Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone,
It has been a while since I've been on the site--a little over two months since we lost Charlie. It has been a long road, starting out with horrible guilt and even regret, moving through sadness and emptiness, finally getting to a point of being able to sort through it all and begin to speak more easily about Charlie in past tense. I still have moments--rereading my post after losing Charlie put me right back there, but more just missing him than going through all yuck again. Day by day and maybe someday...
I wanted to post about something we're doing that has helped some. We are fostering rescued labs through Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue. No, it's no replacement. And we're not ready to have our own. But having the presence of a dog in our home and being able to help out dogs that might otherwise not get a chance is a blessing. We have had two fosters so far. The first, we had for 3 weeks--a beautiful little 3 year old, black lab. She finally found a home last week. We now have a 2 year beautiful BIG 2 year old, black lab. Just got him on Wednesday and he is going to his forever home today!
This big guy has a big block head, just like Charlie did. When I was sad after reading my old post from June, I pet his head and ears and closed my eyes. It was like having Charlie there for a second. Opening my eyes was hard, but it let me get a little more grief out of my system. And it was comforting to have a dog there. Slowly, moving along.
Thanks, again, to everyone who provided support. If you're on this tough road, too, do consider reaching out to help dogs who are also on a tough road and alone. Happy to answer questions if there are any.
Heather
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
Heather and John,
It is absolutely heartwarming of you to foster rescue dogs. We all have to deal with grief in our own way but taking in another animal just helps out the soul and the dog. It is definitely therapy. The only time I fostered a dog I failed and adopted him. It was a shelter that still euthanized their dogs and I couldn't send him back. He was a golden retriever/lab and I had him for 14 years. Thank you for sharing your foster story with us and hopefully it will inspire others. I'm sure Charlie would approve very much.
Penny
Hi Penny,
You're so right--it's not for everyone. Boy was it a shocker to go from a 9 year old on three legs to a 3 year old on four legs! And I was worried about keeping them all, too! 
I was even worried that I might grieve again when we sent our first foster with her forever family. But it didn't happen that way for me. Perhaps the fact that I'm loving these dogs, but not really attaching, is just another sign that I'm not ready for my own yet. I'm hopeful that, someday, one of the dogs we foster will touch my heart in a new way. But in the meantime, I'm content to be helping.
The rescue I work with doesn't send dogs back--we just keep them until their family finds them. Clearly, that time is variable, though senior dogs tend to linger in foster care a bit longer. So sad.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Heather
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
Bravo Heather! It takes sooooo much courage to foster, and not be a foster failure all the time! I so admire folks like you who can do this kind of work, especially when your hearts are healing. So glad to hear you're doing so much good for these pups, thank you!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Heather,
It is so nice to see you post back on the forums again.....I know you are still in the healing process for sure, but there is no better place to chat than here. Most of us are still in the healing process ourselves, no matter how much time has gone by. We do completely understand, for sure.
How wonderful it is that you are fostering young Labs.....opening your hearts and home, for giving these sweet pups another chance at happiness, is so awesome. I would definitely be a foster parent failure, lol !!
You will open your heart again, though, for that special forever pup in your life.....We believe here, that our precious Angel Tripawds will send that new pup to us. Some here have gotten their special chosen pup, and some of us are still waiting, but I like to think of it like a Candid Camera moment.....when you least expect it, is when it will happen.........
Stay connected to us, you are always a part of this great support community, now.....
Love,
Bonnie & Angel Polly
P.S. Check out our new Forum for us "Alumni"......even though our beloved and special Tripawds have become Angels, we still and always will, have a place here.
Heather,
It was so nice to hear news from you. I think it's fantastic you are fostering, it takes an extra special person to be able to do that. We have always r
Adopted from shelters, but I think if I fostered I would end up with 50 dogs. Never been good at letting go I guess!
We lost Snoop 6 weeks ago a dive just started surfacing myself here again. It' wasn't easy but I'm glad I'm here again, otherwise I would of missed your wonderful news. Good luck with your fostering, such a tremendous capability, Charlie is watching and smiling and wagging his tail.
Esther and her Angel Snoop
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