[Qahtwugc]

My husband and I drove Buddy out to Amanda's last night. She is going to foster him until she can find him a good home. If he fits in well and they get attached, he may stay permanently. 2.5 hours each way. After a long day of last minute things that needed to be done before the holidays.

He did pretty well. The resident Pit Bull, Heaven, was calm and friendly with him. He liked her,too. He tried to chase the cats a few times, but was also corrected for it and gave up after the first 20 minutes we were there.

Poor boy. His life is changing for the better, but it won't seem that way to him. He is not going to be on a measured diet of dog food and no people food at all. Hopefully, he will lose weight and be more attractive to a permanent home, if Amanda doesn't keep him, and be healthier.

Amanda called him to another room to give him a "cookie". He lit up like the 4th of July because he hadn't been fed or watered in about 5 hours because he gets car sick. We emptied him out, so to speak, so he wouldn't barf all over my car. Unfortunately for Buddy, cookie means a hard dog treat to Amanda and it means Oreo to Buddy. He saw what she was offering and gave her a look like "What is this? This is NOT a cookie..." and refused to eat it. The first few weeks will be rough on him. He's like a crack addict when it comes to people food.

When we decided he would be able to stay for sure and it was time to leave I brought in his food bowls, his water bowl, and his bag of kibble. It was so hard to leave. I had to head out the door before I started crying like a lil girl. I made it to the porch. Cried off an on between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor.

Buddy and Petey weren't my dogs and they never even stayed with me for more than a few hours in the years I have known them, other than a couple days back when Petey was a pup and brought here until Frank and Donna could take him. It was a lot harder than I expected to say goodbye. Never again will I go to Donna's for the Friday night buzz and a movie to be greeted at the door by the boys. Never again will Buddy make me scratch his butt til my arm goes numb or Petey harass me into tugging with him. Never again will I sit on Donna's couch for hours watching scary movies with Buddy on my feet and Petey against my leg with his head and front paws on my lap. Never again will I take breaks between movies to play fetch or work on tricks for treats. I used to stop at the pet store on the way over to buy a small bag of proper dog treats and the boys loved to work for them and the extra attention.

They weren't my friends dogs, they were my friends. Sometimes, I would think that I enjoyed the company of the dogs more than the humans.

I don't know how you people that foster can do it. Even knowing you helped save them and even knowing they are in a good place, it's just so heartbreaking to say good-bye. And you worry so much! Thinking all the what if's.

I got home and played with my dogs for a while. Then we put the kids to bed, crated the dogs, and headed to bed ourselves.

I just laid down when the phone rang. I could barely hear it from my room, thought about not answering. Then I thought maybe it was about Petey or Buddy. I ran down and grabbed it before it went to voicemail. It was my brother calling to let me know our friend Dennis lost his battle with cancer and had passed a couple hours ago.

Dennis was a friend of my parents when I was a kid. He was just 8 years older than me. When I was 18 he was very supportive and caring when I was pregnant with my oldest and we became friends in our own right shortly before her birth. Then we became lovers. Even after that ended, we stayed friendly and I was thrilled for him when he met someone, married her, had a couple kids of his own. He named his daughter after my mother, who died a couple months before she was born. Dennis was an animal lover. Reptiles of all kinds, fresh and salt water fish, parrots and dogs. He taught me about so many things, but the biggest and most awesome was a love of exotic fish and snakes. Well, pythons, anyways. I still don't trust the small species. They seem shifty and sneaky.

I wish Buddy and Petey the best in their new lives. All the comfort and love dogs could need. Godspeed, Dennis.

Is it ok to cry and punch things now?

[Hammaduersnes]

It is absolutely ok to cry and punch things! I'm so sorry about Dennis. My condolences to you.

You did a great thing finding homes for Petey and Buddy. They are going to be happy and well loved!

[Qahtwugc]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[dodsCooggipsedebt]

Aww, MJ, I'm so sorry. You did the right thing for the dogs and I'm sure you found the right homes for them. Any word on how Petey has been doing?

I'm sorry about your friend Dennis. It sounds as though he was a very good person and very influential in your life. My condolences to both you and your family and his.

[Qahtwugc]

Thank you, Japa. I talked to Joe day before yesterday and went out to give him Petey's rabies certificate. Things looked good.

I feel the worst for Dennis' wife, Abby. They met shortly after we split up and have been together for 17 years now. I can't imagine how hard this is for her. When I was in bed and couldn't sleep I just listened to my husband breathe (snore, really) and was so happy to have him there, that he is alive, and that I am not going through what Abby must be.

[dodsCooggipsedebt]

I'm sure Abby is feeling a lot of different emotions. Between missing him, anger, and relief that he isn't in that pain anymore. It will be a long time before she can heal enough to function normally. Do you have a good relationship with Abby?

[FBtquXT8]

You did a good thing for Buddy.

See the problem is you didn't have them long enough! It strangely is easier to let them go for me, the longer I have them. Have them long enough to become a problem! The one I regret letting go was the last pit bull I fostered, Baby. I wish I would have kept her. Last Dogo I fostered I was ready to shoot in the head and thanked God the day he left.

I still remember them all, no matter how long or short they stayed. I wonder about them from time to time. Some I get updates, some I don't. Letting go is the hardest part. I just remember the saying if you love something, set if free, if it comes back, it is yours, if it doesn't it was never meant to be. I've had some fosters come back and ended up staying others go on to live happy lives in other homes and another one takes their place here.

[Qahtwugc]

I'm sure Abby is feeling a lot of different emotions. Between missing him, anger, and relief that he isn't in that pain anymore. It will be a long time before she can heal enough to function normally. Do you have a good relationship with Abby?

Yeah, Abby is pretty cool. I like her very much and we have always been friendly. We haven't chatted in person since Thanksgiving a few years ago at my dad's house, though. They live a hike and a half away.

I was the one who ended my relationship with Dennis. He had a pet ferret that liked going outside. I drove him home from my dad's house after a party one morning shortly after I ended things. We were sitting in his apartment and he asked if I was sure. I said I was sure, so he decided we should go outside with the ferret before he tried anything with me ,lol. So, we put his ferret on his lil harness and walked outside.

While we were out on his porch a few kids came up and asked to pet the ferret. Abby was the kids mother. She came over to say hi and make sure the kids weren't bothering us. We started chatting, I went home, and the rest is history.

I always figured it was fate the way they met and on the day I said I was sure we were over. Like a door closing and another opening.

[dodsCooggipsedebt]

Well, it might be a nice idea to reach out to her. She must be feeling very alone right now. You guys may be able to take comfort in each other with this shared loss.

[Qahtwugc]

Well, it might be a nice idea to reach out to her. She must be feeling very alone right now. You guys may be able to take comfort in each other with this shared loss.

My sister has been keeping me updated. She lives pretty close to where Abby and the kids live. She has been sort of talking to Abby via Dennis and Abby's daughter, but Abby is very busy with arrangements and her grown kids, her teenage kids and her grandkids along with people popping in and out. My sister says Abby isn't really able to talk right now due to everything needing to be taken care of.

The funeral was today and I wasn't able to make it due to a lack of transportation. I went to the FB memorial they set up and left a message to the family.

I talked to Amanda a couple days ago because a of a friends friends dog had passed and he was interested in Buddy. Amanda says she is keeping him and that he is being nice to the cats, that he and Heaven are attached at the hip and that her kids think "pow pow" and making Buddy play dead is the coolest thing ever!

Petey has been renamed Weezy. His owner just split with his GF, but he took Weezy with him to his new place and he is doing great. Weezy is also having a great time with the resident kids and *gasp* has even been introduced to some smaller dogs and is getting along with them!!!

[dodsCooggipsedebt]

That's unfortunate. I always find it difficult to accept/realize someone is gone unless I literally see the body. It's as if I forget they died no matter how long it has been. What can I say, I'm a whack job.

As for the dogs, I'm so glad that they have found great homes and are doing well! You are their savior MJ and you did a great thing for them.