Fostering Huskies for Welfare
I thought I’d
write a little about our experience as a foster home for unwanted
Sibes. I do so in the hope that it will inspire those of you in
the fortunate position of having the time, space, patience and
experience necessary to foster, but who haven’t thought of doing so to
give it a go.
It is first and foremost, immensely rewarding to rehome a dog and to
know that it’s going to get all the love, care and attention it needs
and deserves for the rest of its life. It is also nice to have a new
face around sometimes, a new dog to get to know, bring it out of its
shell in some cases, try and calm it down in others! It is of course
also very upsetting when a dog you’ve had around for a month or two
goes off to its new home, though we’ve found that the more foster dogs
you have, the more you get hardened to this, and some of the dogs even
have you giving a sigh of relief when they go!
Oscar and
Charlie
We started fostering two years ago, when we moved to our present
house and had the space to do so. It’s very important to have a
separate area for the foster dogs to go into, should they happen not to
get along with your own dogs or vice versa. We had filled in a welfare
questionnaire indicating that we would be able to foster a dog
and handed it in to Marinda at Aviemore, then waited with bated breath
for our first ‘assignment’.
We didn’t have to wait long! Soon after getting home we got a call from
Paul Keen. Could we take a 2 year old boy called Charlie who had had
several homes already? The people who had him, had had him for a month
and decided they didn’t want him anymore. So a couple of days later
Charlie arrived. Far from being the wild, uncontrollable young husky we
imagined he must be after having so many homes, the first thing he did
when he came in the house was lie down and go to sleep. He did little
else for the next three months that we fostered him for and we
constantly asked ourselves how could this boy, the easiest Sibe to look
after we’d ever met, could have had so many homes. We tried to run him
a couple of times, but he made his displeasure abundantly clear. He got
on famously with our pack and they loved having him around.
After three months we had got very attached to him, and were both very
upset when he went off to his new home with a couple who had had
welfare Sibes before. However, a month later we got a call from them
saying they couldn’t cope with him (!) and would we come and get
him. We were so pleased to have him back we decided to keep him and
he’s here for life now. He’s still our easiest dog, likes going to
rallies ‘just to watch’, but will raid the food cupboards if we don’t
keep an eye on him. His two hobbies are sleeping and eating, in no
particular order. A dog after my own heart!
After Charlie came an 8 month old bitch, now called Sonya, who was
gorgeous, a real sweetie and very pretty. Her owner was very upset at
having to give her up, but couldn’t cope with her ‘huskyness’, a
situation we encounter again and again. We’re always sympathetic to
people like this who’ve admitted they’ve made a mistake and have at
least brought the dog into welfare, rather than selling it on and
passing the problem onto someone else. We had Sonya for a couple of
months before she found a lovely home with Malcolm and Rachael Bateman
where she thoroughly enjoys herself on the trail and putting the boys
in their place.
Before we rehomed her to the Batemans, welfares sent a lady round to
give her a home. This lady was quite elderly, had driven a couple of
hours to our home and was quite shaky when she arrived. It was very
apparent that she was unsuitable to take on a young, very full of
herself Sibe. We got her to take Kally (as she was then called) for a
walk down the road. She didn’t get 100 yards before asking to come
back. When she’d sat down and got her breath back she said ‘OK then,
can I take her now?’! We had to tactfully explain that maybe a Siberian
wasn’t the right dog for her and she had to agree. In fact by then I
think she was somewhat relived that we didn’t make her take her! That’s
the only time that we’ve felt it necessary to turn someone down, they
don’t usually get to that stage. But be aware that you may have to
refuse someone who’s driven a long way to visit you. It’s hard to do,
but it must be done for the sake of the dog.
Misty with our own girl Poppy
In the following year and a half we have had another 8 dogs, Stitch,
the very, very, VERY big boy (very soft too), Dema (now called Deo),
Storm,Misty, Oscar, Amber, Kotay 1 and Kotay 2.
Misty was obese when we got her and did excellently on her diet
over the time she was here and was a lovely shape by the
time she was rehomed. She got on very well with Oscar, a gorgeous young
boy we had in at the same time, and we were so pleased when Helen and
Mal Griffin took them as a pair and gave them a wonderful home. We got
an update at Christmas about how they were getting on and a lovely
photo of them both sprawled on the settee
together.
Deo was rehomed with friends of our who we train with, Richard and
Lorraine Morgan, as despite coming from a pet home, it was blatantly
obvious that he needed to work. From the moment he was put in harness
he ran like the wind and has continued to do so. He is without doubt
the happiest dog I’ve ever seen in harness and always comes back from a
run with a grin on his face and a wag in his tail.
Deo and Kotay
However he now has a rival for happiest sled dog in his team - Kotay 2,
who we also recently rehomed with Richard and Lorraine. Also from a
(very unsuitable) pet home, Kotay is very big and strong (and manic!)
and also obviously needed to run. He learnt very quickly what it was
all about and shoots off like a bullet, while Rob stares wistfully
after him wondering what might have been if we’d been able to keep him!
Last mention goes to Kotay 1 a little fluffy boy who had had many homes
in his short life. We rehomed him a couple of months ago to Chrissy
Statham, who I know now can’t imagine life without him. ‘Kotay’ sends
me regular emails on his progress in his new home, a couple of which
are reproduced here :-
Hello.... Kotay here.....
Well ! I have been at my new home for a week now and my new Mum said i
have been a very good boy, I have made lots of new friends and we go on
lots of exciting new walks and meet many strange animals particularly
the things called horses ! I don't understand what they are ? I like
going to the feed suppliers as they always give me a chew to carry home
and today Mum bought me a big one that i am really enjoying in the
picture, I have a play mate called Jody and we wrestle and play all the
time and i really like him. I ask to go outside if i need the toilet
which has made Mum really proud of me but she did tell me off for
opening doors on my own, I figured why ask if i can do it myself, she
won't let me drink out of the toilet either ?
I have settled down really well and even like this little person called
Brandon who runs around as he usually has some form of food with him
and when Mum isn't looking we sneak off into a corner and he shares it
with me.... He gets told off not me and it's really funny, I like that
game. We watched this game called football the other day and i still
don't understand what balls are, Jody runs around like a lunatic with
them and i just sit and watch as i'm not sure what to do. Anyway i have
to go as we have to get the horses ready for bed so that means another
walk, I am really happy and being very good, I hope you like the photo,
Kotay. xxxxxxxxxx
Merry Christmas...
I have settled in really well and i am being an extremely good boy, I
am on my teather in this photo as i am in the garden and Mum is having
some new fencing put up so she didn't want to risk me getting out.
Tonight i had some mince beef in with my dinner and i am so full i
can't move... I sat and looked at it as i couldn't eat another
mouthful, it was lovely. Mum agreed that i would have been a real
problem to someone who didn't take me out all the time as i love to
jump around and if given the chance would chew... but i am so tired
when i am indoors i just want to sleep.
I do show off when people visit as i bounce off the walls and
furniture.. I am only playing.... I soon settle and get my tummy rubbed
and that makes me fall asleep. I am totally clean indoors and ask to go
out if i have to.
I sit on Mums knee and watch tele as i think i am a poodle and have a
big cuddle and i sing to Whitney Houston which for some reason makes
everyone laugh.
I am a really happy boy and love my new home, Mum feels as if i have
always lived here and can't believe how quickly i have
settled....
I will write soon.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR...
Kotay. xxxxx
Getting feedback like this makes it all worthwhile, as does meeting so
many nice people who are prepared to give a home to a welfare dog
(which isn’t always easy) and to bring them the happiness they deserve.
There are usually more welfare dogs than foster homes to take them, so
if you’ve read this and feel you’d like to help out give Marinda a
call, she’ll be glad to hear from you and I promise you won’t regret
it!
Louise