Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Temporary foster home needed for veteran


My mom just got this email from Janna (who assisted in teaching the therapy dog class I just completed through Canine Coach. Janna volunteers with an organization called Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pets whose mission is "Supporting our military service members, veterans, and their beloved pets to ensure the pets are reunited with their owners following deployment or emergency hardship."

"Hi Marilou,

I remembered Barb telling me that you were involved with Pet Haven. I really hate to do this, but I'm getting desperate. I don't know if I mentioned it in class, but I help charter and volunteer with a local chapter of a non-profit organization called Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet. We provide temporary foster homes for active military and veterans.

Right now we have a case that we are struggling with. We need to find a foster home for a 15 month old, spayed, female American Bulldog named Dakota. According to her application, she is 61+ lbs. She needs safe haven for 8 weeks (Early Jan - End Feb) while Mom/Dad go to Washington State for Bone Marrow transplant procedure. Dad is a twice deployed to Iraq active military on medical leave. He was exposed to radiation while in Iraq and now has extreme complications due to that exposure. The wife can only go for 2 months - he'll be there for up to 6 months for treatment. Basically, he is dying and this surgery is to help extend his life. So we desperately trying to find a foster home for them to help alleviate some of the stress of an already very stressful situation.

Dakota is not cat tested, nor has she really been around young kids. She's an active girl, and does have some allergy issues that are controlled with a regular bath. Looking at their application, she's been fed cheap dog food so this may be more of a food allergy thing than an actual skin thing. Their fear with kids is just that she may jump on them not that she'd intentionally harm them. She is crate trained and house trained. She has been to the dog park and does well, but also has shown some reactivity towards other female dogs. It's been recommended to us that she not be placed in a home with another female dog, but she should be fine in continuing to go the dog park or living with male dog.

The family is willing to pay for all expenses while Dakota is being fostered (food, vet care, any boarding if the foster home has to go out of town, ect.).

If you know of anyone who might be willing to take Dakota in, please have them contact Janna at jannashora@gmail.com or fill out an application through http://guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org/."


Would you consider providing a temporary foster home for Dakota? Our veterans do so much for us .... please consider providing a temporary foster home for Dakota so that his dad when he returns from Washington state after his bone marrow transplant can be reunited with his furry family member.

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