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Winston and Ivy Jane

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Finally a day when our normal behavior is acceptable! Happy #FatTuesday and #MardiGras from our setter fam 💜💚

“I’ve been in rescue for 20+ years. This is the type of home every rescuer and foster prays their dogs get.”⁣ ⁣ I read these words written by the home visit screener visiting Minnie’s future home today and I knew she would be OK. She was adopted today by a wonderful family in Louisiana who will give her the most beautiful life. They are so so so excited. ⁣ ⁣ A lot of people often say to me: “I could never foster. I could never give them up in the end.” I think it depends on your mindset. You say goodbye so you can save more lives. You can’t look at that farewell as a funeral but instead as a wedding. You’re bringing a new family together. ⁣ ⁣ I don’t know the details of when Minnie leaves us but I expect this weekend. Her new name will be Ginger – and her new momma has already created a Facebook page so we can keep up with her. I’ll share a link to it in my story.

A couple days ago I hung out with my Little I mentor. She’s 10. On the drive home, she asked me about my newest foster. I explained to her that Winston hurt her and she asked, “Are you sending him to the pound?”⁣ ⁣ No. Of course not, I told her. You make a commitment to your dog and you agree to a lifetime. ⁣ ⁣ I think we all hold the responsibility to change our societal behavior so this isn’t the first question asked by a child after any adversity with a dog.

Me by the end of the work week.

Minnie is the definition of #glowup. ⁣ ⁣ Because of all the chaos of the last week, I realized I didn’t have the chance to properly introduce our newest foster and talk about how everyone is doing. So guys, this is Minnie.⁣ ⁣ She’s an English Setter (her mom) and Irish Setter (her dad) mix, and around 9 weeks old. She came into @oesrsetterrescue with her seven siblings after an oops litter. Her siblings were split up into different foster homes around the country. ⁣ ⁣ They are all available for adoption. Yes, even Minnie. You can visit oesr.org to apply to adopt or apply to foster. The rescue desperately needs foster homes!⁣ ⁣ The first couple days were pretty traumatic for us all and she slept in my lap nearly the whole time. You can tell she’s feeling better because she’s the most playful, spunky creature. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, visit the post a few days ago.) She’s rocking potty training, loves food, loves running really fast, loves her foster momma’s lap, and sleeps great in the crate at night time. ⁣ ⁣ Winston is good. He’s returning to his playful self. We’re keeping him separate. Ivy goes out in the yard with Minnie each time and us girls all sit together on the couch. And mom, she’s OK too. ⁣ ⁣ I’ve had several people thank me for being open with sharing what happened. And I’ll say I honestly didn’t want to. My first instinct was to disappear. But if I’m not being transparent, it helps no one. And perhaps that’s why I took it all so hard, because I thought I was the only one who could let this happen. Which I’ve learned isn’t the case. This happens a lot. And together, we can learn.⁣ ⁣ Again I thank you for being such an amazing community. Really, the support here has been incredible. Do you have any other questions about Minnie and the gang? Ask below.

“Puppies are in the business of growing bones.”⁣ ⁣ Three vets in three different days and it was a variation of this sentence they kept repeating. I found comfort in it. I pictured an assembly line of little workers working round the clock. Nights, weekends, holidays. It reminded me that long before I came around, this was already her body’s intended purpose — grow, heal, survive. ⁣ ⁣ Yesterday we received the good news from an orthopedic surgeon that Minnie’s mouth is healing on its own without a surgery and no cone or tape muzzle needed. Or in other words, her bone growing business is booming.⁣ ⁣ Over the past few days, I’ve realized I’ve built a few bones, too. A foundation that holds me up that keeps me growing, healing, surviving just like Minnie’s. It’s you guys. ⁣ ⁣ You’re my backbone. I’ve received so many messages, texts, calls that I still haven’t made my through all of them yet. They were what kept me upright, kept me strong. In my darkest moments, some of you sent dog jokes and memes. You’re my funny bone. And through it all, you’ve shared only positive stories, hope, prayers, and well wishes. My wish bone. I sincerely thank each and every one of you for your kindness this week. You healed just as you were intended to.

I’ve been having a hard time writing this one. And if I didn’t have a hundred messages in my inbox asking how she is, I probably would go dormant for a few months. ⁣ ⁣ This morning Winston uncharacteristically went after Minnie and I’ve spent most of the day either crying in an emergency vet clinic exam room, crying on my bedroom floor, or crying in my bed. ⁣ ⁣ I put the blame on myself. Asking too much of Winston too fast. But prior knowledge told me it would be fine. Same scenario, it had been fine 10 out of 10 times. Time 11 wasn’t. ⁣ ⁣ Minnie has a fractured jaw. She’s on pain meds, antibiotics, but is using the bathroom, eating soft food, and drinking water like a champ. Her jaw is taped to hold it steady and she’s in a cone. We’ll learn more in the coming days. ⁣ ⁣ I have a lot a lot of guilt, shame, embarrassment. I’m not in a good place. I want to rewind time. She was supposed to have a better life and I’ve made it worse. I’m so sorry Minnie. My mom told me to use this as a learning experience for me and others and that’s what I’m trying to do.

Change is on the horizon. ⁣ ⁣ After a morning romp to wear us out, mom and pop pop are on the road to Louisville, Kentucky, to meet the newest addition to our foster fam. ⁣ ⁣ After a few weeks of waiting, Miss Minnie, a 8-9 week old Irish Setter-English Setter mix, will be joining us today. We can’t wait to welcome her with open arms. It’ll be her first day away from her pawrents and siblings so a lot of adjusting ahead. We’ll work on potty training, socialize her with Winston, Ivy, and cats, and get her up to date on shots. The puppies (including her six siblings) will soon be posted on OESR.org for adoption.

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