My New Foster Dog, "Tory": Part One

I mentioned yesterday that I’m expecting a new foster dog to arrive soon. We’ll be following my new foster dog, “Tory,” on his journey from intake to adoption. He’s not here yet, so today we’ll discuss the process of relinquishment, and why Tory is entering foster care. Incidentally, although I write under my real name, I’ve changed Tory’s name to protect his identity and the identity of the owner who will be relinquishing him.

About Tory

Tory is a male Pug dog. He is 4 1/2 years old. Although Tory has not been neutered, his owners say he’s up to date on shots and may have had a microchip implanted. According to his current owners, Tory has been potty-trained and crate-trained. He has a fairly high energy level for his breed, but is well-behaved with dogs and children.

What This Means for Tory

As a young adult purebred dog with no known health or behavior problems, Tory stands a good chance of finding an adopter very quickly. In fact, it’s likely that someone will have expressed  interest in adopting Tory before he has even fully recovered from neutering and been made available for adoption.

Many dogs relinquished to rescue don’t have quite such a desirable  “resume.” About 70% of dogs in shelters are mixed breeds, and many are seniors, or have a history of health or behavior issues. Older dogs in particular struggle to find homes, even if they are registered purebreds. Adopters often want the fun of a cute puppy or an energetic adult, but overlook the benefits of adopting an older pet. Senior dogs are calmer, often have some training already, may have lower adoption fees, and make great companions for senior humans. If you’re interested  in adopting a pet, please consider giving a great home to an older dog.

Tory’s Relinquishment

So why is a great dog like Tory in need of a new home?  His owner, an elderly woman, has been hospitalized. When she is released, she will be unable to care for a young, energetic dog. Even a Pug weighs enough to knock a frail senior citizen down with one good jump, and a fall could be very dangerous to Tory’s pet parent.

Tory is staying with his owner’s daughter for now, but she can’t keep a dog permanently. For this reason, his owner and owner’s daughter made the choice to seek out a breed rescue and relinquish Tory into the rescue’s custody to find a new and hopefully permanent home.

No responsible pet owner wants to give up a dog, but when situations like Tory’s arise, tough decisions sometimes must be made. Tory’s owner and her daughter did the right thing in finding a rescue specializing in Tory’s breed and using a foster home network  to place dogs. When dogs must be relinquished, foster care is the best possible option. Sometimes a shelter that doesn’t have a foster program is the only possibility, but foster care is far less stressful for dogs and results in higher success rates. In addition, when applicable, breed rescues perform an excellent service. Purebred dogs generally share certain common traits with others of their breed. Breed rescues are able to pair purebred dogs with owners who are well-equipped to care for a dog with those traits.

Stay Tuned…. Tory arrives Saturday!

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