The poem below was originally posted on the PAWS’ website, but it was so touching that I just felt the need to use it as the centerpiece for this month’s post. I am not a poet by any means but as a fellow dog foster, I wanted to expand on my thoughts and how this poem really resonated in me.
A Poem to My Foster Dog
I am the bridge
Between what was and what can be.
I am the pathway to a new life.
I am made of mush,
Because my heart melted when I saw you,
Matted and sore, limping, depressed,
Lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.
For a little time you are mine.
I will feed you with my own hand.
I will love you with my whole heart.
I will make you whole.
I am made of steel.
Because when the time comes,
When you are well, and sleek,
When your eyes shine,
And your tail wags with joy,
Then comes the hard part.
I will let you go–not without a tear,
But without a regret.
For you are safe forever–
A new dog needs me now.
by Diane Morgan
I am the bridge between what was and what can be. We are the bridge, the connecting, transitional, or intermediate route to get you where you need to be. The one final step towards a forever and loving home.
I am made of mush. We immediately loved you when you limped due to an injury no one took care of; when you hid under a table every time someone walked into the room; when you shied away from us when we tried to show you affection. All when no one else would.
I will make you whole. We will be the crutch for your injured leg. We will be patient with you until you become comfortable around people. We will love you and teach you that you are now part of a family and it is okay to love back.
I am made of steel. We will celebrate with you when you don’t run for the bedroom every time someone is at the door. We will continue to work with you when you still have accidents in the house. We will point you in the right direction when you want to run back and hide. We will watch as you now become a loved family member to someone else.
I will let you go. We will miss you. We will add your photos to our “foster” album. We will wonder out loud to ourselves how you are doing weeks after you’ve been gone. We will look back on your pictures and joke about the time you chewed up a pair of slippers or how oddly quiet our house is now.
A new dog needs me now. We will say “so long” to you and “hello” to another poor soul. We will love them no more or no less than you. We will have our share of frustration and jubilation as he/she makes the same mistakes you did. And soon, their picture will be in the photo album right next to yours.
You will move on and may forget about us, but we will never forget about you.
SNAP helps families throughout the area by hosting low cost spay/neuter clinics several times a year and providing vouchers so that families can get their pets spayed or neutered at their local Centre County veterinarian or at the Allegheny Spay/Neuter Clinic in Clearfield. Households can request up to six vouchers a year.
PAWS is proud to say that its SNAP voucher program has helped spay/neuter 372 animals this year (as of the end of September). Compare that to the 301 animals the program helped during all of 2009!
Getting animals spayed and neutered is so important to PAWS. It is actually part of our mission statement, which reads “reduce companion animal overpopulation through spay/neuter programs and education.” The end result is that we want to reduce the number of homeless animals in the area.
You may not realize how many animals need loving homes across Centre County. Every summer, PAWS becomes filled with kittens born to unfixed moms.
Think also of all the stray and feral cats running around, as well as barn cats that have taken up residence on many of the region’s farms. Remember, these cats are generally not regarded as true pets and will not get the full medical attention that household pets will.
These barn cats are among the many looking for a true home.
PAWS, as a non-kill shelter, welcomes as many homeless animals as we can handle. Unfortunately, the ASPCA stated that millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays each year.
So please consider giving a donation and helping the PAWS SNAP program remain successful. Even a small donation can go along way! Consider this, there are over 900 fans on the PAWS Facebook page. If every one of those fans donated 20 dollars to PAWS, that would amount to a wonderful $18,000.
You can click here for more information on how to donate. If you can donate to our SNAP program, PAWS thanks you in advance!!
Presenting, Useful Dog Tricks!! Whoever said tricks can’t be useful? Jesse loves helping around the house, and I just love his happy attitude and smile on his face =o)
Jesse is trained using exclusively Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Training. All training has been done by me, and we love learning together as a team.
Jesse chooses to do the behaviors in this video, and has so much fun bringing smiles to people’s faces. He gets treats for doing his tricks, and enjoys learning new things. Tricks are just one of the activities we enjoy doing together. When not doing tricks, Jesse can be found playing with his cuz ball, chasing squeaker tennis balls, digging in search for lizards, de-fluffing stuffed toys, swimming, and a companioning me on outings. Jesse loves adventure, and lives each and every day to its fullest. Jesse is my best friend, heart dog, and truly a member of the family, and I love him with every beat of my heart. ~Heather and Jesse~
Wanna learn more about Clicker Training? Check out Karen Pryor’s website at: http://www.clickertraining.com to get started.
Centre County Paws 