Foster maltipoo Millie doesn’t like to crowd us on the bed, so she goes to the very edge and even stretches upside down, as seen here in these pictures. Even though she’s one of the tiniest dogs I’ve ever fostered (she’s mostly fur), she’s very agile, so she gets in and out of bed and jumps off and on like it’s nothing. I’ve got to take her to the vet soon to check out what’s going on with the growths in her ear. I’m hoping they are benign. We think she’s about five years old.

Meanwhile, the newest foster, cream-colored chihuahua Marshall, is acclimating well. He’s young, healthy, and looking for a permanent home. He’s shy at first, but incredibly affectionate once he trusts a person. He is already neutered and house-trained, and he has yet to bark once, so definitely not yappy! He gets along very well with other dogs, as you’ll see in the videos where he’s very playful.

Fosters Dolly and Marshall (who only recently met each other) start off wrestling in bed, and then Snoopy joins them….until someone yelps. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, my parents used to say.

Here are Snoopy and the three foster dogs resting in the backyard of the rental this morning.

We took in another very shy chihuahua (cream colored) named Marshall, who was not coping well with being in the shelter. He’s been painfully shy like Dolly was, but I don’t mind that he’s enjoying the freedom of the backyard a lot while we patiently get to know him. The dogs all get along with each other, and he’s going to hopefully trust Shea and me more to be affectionate soon, but at least for now, he’s curious and comfortable sleeping in doggie beds and enjoying the wonderful weather outside as much as he wants to. We had two pool days in Vallejo with the dearest of friends, catching up. This was last night, resting in the backyard of the rental (the house under renovation is getting closer and closer) with the five dogs, including the three fosters.

While we were at Lazybear we had a housesitter/dogsitter who took care of our fosters and our former foster who is now adopted, Perry!

When you see Dolly on the right, you can see why she reminded me of a certain Snoopy, who survived my house fire. When I saw her a few times at the shelter, it was a no-brainer when I was asked if I would consider taking her home for some rehabilitation as a foster dog. She’s been so wonderful and has flourished despite being surrendered to the Humane Society of the North Bay.

So there’s an update on the foster situation at our household. The puppies were a full-time job and full of love, but I could not work and take care of my own two dogs with everything they required. Shea worked very hard to keep up with their laundry needs, but we have too much going on for a young puppy schedule. They are back at the shelter, but other Board members and staff and I are working on better ways to get the puppies outdoor time that does not put them at any risk for Parvo while they await a second vaccination. The other good news is that someone is fostering their two brothers. I got to see them today, and they seemed to remember me. They are just as joyous as ever. If anyone has the time to foster ANY animals at the shelter, remember that HSNB will pay their medical bills, provide food and supplies, and there is no obligation if the animals don’t ultimately fit with your schedule or family.

Since I was at the shelter giving a tour to a prospective new board member of HSNB today anyway, I inquired about fostering any adult small dog that was not thriving. After a little time together, I brought home this little shy girl, Penny, who is super fond of Jake. I thought she looked uncannily like my Snoopy, at least until they were standing next to each other. She is opening up at her own pace, but was extremely nervous, kennelled with the other dogs at the shelter. I think she’ll do much better in a home situation again since she was surrendered. To my pleasant surprise, she jumped up on my lap within minutes of arriving at the house and stayed in place for at least a half hour. Hopefully Jake will come visit her soon, which I’m sure will thrill her as she adjusts.

We made it through the first night with our fosters. Here are more pictures and video of Bryce (brown) and Clark (gray) enjoying the lovely weather. Their two brothers, who remain in the shelter, are Denali and Bryce. The naming convention comes from national parks!

I’m fostering two of these four puppies. One of them needs medications for his injured eye and I asked to take the skinniest of them all (sometimes known as the “runt”). I wish we had other foster parents who might consider taking the two healthier puppies and/or interested parties who wish to foster to adopt all of them eventually. These dogs are not old enough to mingle with other dogs because they still await a second Parvo shot. It is important that they get some fresh air and exercise, which is much harder to do within the shelter, given all of the competing priorities.

The plan is to foster two of the four puppies that were recently brought to the HSNB shelter for a few months before we go on vacation and get ready for the big move back to the house under renovation. At that point they will be old enough to get their most important shots and can mingle with other dogs. Usually, I try to foster more special behavioral or physical needs dogs. The alternative for these guys would sadly be staying inside for the next few months without much exercise. This is not ideal for growing puppies, obviously.

I hope people remember that fostering is an option for cats and dogs to improve these animals’ lives and also assist local shelters from exhausting finite resources like we have at HSNB.