APRIL - Mom to Beau, Nike and Logan
I didn't have a dog. I didn't need a dog. I didn't really even like dogs, but my son wanted a puppy. My son had just come home from an awful experience serving as a Marine in Iraq. All he wanted was a boxer puppy. I caved, and we went in search of a "brindle boxer boy I'll name Beau" he said. Well we found him, and Beau and my son had a wonderful summer. Then my son got orders to go back to Iraq again. What was I gonna do? Knowing I was going to have a boxer at my house, without my son to play with him and wear him out, I decided to sign up for training. Beau and I started going to training every Saturday (and it continued for years.) Anyway, when my son got back the second time, he said "there's something wrong with the dog." I said "What's wrong with Beau?" in a panicked voice. He said "He likes you more than me. He's not really my dog anymore, is he?" I said "No, he really isn't." And Beau became my dog and my son was actually happy for me.
A few years later, my daughter's dogs stayed with me for a few weeks, and suddenly I realized my Beau needed a dog?! So, we started looking again, and I found the Legacy website. I filled out an application to adopt, but before my home visit was scheduled, I found the "boxers in need" page. So, I filled out the foster application thinking that I would try fostering to see how Beau would do with another boxer. Well, I got my first foster, Tanner, right away. He was a wonderful young pup, and my Beau had so much fun with him, that the fostering continued. I ultimately found Beau a permanent sister, and ended up adopting my last foster. So, my house is quite busy with three boxers that are the joy of my life. There's nothing like the pure joy of a boxer.
Knowing how great fostering is, I joined the foster home committee and help others who want to get into fostering. Fostering is heartbreaking, exhausting, thrilling, happy, sad, tragic, miraculous and overall a great way of life. Saving a boxer one at a time is a great thing to do. Hope you will think about it.
LBR Involvement:
- Foster Home
- Foster Home Committee
LBR Honor: Volunteer of the Month, August, 2008
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