Forever fosters
From time to time we become responsible for dogs with medical issues or special circumstances for which they are best suited to remain in care with a foster family. In these cases, this means ongoing care, veterinary visits, special dietary needs along with the joys of providing love for a foster pup. Alberta Homeward Hound Rescue Bureau relies solely on donations and fundraising.
Your generosity goes a long way for all our rescues, whether they're forever fosters or adoptable pups. We are pleased to introduce our forever fosters:
Your generosity goes a long way for all our rescues, whether they're forever fosters or adoptable pups. We are pleased to introduce our forever fosters:
Supporting Forever Fosters is a collective effort. To sustain the well-being of these special canines, we rely on the generosity of the general public and businesses. Your donations contribute to their care, covering expenses like food, medical treatments, and rehabilitation efforts. By sponsoring Forever Fosters, you play a vital role in ensuring these animals receive the support they need to lead comfortable and fulfilling lives.
Through CanadaHelps you can easily choose the monetary amount to donate as a one time or monthly donation and receive an instant tax receipt. Listed below are the monthly expenses that each forever foster requires. We could not do this without the amazing dog loving community members like you. If you are able to donate monthly, please use the link below.
CRA Registered. 771184900RR0001
Oscar's Needs
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OSCAR
When we first saw Oscar, the senior bulldog, was looking for a foster home, we jumped on the opportunity, thinking he would be a perfect fit for us since we had lost our senior dog a year before. We brought him home expecting all to go well, but within minutes of him being at our home, we came to the conclusion that he probably wouldn't be able to stay. He and our 16-year-old cat did NOT get along. We agreed to keep Oscar until another suitable foster family with no pets came up. During this stressful time, there were a lot of tears, a lot of heart-to-heart talks with Oscar to get along with the cat, and lots of calls and texts from numerous people at AHHRB guiding us through. We wanted Oscar to feel unconditional love when he needed it the most so we worked very hard with him and are happy to say that the cat and him are now best friends. We have since introduced Oscar to our Grandpuppy Benson, a three-year-old Cockapoo, and after a week, they are also now friends. Oscar is 50 lbs of love; he is happiest when snuggling his mom and dad on the heated blanket or following us around the house. He is full of personality and wants love, attention, and food. Oscar takes his daily meds like a champ, and even though Oscar has allergies that cause skin conditions and ear infections, he is still a happy-go-lucky boy. Oscar will know love and protection for the rest of his days with us, and our hearts couldn't be more thankful that he will be our forever foster. |
Davey's Needs
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DAVEY
Davey has made huge strides (and sometimes small and tentative ones, and the occasional step backwards) since he came to us six months ago. He has gone from huddling and hiding his face in the back of his kennel to cautiously greeting strangers with a sniff, accepting pets from his foster family, offering a paw in exchange for a treat, and even cuddling sometimes (as long as he can do it on his own terms). He is a very smart boy and learns quickly, but learning to trust hasn’t been easy for him, and he still works at it every day. With care from Summerside Veterinary Hospital, his inflamed eyes and the sores on his nose have healed up wonderfully, which is especially good because now that he is gaining the confidence to start exploring and investigating, it’s important to have a healthy nose to stick into all kinds of interesting things! Baths, kisses on the head, and going out for walks are still some way down the road, but we are confident he will get there, and that someday his foster brothers will succeed in getting him to play. In the meantime, David enjoys ear scratches, hot dogs, and burrowing under blankets, and he even has a job at Little Blue Fibre Studio as a greeter!
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Diamond's Needs
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DIAMOND
Hello Everyone, allow me to introduce myself, I am Diamond, and while I may not win any fetch awards, if there was an award for mad snuggling skills I’d definitely be the winner! I love a walk but a night of snacks, snuggles and sitcoms is really more my thing as this cool weather really makes my arthritis very painful! That’s right, my poor old hips and legs aren’t what they used to be - I guess that’s what happens when you’re 12-years old. I’m old, but certainly not short on enthusiasm; I’m super enthusiastic for meals, snacks, cuddles, playtime… sorry, I lost my train of thought - right, old, bad hips and legs, but otherwise full of life! I was so very sad when my best friend died and I didn’t know where I would live, but very happily AHHRB found me a place to stay; and even though I heard ‘foster’, I sure feel the love, and the Foodlady keeps making sure I know I can stay forever - so that’s awesome! Oh, and I have a buddy, I’ve never had a dog buddy before! We love to hang out on the back of the couch together! AHHRB also make sure that Foodlady takes me to the vet each month to get a special shot to help with the terrible arthritis pain but it’s quite expensive! I’m not a huge fan of the shot but I don’t fuss cuz I know it helps.
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Gus' Needs
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GUS
Gus. Goose. Gustavo. My big handsome boy. He is the whirlwind we've been waiting for but didn't realize it. Gus is the sweetest and most beautiful boy I have ever met, he instantly stole my (and my families) heart(s). How could he not? He gives the best kisses, the coziest 100lb snuggs, gallops like a deer, his jump vert is unmatched (it is the funniest thing I have ever seen), and his tail never stops, and will do ANYTHING for a lung treat. This boy is my shadow and has made my life infinitely better in the short time he has been with us. I couldn't imagine a world without him. Thankfully, I don't have to |
Butters' Needs
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BUTTERS
I first came across Butters while I was sitting in my living room mindlessly scrolling Instagram, as I so often do in my evenings. I opened a message from my friend Nolan who told me that Alberta Homeward Hound had recently rescued a French bulldog who was unable to walk. They needed a foster home for him urgently. As with most rescues, they are strapped for resources and there are simply too many dogs to save with not enough homes to accommodate them. I have always had a soft spot for pups in need. My first dog, who I often joke is my biological daughter, is a “foster failure." I first took her in so she could recover from the loss of her left eye following a dog attack. She’s been my constant companion, cycling buddy, snuggle bug and best friend ever since. Once I heard about the Frenchie who couldn’t walk, I knew if he still needed a home, we’d take him into ours. After some chatting with Krista, the president of AHHRB, we decided I’d pick up our new Frenchie house guest from his vet appointment the following day. I still recall the words she said to me on the phone as I walked home on my afternoon commute: “tomorrow you’ll meet your new son!”. |
While I was determined to resist falling in love with this new house guest, I should have known Butters would make that very difficult. Once I arrived at the vet clinic, it became clear that Butters had been neglected and abused. His legs were covered in soars from constantly urinating on himself then dragging his legs through it. His ears had not been cleaned in so long that the hair on them was ragged and tough, much unlike the velvet ears characteristic of frenchies. I also learned that in addition to his back legs not working, he was completely incontinent. He had no feeling from his last rib down.
The first thing he did when he met me was pee directly on me. I’m still not sure if this was due to excitement, stress, or just showing me what to expect from him in the coming weeks. The vet tech showed me how to express his bladder (It’s kind of like milking a cow), and we were on our way. In true Butters fashion, the second thing he did in our first hour together was release a large, potent stress poop on my hands, jeans, and lap. I eventually recovered from the stink of that, but my jeans never did. It was simply best to burn them. Once we arrived home ( a tiny one-bedroom apartment), it became clear that Butters and Daisy were not going to be fast friends. His first act of defiance against his new foster sister was to growl at her and wobble away with one of her toys in his mouth like a prize. After a couple more rounds of running around in the house with her toys while he sprayed pee like a fire-hydrant, he settled in for bed. The following weeks progressed in a similar way:
Today, Butters is working on what I term his “wobble walk”. He has more determination and mental strength than most human adults I know. Although his physical progress comes slowly, sometimes I think back to the sore covered, defeated dog I met for the first-time months ago. He is not a perfect walker yet, and never will be, but I know he is no longer the fearful, sad dog I met in that clinic. He knows he is loved, fed (possibly too much sometimes), and can trust the people around him again. Butters has been neglected and abused by humans for years. Much of his behaviour that us humans see as undesirable stems from these years of abuse. Despite all the cruelty and abuse he’s endured, Butters has an immediately lovable personality, is infectiously happy, and has never failed to make anyone he meets crack a huge smile. You are likely familiar with the old adage your boomer relative has likely posted on Facebook: “Who rescued who?”. I don’t think Butters rescued us, but I do think caring for him has been an exercise in love, patience, humour, and sometimes how to get pee out of a carpet. Through his physical therapy, consistent love, and a lot of new toys, he’s gained a new confidence that comes out more every day. We are still working together on how to be the best family for him, but now he approaches life knowing his mom and sister have his back (sometime, literally).
The first thing he did when he met me was pee directly on me. I’m still not sure if this was due to excitement, stress, or just showing me what to expect from him in the coming weeks. The vet tech showed me how to express his bladder (It’s kind of like milking a cow), and we were on our way. In true Butters fashion, the second thing he did in our first hour together was release a large, potent stress poop on my hands, jeans, and lap. I eventually recovered from the stink of that, but my jeans never did. It was simply best to burn them. Once we arrived home ( a tiny one-bedroom apartment), it became clear that Butters and Daisy were not going to be fast friends. His first act of defiance against his new foster sister was to growl at her and wobble away with one of her toys in his mouth like a prize. After a couple more rounds of running around in the house with her toys while he sprayed pee like a fire-hydrant, he settled in for bed. The following weeks progressed in a similar way:
- Step 1 Wake up at 4 am sharp ( Butters is on the schedule of a military drill Sargent)
- Step 2: release Butters from his kennel, try to catch him as he runs around the apartment spraying pee and holding the diaper he’d escaped from during the night
- Step 3: Walk, feed, and kiss the pups before I left for work.
- Step 4: come home to the sound of Daisy squealing with delight to see me, and Butters making noises like that you might hear in an exorcism.
Today, Butters is working on what I term his “wobble walk”. He has more determination and mental strength than most human adults I know. Although his physical progress comes slowly, sometimes I think back to the sore covered, defeated dog I met for the first-time months ago. He is not a perfect walker yet, and never will be, but I know he is no longer the fearful, sad dog I met in that clinic. He knows he is loved, fed (possibly too much sometimes), and can trust the people around him again. Butters has been neglected and abused by humans for years. Much of his behaviour that us humans see as undesirable stems from these years of abuse. Despite all the cruelty and abuse he’s endured, Butters has an immediately lovable personality, is infectiously happy, and has never failed to make anyone he meets crack a huge smile. You are likely familiar with the old adage your boomer relative has likely posted on Facebook: “Who rescued who?”. I don’t think Butters rescued us, but I do think caring for him has been an exercise in love, patience, humour, and sometimes how to get pee out of a carpet. Through his physical therapy, consistent love, and a lot of new toys, he’s gained a new confidence that comes out more every day. We are still working together on how to be the best family for him, but now he approaches life knowing his mom and sister have his back (sometime, literally).
Asher's Needs:
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ASHER
Silly, goofy, lovable couch potato. Asher was found dumped after he was supposedly given to someone else by his previous "owner". This sweet boy was placed in a foster home and it was simply not the proper environment for him to heal in. He was having big feelings and deemed " a danger to the public". This couldn't have been further from the truth. He was returned to bylaw with no place to go and was so close to having his life taken away. Asher was dropped off at my dog boarding facility to give him a second chance in life. He was loopy from his current medications and a bit wary at first but with modifications to his meds, some love and patience this boy has flourished with so much potential to becoming a great companion. From a pup that didn't seem to know what true affection was and wasn't sure what to do with a toy is now seeking out pets, cuddles and engaging in fetch, tug, keep away and will even rough house from time to time. |
He loves long line walk in secluded areas, watching squirrels and is always up for a good peanut butter kong or lick mat. He also loves sniffing for treats in the grass and treats puzzles.
Asher has a bit of a road ahead of him to gain some extra confidence out in the big world and learn how to trust more people but I have no doubt he will be able to find the perfect family for him down the line and those people will have hit the jackpot.
Asher has a bit of a road ahead of him to gain some extra confidence out in the big world and learn how to trust more people but I have no doubt he will be able to find the perfect family for him down the line and those people will have hit the jackpot.