Fostering Saves Lives

Luca, his sister Elsa, and a third dog called Maggie came to us via Tri-Cities Animal Shelter in Pasco, Washington. We often intervene on behalf of dogs that are significantly ill or injured, or who simply find the shelter environment stressful.

Maggie arrived pregnant, but no one knew how far along she was. She only weighed 26 pounds and didn’t look pregnant, possibly because living alone meant she spent many days without food. But after being in her foster home, her belly expanded to a jaw-dropping WOW within a few weeks! Maggie gave birth to her nine (nine!) puppies in August. By October, Maggie will be ready to separate from her puppies and get on with her life. We suspect Maggie is a Boston terrier / pitbull mix. She lives with dogs of all sizes and temperaments and gets along well with everyone. She has also shown no interest in cats. She will be altered soon after the puppies finish nursing, so watch for her album on our Facebook page!

For Maggie’s nine puppies, we need foster homes. We prefer to separate puppies into groups of two or three, but occasionally as singles. Smaller groups of pups allow their caretaker more time to focus on all the aspects of raising great dogs, working on potty training, obedience, and socialization. We can connect you with people experienced in raising puppies if you have questions!

Then, there is Luka, who just turned one in August. At about six months old, Luca and his sister Elsa were found on their own, probably dumped from an ‘accidental litter’ their owner couldn’t find homes for. While Elsa has made great strides in building trust with her foster, Luka is still afraid of people. He is currently living with dogs of all sizes and temperaments and does fine with everyone. We believe Luka would benefit from being separated from his sister and placed in a quieter environment — ideally, with someone who has another friendly, confident dog and can give him more one-on-one attention. While Luca is fearful, he is never aggressive; he simply did not receive what he needed when he needed it most. We believe he can flourish in the right environment and become a great companion for someone.

We provide everything the dog needs while in your care and connect you with resources — like our experienced fosters or dog training professionals — to assist you. We are a team, and we need more members. Please join us!

You can apply to foster or adopt by visiting our website, www.mikeyschance.com, or following the QR code directly to the applications.