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Monday, March 31, 2014

Meet Karl

When I first started this blog, way back when, it was with the intention that this be the space that was mostly about the dogs we fostered.  Then Hurley came along, fostering went by the wayside, and this became the Hurley Song and Dance Blog.

It's apropos then that, my first blog post in months, is about a foster.

Meet Karl.



It was about 7:00 in the morning when the dawgs started going bonkers out the front window.  When they do this, it's usually one of two things:  a cat hanging out on our front lawn or a squirrel, probably mocking them from the front porch rail.  This particular morning, the barking didn't stop and I was forced to get out of bed to chase said squirrel off the property.  Effin' Squirrels, I thought as I dragged my bum out of my cozy, warm bed.

Instead I saw this face in the window. 


This is not the first loose dog I have encountered in our neighborhood.  I know the old & mostly deaf black lab mix who got out that one time when the dude with the pug in the stroller let me know where he lived and I returned him to his yard.  I know the blind white german shepherd whose fence is not 100% secure and regularly wanders the couple blocks around her house.  I have followed dogs back to their homes, enlisted the help of neighbors to take over the search when I had to go to work.  I have closed my store to return a customer's dog who wandered over to their local pet store.  I'm an old pro at helping dogs find their way back home.

But there was nothing about Karl that fit any of those normal, helping a neighbor get their dog back, scenarios.  There could be a million stories that explain how Karl came to end up on my front porch that morning.  The most likely is this:  Karl was neglected, starved and he was likely dumped in our neighborhood. 



This is the thing about dogs:  their capacity to move forward & beyond their pasts inspires.  Karl does not act like a neglected and abandoned dog.  Karl is happy.  He tosses his toys with wild abandon, fetches like a champ and more than anything, just wants our love and affection.  He is not a sad case.  Though his assumed past may bring tears to one's eyes and his condition may be shocking and hard to look at, his future is bright.  Karl might have been thrown out like trash but this trash is well on his way to becoming someone else's treasure.



Within 48 hours of finding Karl, my good friends at Lovers Not Fighters Pit Bull Rescue stepped forward and offered to bring Karl into their rescue.  I had posted in a volunteer group the truth about Karl's condition, in the hopes that rescue folks would have some contacts who could help.  I never dreamed that he would receive an immediate offer of help.  See, a dog in this condition can be difficult to place in rescue because he has a long (and possibly expensive) road to recovery.  But that's what Lovers Not Fighters does best: rescuing those 'diamond in the rough' dogs who no one else gives a chance. 


My store, NoPo Paws, will be donating 10% of profits during April (and possibly longer) to cover all of his needs.   It was truly kismet that, late March, I had yet to line up an April recipient for my Featured Rescue program and was able to sponsor Karl's recovery.



Currently, Karl is staying with us as we look for a longer term foster or foster-to-adopt family for him.  He is sweet & affectionate, intelligent, listens well and is eager to learn. It is truly an honor to have been the one to save him, albeit with a strong & amazing team supporting me.  The future is bright, Mr. Karl!





17 comments:

  1. You are AMAZING! Karl is also VERY smart, he showed up at the right house!

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    1. Aww...thanks. I'm pretty sure you would be doing the same thing though. I know what a heart you have!

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  2. So happy Karl found you!

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    1. Me too! Of all the front porches, he chose pretty well. :)

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  3. I'm so glad to see you around again! I was wondering about you last week.

    I'm glad Karl found you, and I hope you'll get him sorted right out. It looks like he'll be a beauty when he's filled back in, so I'm sure a home won't be too hard to find.

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    1. I'm so touched that you thought about us. I have been so busy that just reading blogs has gone by the wayside. Also, Hurley for the most part behaves nowadays (I know, I'm completely jinxing myself for even typing those words) so I've had less to write about. I miss everything about this community of pet bloggers though and I hope finding Karl is the motivation I needed to get back into the game!

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  4. Oh, jeez. Well, for whatever heartbreak poor Karl experienced, he ended up in loving hands, and you can't ask for more than that! Thanks for sharing the story and for taking him in. I look forward to following his road to recovery!

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  5. :) So glad. I saw the pic of him when you first posted. Question: how is he with cats?

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    1. We don't know how he is with cats yet. If we were to have someone seriously interested in him that had a cat, we would do cat testing at that time. Seriously interested means a foster application submitted. This is only because I have limited time to work with Karl due to our full house & busy jobs so our priority right now is working on basic obedience. First things first! :)

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    2. You can find the foster app at http://www.lovers-not-fighters.org/#!foster-or-adopt-a-lover/c19qg

      If you have any further Karl questions, feel free to email me at nopopaws at gmail.com. Thanks!

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  6. Thank you. Where do I get the foster ap?

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  8. I found it. Having trouble filling it out electronically though. Will have to post it. We were contacted by Lisa Barett when you first found Karl as a possible weekend foster but were going out of town.

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  9. My daughter and her roommates are interested in Karl. do you know how old he is and what if any health issues there are?

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  10. I have sent my app in. Now just waiting fro a response :)

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  11. That is so awesome Sarah!! Sometimes the stars all align and it works! It sounds like this is one of those times.

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  12. We are so happy to meet you Karl. Hopefully, you able to find your wonderful forever home. You are all so amazing by the work you do. Thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful rest of your day.
    World of Animals

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