Fostering
- Author Unknown

There I sat, alone and afraid,
You got a call and came right to my aid.
You bundled me up with blankets and love.
And, when I needed it most, you gave me a hug.

I learned that the world was not all that scary and cold.
That sometimes there is someone to have and to hold.
You taught me what love is, you helped me to mend.
You loved me and healed me and became my first friend.

And just when I thought you'd done all you could do,
There came along not one new lesson, but two.
First you said, "Sweetheart, you're ready to go.
I've done all I can, and you've learned all I know."

Then you bundled me up with a blanket and a kiss.
Along came a new family, they even have kids!
They took me to their home, forever to stay.
At first I thought you sent me away.

Then that second lesson became perfectly clear.
No matter how far, you will always be near.
And so, Foster Mom, you know I've moved on.
I have a new home, with toys and a lawn.

But I'll never forget what I learned that first day.
You never really give your fosters away.
You gave me these thoughts to remember you by.
We may never meet again, and now I know why.

You'll remember I lived with you for a time.
I may not be yours, but you'll always be mine.

If I didn't have Goldens...
provided by Barb Justice

1. I could walk around safely barefoot in the dark
2. My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated
3. All flat surfaces, cloting, furniture and cars would be free of dog hair
4. When the doorbell rang, it wouldn't sound like the SPCA kennels
5. When the doorbell rang, I could get to the door without wading through four or five dog bodies who eat me there
6. I could sit how I wanted to on the couch without taking into consideration where several little furbodies would need to get
7. I would not have strange presents under my tree...like dog bones, stuffed animals, and have to answer to people about why I wrap them up
8. I would not be on a first name basis with a veterinarian
9. The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: potty, outside, sit, down, come, no, and leave him/her ALONE
10. My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates
11. My purse would not contain things like poop pick-up bags and dog treats
12. I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, T-R-E-A-T-S, O-U-T-S-I-D-E, and F-R-I-S-B-E-E
13. I would not buy weird things to stuff into "kongs" or have to explain why I'm buying them, or what a "kong" is
14. I would not have as many leaves and pine straws INSIDE my house as outside
15. I would not look strangely at people who think having their ONE dog ties them down too much
16. I would not have to answer the question of why I have so many dogs from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by something as close to an angel as they will ever get. Who else has a friend who considers you the MOST important thing in the whole wide world, all the time?