Six weeks ago I was supposed to foster a little black pit bull named Lilly who needed out of the shelter. However, due to events I had nothing to do with, I was asked to foster this little brindle and white pittie named Fiona. Before I knew Fiona was to become my roommate for a spell, I had seen her picture and thought, "Huh. I want that dog."
It was just a brief thought. Nothing unusual. But one of those writers in the sky must of heard it, jotted it down, and henceforth created a spec script of what happens next.
Two weeks. That was all it was supposed to be. This was a sitcom, not a mini-series. But I guess Fiona (who I renamed Tia) was just too grand of a character to let go of. Her guest appearances were so loved and adored that the studio decided to give her a contract. Oh, sure, they say they tried to write her out of the story, but it just wouldn't happen.
To recap: At the end of her two week run, Kelly, a foster in Ventura would take her if I could take the dog she had, but Tia couldn't leave immediately because she just had had surgery and couldn't be around other dogs for ten days. I also couldn't take another dog as the point was for me to not be fostering at all. So the negotiations were called off, and I said I'd keep Tia another ten days and then she could go to Kelly.
After those ten days were up, another foster became available, and was going to tag in, but then decided otherwise at the last minute. A possibility of her being adopted was out there for a brief moment, but that too, fell through. Initially she was going to go to a rescue in Oregon, and I had taken her in because she was waiting for a transport. But it didn't appear to me that a transport was in the near future, as we all thought such a sweet girl would get a home quickly. Well, no one informed the writer in the sky that we'd appreciate seeing that episode.
Two weeks ago I was offered a one day job, and not being able to find a temp foster for her around town, and her not having a vaccine she needed to be put into Los Angeles doggie daycare, Kathleen was going to have Kelly foster; and keep her for good, making the official transition. However, another plot twist: Kelly threw her back out and needed time to recuperate. The only place they could get to take Tia was in Ventura (sixty miles away), but they weren't just kennels. They allowed the dogs in the play yards for a few hours every day. I liked the concept, and I needed to work and take a day trip out of town anyway. So, I agreed, and Tia went on her own vacation for five days.
During the day, I didn't feel bad leaving Tia there since she would be with other dogs. I had experimented with taking her to the dog park a couple of times, and she had a blast. Why she allowed another dog to continually put her head in his mouth, I'll never know, but she did enjoy the company of the boys who doted on her and played with her.
At the boarding place, I even left her bed, a toy, and her food, so she didn't feel completely abandoned by me. She certainly didn't feel abandonded from what I saw; she didn't even have the courtesy to say good-bye. She simply allowed herself to be led out the backdoor to meet a bunch of other dogs in the play yard. I wondered when it was that she finally turned around and went, "Wait. Where did she go?"
I did feel bad at night, knowing that although she had her bed, it still was a kennel, in the dark, behind bars and on a concrete floor.
When I picked her back up last Friday, I could tell she hadn't had the worst time ever. I didn't get from her, "Thank goodness you're here! This place is awful!"
Instead, her frantic licking, jumping on me, accidentally punching me with her paws and knocking me in the gut with her head all in an attempt to express just how excited she was to see me again, I felt like she was saying, "Oh my God! You're back! You gotta come meet my new friends! This is so awesome! I get to have all this fun and now YOU'RE here too!!!"
In gathering her belongings, it was discovered that the toy I had left her with was now MIA.
"A lot of the dogs are thieves," the kennel worker told me.
However, seeing tiny pieces of it all over her bed, I suspected it wasn't stolen by a dog, but probably taken away by a kennel worker who didn't want her swallowing it.
I had wondered if she would remember me; clearly she did. I also wondered if she would remember the apartment, and how to be housebroken. Indeed she did remember the apartment. And in fact, the moment we walked in, she bounded over to the bowls of toys I have in the living room and began nosing through them. "Yay! My toys are still here! I'm so happy!"
Perhaps another dog did indeed steal her toy.
We settled back into our routine. After a month, it really is routine. However, she had clearly picked up some bad habits from the kids at camp. "Drop it" seems to have been checked out her library of understanding some time ago, but now when I went for her toy, she snapped at me--exactly what she would do to a dog. Re-training her to realize I am a human, and not a dog, was going to take time.
Monday morning Kathleen called to tell me that Kelly was feeling better and I was free to bring Tia there whenever Kelly was available. I was happy that Tia could go to a foster home with other dogs; she really does love the company of canines. It was a long drive back to Ventura, but I'd do that, knowing Tia was in good hands and would be happy. We were all set to go; Friday at noon, Tia was going to officially become Kelly's foster dog.
Ah, but wait, the tale can't end there. I have this dog for six weeks, and then she just goes to another foster? Come on, there's no story in that.
"And that's what you've missed on Glee." (My life is definitely not a musical. But that does bring you up to date and ready for this week's episode.)
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