My daughter and her boyfriend share a love of dogs. Like, they
really love dogs. Their newest adventure is fostering dogs who for one reason or another have become homeless. This involves a pretty intense bathing and grooming session when they first pick up the dog, and taking the dog to adoption fairs every Saturday in the hope of finding him or her a good home. Their first foster dog is a five-year-old charcoal gray Weimaraner named Jersey Girl, whose personality is chilled out and unbothered. She has a kind of seen-it-all-so-why-get-worked-up demeanor that has won her foster people's hearts. She's become very attached to them as well, especially to my daughter, who I'm told she follows to the bathroom and sits serenely outside the door till she reemerges. To be a dog in that household is to be cared for, played with, and cuddled non stop, so I feel a little sorry for the dogs who may think they've landed in a good situation, only to have to move on again—hopefully to another good and loving household. The photo is of Jersey Girl on the day she arrived, when she was still taking stock of her new surroundings.
This does seem to be a conundrum, doesn't it? Perhaps this is another reason I can't commit to any more dogs- the emotional needs are more than I can handle at this point in my life. Looking into that photo makes me feel more aware than ever that this is true. The yearning there, the almost pleading breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteA fine double portrait showing the gradual return of trust that grows from love. My sister who lives in Gulfport, Mississippi, loves dogs and loves doing the service that your daughter and her boyfriend are doing so well.
ReplyDeleteWeimaraners have always made me laugh. Too many years of watching Sesame Street with Weimaraners with human hands.
ReplyDeleteYour girl’s huge heart shines.
I, too, am a lover of dogs and love what your wonderful daughter and her boyfriend are doing. Jersey Girl is beautiful. Just maybe, if she continues to charm them as she appears to have done, she will find she has her forever home already!
ReplyDeleteI hope that beautiful dog finds a great new home.
ReplyDeleteI want Jersey Girl. She's beautiful but I don't think I could do what your daughter does, to love a dog and then pass her along to another family would be too hard for me but I am very thankful there are those who can do this. Our Miss Lucy is a rescue from Newfoundland, a hunting dog that was no longer useful to the hunters. She's happy here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful picture! All I can say is "Oh, boy" as far as fostering. It must be so, so hard to do it.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love dogs, I'm not sure I could foster them. I think it would be too hard to form that relationship knowing it's only temporary (and knowing the dog DOESN'T know that it's temporary). It takes a special person, so bravo to your daughter and her boyfriend!
ReplyDeleteI so admire your daughter and her love for doing this hard work of fostering. I also always worry about dogs and their tender hearts and how they trust and love.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that breed of dog is beautiful, especially with their subtle range of colors. How brave of your daughter to foster dogs, the brave part is giving them up. It is important to help the dogs in need.
ReplyDeleteMy man comes from a dog family, always several dogs, cousins, uncles, sisters, everybody has dogs, rescues dogs, thoroughbreds, any.
ReplyDeleteOne of my most favourite pictures from my daughter's childhood is her asleep between three Golden Retriever puppies.
This love of dogs, love of animals, it shapes people, it opens their hearts.
I would take Jersey Girl in a heart beat.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is very brave, in that giving up a foster pooch would be the most difficult thing to do. I could not. That is one beautiful pooch!
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