The Sunday after Thanksgiving was another adoption drive, outside the entrance to a mall. It was a hectic day – one puppy managed to escape and run off (fortunately, it was found and brought back), two little puppies started having diarrhea (fine by the next day too)…and no one interested in adopting.
Ria was just hanging out in a playpen with Creamy. At least she let some people pet her and didn’t bark. But then when it was time to go, there was another near-catastrophe. I had gone to get something and the other volunteers tried to pick her up. She freaked out, snapped at them and attempted to get away. Then she saw me and as always, let me pick her up with no problem.
That was the start of a week from hell. One of my cats was suddenly struggling to breathe on Monday, so I rushed her to the vet. She had to go to the emergency vet and go on oxygen. The next day, when they took her off it to do an x-ray, she passed away. They didn’t even know the cause, said she had a pleural effusion and it may have been from a tumor. I was heartbroken. She was only 6-7; I’d taken her in in 2019.
I was in no mood to do anything for the next weekend’s adoption drive, but I did the best I could, making posters and helping get stuff ready, while also trying to meet deadlines for work. And even more bad news, an adopter decided to return a cat that I had been fostering. She was supposed to bring it to me on Sunday, but no, Saturday morning, just as I was getting ready to go to the drive, she sent me a photo of the cat in a box in her car and said she was on the way. At least she got here with the cat just in time before my friend picked me and Ria up.
Ria was happy to sit on my lap, not in a carrier, and she was wearing her new harness. She still didn’t want to walk on the leash much and preferred to sit right next to me, hiding under a table. It was a slow day since there was a big pet expo at another mall, and most pet lovers would have gone to that instead.
In the playpen with other dogs, Ria relaxed a bit and even let some kids pet her. She was more trusting of them than she is of most adults. Some people asked about her story, but no one was interested in adopting.
One puppy from MDDB did get adopted and someone volunteered to foster his sister so she wouldn’t have to go to the shelter; that was the good news of the day.
After an exhausting day, I thought I could finally relax. Ria and my other dogs were sleeping all around me on the couch, when suddenly, Ria’s rescuers turned up at my gate. I had not seen them since they left her with me in September, and I have no desire to see them. There was a huge drama back then because one of the rescue groups was publicly shaming them for leaving Ria with me without painkillers. Also, apparently there was more about them not wanting to help look for her when she escaped in October.
I try to stay civil with them; they’re not with any organization. It was a good thing that they rescued Ria and got her the surgery. Of course they weren’t very responsible, but I love Ria and am happy to take responsibility for her. It’s not like I even hear from them much. Just a couple times, weeks ago, they’ve said they’ll come visit sometime. I certainly didn’t expect them to just show up!
I was polite; Ria was not. She gave them a threatening growl and some side eye. They didn’t pet her because they were afraid she would bite. They gave me two small cans of dog food and left.
I’m starting to wonder if Ria might be a foster fail. But I can’t really have four dogs, can I? I’ll keep trying to get her adopted, but it feels like she’s my baby already.
Woah you’re right, what a week. First, I’m so sorry about your kitty. You’re right, she was so young! To be caught off-guard with a passing like that is tough. Everything else you went through that week sure didn’t help, I would be exhausted!
Being in animal rescue is not for the timid. You are such a strong, loving being to care for these animals, take them back when their home wasn’t a fit, and all the while keep advocating for dogs like Ria. Most humans couldn’t handle it. But not you. The compassion you project, even to the people who got Ria to you, is beyond compare.
Is she a foster fail? Only you can answer that. It does appear that you are the person she puts all her faith in right now, and putting her into a new home will take lots of time and patience. Can’t blame her for not trusting humans, most suck! To convince her otherwise, it will have to be just the right family with the right kind of experience to take her into their home. If they are out there, you will find them eventually.
We are doing our best to help too! Keep blogging and her story will continue reaching our 40k+ members of our community. More importantly we love knowing what she’s been up to, she always makes us smile!
Thank you for the support! I really appreciate this platform. I won’t say Ria is a foster fail just yet, but I’ll keep her with me until I find the perfect home for her.
I’m very sorry about the loss of your cat.
For what it’s worth, I’m rooting for Ria to be a foster fail. She clearly trusts you.