked it back home.
So basically Foxy saved her foster sister from a gang of coyotes. Insane!!! (Also, I have learned that strolling through a field at night is not the best plan.)
Foxy, all of us at MMDR wish you and your new family the best, happiest life ever. Be happy, special girl! You are incredible!
