Saying goodbye is the hardest but they always leave soemthing behind.

When a new foster arrives are your home you can't help but look for qualities in them that remind you of the past kids in your life...There is always that hope that somehow we will find that one cat or one dog that will somehow fill the void in out lives after loosing someone so special in our lives.

It dawned on me last night that I get to share my life with animals even though some of them are only temporary and as if a ton of bricks hit me over the head I realized that most of my newest newcombers fill some pretty big voids.

On August 3rd I lost my Salty Sand man - a rescue who spent the first 12 years of his life in a tiny cage being a breeder and father to hundreds of puppies at the expense of his own health and comfort.   I brought him home two years ago and he quickly became know for burrowing and licking anyones skin that he could.   He was my little boy weighing in at a whole 7 lbs.  He hated winter and was a rather odd duck in so many ways.  Then came Lily the Boston who is now my constant licker.  Meechie then came along and he is my burrower....

On Valentines Day I lost a 9 month fight with Kidney failure with my best friend in the whole dog world...Barkley and I spend 9 months in and out of the ICU, everyday we did sub q fluids three times a day, did medications, and towards the end he ate whatever we could get him to eat.  He had a heart of gold.  He loved anyone and everyone.  His favorite thing was to steal the bed from me.  He would get his massive 145lb St Bernard body onto the bed and I had to sleep around him.  Last night after 3 hours of trying to sleep Koda (formerlt Wizzie the Pit Bull) did something that remind me so much of Barkley.  He finally plopped down right on top of me and wouldn't move for the life of him!  

Barkley used to make himself comfortable whereever he wanted and if I ran to the bed first to beat him he made himself all to comfortable right on top!  His head must have weighed 40 lbs itself..

Sometimes I think they leave us because they know another is in need, I think they send us certain ones too.  Shortly after Barkleys passing came Piper "the devil" dog, a corgi who is wired just a little (ok a lot wrong) and after having her in my home for 5 minutes I KNEW she would have lost her life if I hadn't taken her.   We happily exist with only minimal use of blocking tools to save my feet and legs from being shredded by her teeth...We have an understanding that I dont mess with her if she doesn't mess with the other kids. 

So thanks Salty and Barkley for bringing me great fosters who remind me of you both on a daily basis.

I still miss you like crazy and can't wait to meet you over the rainbow bridge.

Ill always be your mama and always be forever grateful for what you gave me....