Experience journal - through the eyes of a child

My daughter (12 years old) has written a journal about all the pugs we have fostered. It has brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes to read it.

I thought it would be really nice to share it with you all. It is long. Here it is:

Bucky
I remember Bucky. He was a smart, playful, and handsome pug. He was fawn colored with a cute curly tail. I remember when he got into our car he wasn’t scared. He was excited. He wanted to be with us. His old owner’s loved him, but they were moving out of state and they couldn’t take Bucky & his sister with him. So, Bucky and his sister were given to Polar Pug Rescue. That’s’ when my mom came home with Bucky.
Bucky was a little scared at first, but all fosters that I’ve had were scared, so that was normal. My three pugs, Tobey, Ichiro & Skeeter were very eager to meet Bucky. They all sniffed each other. After about the first hour my pugs and Bucky were friends. They liked Bucky and Bucky liked them, too. Ichiro and Bucky loved to play together. I loved watching them. I thought Bucky would be perfect for our home, but I knew that we were only fostering Bucky. I knew that one day a family was going to adopt Bucky and he would be theirs.
I woke up one morning thinking it was going to be like the day before, fun, happy, and busy. I didn’t expect Bucky to get adopted. This was my first foster ever so I never really expected the day to come. But it did. Vickie, the president of Polar Pug Rescue, called my mom. She told my mom that a family was interested in adopting Bucky. Of course there was still a chance that Bucky would not get adopted, but Vickie said she liked this family. My mom liked them, too. They were nice people. The mother and father had 3 children and 1 dog. They were looking for another dog, and Bucky seemed right for them. My mom and Vickie did house check, and everything was perfect. Bucky would stay the night at their house and if it worked out, Bucky was theirs. When I heard the news I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t want Bucky to leave. Everyone in my family was very sad to leave Bucky, but we knew it was for the best. So, we hugged Bucky once more and said good-bye.
So even though it was hard to let Bucky go, I would say it was worth helping him. He was a great pug!

 
Sherman
Our next foster was Sherman, a black pug. He looked pretty funny, and his teeth didn’t look very healthy. I was excited to foster Sherman. Vickie had Sherman’s mother a long time ago. She had puppies and Sherman was one of them. Vickie kept two, and named them Bilbo and Pippen, and Sherman was adopted by another family. They kept Sherman for 6 years, and then decided they were sick of him. They dropped him off at the pound, and the pound called Vickie. She went and picked up Sherman and brought him back to Polar Pug Rescue. Then we got to foster him.
Sherman was really scared when he got to our house. He seemed confused. He wasn’t really interested in eating or drinking for a while and he was scared when you tried to pet him. It took Sherman a good three days to adjust to our family & pugs. Sherman liked to play with Skeeter because his brothers, Bilbo and Pippen were black and Skeeter was black. Bilbo, Pippen, and Skeeter look nothing alike but Sherman couldn’t see very well so he just saw a black pug, and that was one of his brothers to him. Skeeter got annoyed and tried to stay away from Sherman.
Sherman loved food, in fact he loved it so much he would do a little dance if he even saw food. He would get really excited and he would start panting and jumping. Sherman also loved the trash. He thought the trash was his, and so he started to guard it. My stepdad, Edgar, came near the trash one day, and Sherman bit him because he thought he would take the trash. My brother, Caleb, got bit twice. Sherman started to get into fights with Ichiro, too. Soon, all my pugs got annoyed. I got scared because I didn’t want Sherman to leave. I thought all he needed was some help, that’s all. I loved Sherman.
Things got worse over time, and my mom got very worried. She decided she needed to give Sherman back to Vickie. Even though I loved Sherman, I knew he would be happy with Vickie until he got adopted. He had his brothers and they could play together. Sherman never bit me, or my mom. No one knows why because me and my mom both went by the trash plenty of times. Sherman was a very interesting pug, and it was a fun experience. I hope I see Sherman again one day.
 
Frank
Frank was abandoned before he came to Polar Pug Rescue. When they found him he was very overweight, to about 38 pounds. All he had was a small bed, and he wouldn’t leave without it. I’ll never forget how cuddly and nice Frank was. He was definitely a VERY sweet pug. I remember I was so excited when I found out we were fostering Frank. I knew we could help him with his weight problems, because my mom was an expert at that stuff.
Because Frank was about 38 pounds, we had a special diet for him. He had green beans, with canned pumpkin and Holistic Select kibble. Green beans help dogs lose weight. Frank loved his diet. In fact, he wouldn’t eat his food without the green beans and pumpkin! Frank loved to eat, but he never really begged. He was too nice to do that. He also came to rescue with a bad ear infection. We were able to keep that under control, though.
All my pugs loved Frank. They got along well. Ichiro and Frank bonded quickly, though. They had a lot of similarities. Ichiro LOVES to play with the ball, and Frank liked it too. Frank also liked soft stuffed toys. I guess Frank got along with every pug, because he wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Frank was with us for a long time. We even had him on Christmas, in fact he’s the only foster we’ve ever had that been with us on Christmas. I was really starting to like Frank, and Frank bonded with my mom A LOT. If my mom went downstairs to do laundry, Frank would howl for her to come back. Frank never went anywhere without my mom. When you foster pugs in some ways it’s good you bond, but in other ways it’s not so great. It makes it really hard when they get adopted, and believe me it was hard when it happened.
Soon the day came when someone was willing to adopt Frank. I was really sad when it happened, but I did it. I managed to let Frank go. My mom got the call, and was convinced these were the perfect people for Frank. Vickie was very excited, too. The people that wanted Frank had also adopted 2 other pugs from Vickie. This would be their 4th pug. When my mom went to the visit where the family just meets the pug, she didn’t come back home with Frank. Vickie said they could just take Frank because not only had they adopted 2 other pugs from her, she already knew what their house looked like and everything. So, it was a perfect family for him. Everybody in my family was extremely sad when Frank left. He was a great pug. I know it was especially hard for my mom to see him leave her sight, but we all knew he would be happy in his new home. So we said our good-bye’s and let him enjoy himself in his new home.
Frank was one of the hardest pugs to let go, but it was an awesome experience to have him. I’m so glad we could foster him.
 
Rowdy
Rowdy was, well rowdy. He was still a puppy. He was given up because his old owners didn’t want him anymore. It was good they let him go when he was a puppy because he might have gotten a bit more attached if he was older. I was pretty excited to foster a puppy. But, I will say this: his name fits him well!
Puppies go to new homes fast, so we only had Rowdy for about a week. Rowdy had no medical issues just rowdiness. I still remember the time I was sitting down on a wooden chair, and he came up and started biting the end of the chair. He was so jumpy and funny that when he did something bad, you couldn’t get mad at him. He was just a playful pug puppy who wanted a home. It seemed like just as we got him, he went.
When he got adopted I wasn’t too sad. I was happy he got a new home to grow up in and have fun. I know he did well with all his visits and the home fit him perfectly. I’m glad we had Rowdy, because it definitely made me realize how lazy some of my pugs are!
 
Abercrombie
Abercrombie was one of my very favorite fosters. He was so sweet, and he was a “grandpa pug”! His old owner was a teenage girl, and she was going off to college. She gave Abercrombie to her parents, and soon her parents gave Abercrombie to Polar Pug Rescue. I was thrilled when Abercrombie came to our house, because I love “grandpa pugs”!!
Abercrombie came to our house a little scared, and we could tell he was upset. He wouldn’t eat for a week, and he kind of kept to himself. It took Abercrombie a few weeks to get used to our family. When he did finally get used to our family, we really started to love him. Abercrombie also came in to rescue with some gnarly teeth, and he had an ear infection. One of the saddest issues was his embedded collar. That’s when someone puts a collar on animal too tight and it makes it so there is not as much hair there. Luckily he didn’t have it too bad.
We had Abercrombie longer than any other foster, so he really started to bond with us and we bonded with him. He was great with my pugs, because he was really relaxed and easygoing, and my pugs are like that. Abercrombie loved to lie down like a frog, where his paws were straight out, like a frog. He also made a funny sound, it’s hard to describe but it was so cute.
When Abercrombie left I was so sad, I swear it wasn’t normal. He was with us for about 3 months, and so seeing his leave was very hard. My mom got the call, and I got really scared. I definitely didn’t want Abercrombie to leave. But, everything went well with his visits so he went to his new home. His new home was perfect, and they have even adopted other pugs from Vickie so we knew Abercrombie would be taken care of. Even though I was extremely sad, I knew Abercrombie would be happy there, and I am so grateful I got to foster Abercrombie because he is one of the best pugs ever!
 
Daisy Mae
If you saw Daisy Mae, you might have thought she was still a puppy because of how small she is, but I can assure you she isn’t a puppy. She was just a little, sweet, harmless pug. Daisy was dropped off at the pound because her old owners said she bit her kid. No one could ever imagine little Daisy Mae doing that, but apparently it happened.
Daisy was a cute pug, with great intelligence! She was super smart! She could sit, speak, roll over, go around in circles and then roll over, lay down, and more!! It was amazing! She was our smartest foster ever! Daisy also had bad allergies. Wheat allergies to be exact. She couldn’t eat anything with wheat in it, and her owners may have not gotten that because she had some bad hot spots on her stomach. We had to clean them every day, and soon they were able to clear up. Daisy was such a good pug, I loved her!
Since Daisy was so little, she got cold a lot. We always loved to wrap her up in blankets, and watch T.V. with her. My pugs and Daisy got along well. In fact, Ichiro and Daisy loved to play with the ball together. Well, I say together but Ichiro would always steel the ball, and Daisy would just play inside with me or Caleb. Daisy was so cute!!
When Daisy left, I was sad, she was a great pug. Carina was really sad! But, no one could even cry because Daisy had a GREAT home. Her mommy takes awesome care of her, and they handle her allergies perfectly. They even foster themselves! I was so happy I couldn’t have wanted Daisy to go to a better home. Daisy even comes to the pug parties so I get to see how she is doing, and she is doing fantastic! Daisy Mae was definitely an outstanding pug!
 
Harley
Harley was such a good boy; I didn’t see how anyone would want to give him up. Harley’s old owners had him since he was born, and then around the age of 6 the husband of the family decided Harley wasn’t manly enough. Sometime after he said that he got himself a bigger dog, and the bigger dog was beating up Harley. So, the wife decided to give Harley to Polar Pug Rescue. I always thought that was a sad story, and I was glad we could get Harley a new and better home.
Harley was pretty scared when we first got him. I knew he missed his old family. But, after about a week, he was okay. Harley had no allergies or anything; he just needed to lose a few pounds. He was a really laid back pug, and I’m sure my pugs appreciated that. He loved to sleep and lounge around. Harley wouldn’t hurt a fly he was so sweet! Not only that, but he didn’t even beg, he was such a good pug. I knew whoever adopted Harley would love him.
We had Harley for a while. We even had another foster, Lucky at the same time. You will hear about Lucky in the next story. Harley and Tobey loved to sleep by my mom together. Another thing they both had in common: they both peed in the house a lot! Harley peed in the house too much, so we had to help him mark less! Even though Harley peed a lot, we didn’t want him to leave!
When Harley left I was pretty sad. He was a great pug, and perfect for a family that was calm. I was really happy when he got that. When my mom went with Vickie to see the family, she was surprised. The lady had a teenage daughter who was blind. The reason she loved pugs was because they snorted and made noises! They already had one pug, named Stella and so we knew they were familiar with pugs. We knew that the family that wanted Harley deserved him, because they would take great care of him. It was hard giving up Harley, but I was happier seeing him go to a great home!
 
Lucky
Lucky’s story is probably one of the saddest foster pug stories of mine you’ll ever hear. He came to rescue sick…really sick. His old owner’s loved him to death, but they didn’t know what was wrong with Lucky. They thought he might have eaten rhubarb, but they were wrong. Lucky had a mystery sickness for a long time, until finally the vet found out what was wrong. Lucky had a brain tumor.
Lucky’s brain tumor prevented him from being adopted, so we would keep him for a while until he got better. Lucky was so cute, and sweet and so cuddly, I loved him right from the start. It was devastating when I heard that Lucky had a brain tumor. I was really sad that Lucky would never be able to go to a new home. But the most devastating news I had ever heard came next. We were going to keep Lucky until he died, and that could only be 2-3 months or it could be 2-3 years. Nobody quite knew. All we knew was that Lucky was in trouble.
We knew Lucky’s time would come soon because he was in a lot of pain. He couldn’t really eat, and he started to get very weak and thin. He would also just stand in the corner and push his head against the wall. He would sleep most of the time, and barely get water. Which meant Lucky was getting dehydrated. He was never grumpy, though. You could definitely tell he loved us all, but all I could ever think of was Lucky dying. I couldn’t get over it, no matter how hard I tried.
It was November 30, 2010 when Lucky died. Around 7pm that night Vickie came over to see how Lucky was doing. We all knew he was in more pain than ever. He was on a raw diet by then because he needed to gain weight. Lucky needed to be let go into heaven because he was just in so much pain, and he was getting more dehydrated and weaker every day. Nobody wanted Lucky to be in that much pain, so we said our good-bye’s and let him go. Let him go off to heaven, and live a better life.
Getting over the fact that Lucky was no longer here with me in my own bed sleeping with me was hard. It just seemed so unfair, and I could barley understand it. I knew we did all we could, but I always wish we could have saved him. He was such a great pug, and I will never, ever, ever forget him. Never.
 
Sage
Sage was another puppy I fostered. She was sent to Polar Pug Rescue because her brother, Pete had been bitten by a big dog and the mother didn’t want to risk Sage or her other sister, Emma getting bitten either. They were really funny, and terrific pugs, but we decided to foster Sage. She had allergies, and well we’re pretty good at dog allergies!
Sage had pretty bad hot spots, so that meant she had allergies. We figured her old owners weren’t really feeding her the best food, because the hair below her chin was gone. Other than those few hot spots, Sage was a fine, a playful little puppy. She loved to play and she loved to hang out! My pugs are of course not as energetic, but Ichiro enjoyed Sage. Sage needed to go to a home where they would love her forever.
Sage ended up going to home with no kids, but 2 other small dogs. We knew she would enjoy playing with dogs, so this home was a perfect home! I was sad when Sage left, because she really lightened up the days with her sunshiny personality, and playful actions. I was happy to see Sage go to a great home, but also happy to see who my next foster was going to be.
 
Winston, My Current Foster
Winston is so far a challenging foster. He came into rescue because his old owners didn’t want to deal with his allergies anymore. We knew if they just gave up Winston because of his allergies, then his allergies had to be pretty harsh. Once we saw him, and his injures from allergies, we knew they were not just harsh….VERY harsh.
Winston is the most stubborn pug I have ever met. He was so scared, so confused, so upset he wasn’t home…he wouldn’t do anything. He wouldn’t even eat for like the first 2 weeks! He just started to eat. He has a VERY, VERY, VERY picky pallet. He won’t eat Honest Kitchen Slop, he won’t eat Taste of the Wild dog food plain, only with yogurt, or an egg in it. He likes Wellness Core canned dog food, though! So, we are very excited he’s eating right now.
A few days after we got Winston, when he was still scared half to death, he went into surgery. He had scratched the fur under his chin raw. They were bleeding, and looked really bad. He was going to get a deep cleaning, and we would need to keep him from itching in the mean time while they were healing. He also got a hard lump out. It was located right above his front left leg. Everything was going well, but then Winston itched, and got his stitches infected. We are trying to keep them under control, and things are going well.
Winston is now not as scared, and trusts us pretty well now. He still won’t eat that much, but he is drinking lots and he loves our couch! He loves to cuddle up and watch T.V. with my stepdad. I am really starting to like Winston, he is a really sweet pug once you get to know him!
 
Conclusion
I love fostering pugs. It’s such a great experience and I love helping pugs in need. I hope that when I’m older, I will be able to foster and help pugs just like we do know. Fostering has taught me many things, like some people really do abandon and trash their dogs. And, dogs can have allergies. It has also given me more strength. Fostering pugs may be sad, or challenging, or even frustrating, but I love it and I always want to do it. It’s just my thing!

Wow, what a great girl she is. You must be very proud of her.

wow!!! and she's only 12? very smart girl that one.

This is wonderful. The part about Lucky made me tear up. I think it's one of the best pro-fostering articles I have read.

Yes, she is only 12. I can hardly believe it. And, I am super proud of her. The part about Lucky makes me cry every time I read it.

I think she will do wonderful things for rescue when she is older. She really gets what fostering is about, and why it is so important.

I love it! Renee your daughter is an amazing kid who is obviously learning some great lessons from this experience.
She's going to be a great pug foster parent some day!

Interesting to read her take on the pugs you've had, and the way she remembers their stories as opposed to the way I remember their stories.

What a fun read!

Unfortunately I haven't kept a record. I am not sure how many dogs I've fostered now. I will have to go thru my pictures and keep track. I'd like to remember.

Maryjo wrote:Interesting to read her take on the pugs you've had, and the way she remembers their stories as opposed to the way I remember their stores.

What a fun read!

Unfortunately I haven't kept a record. I am not sure how many dogs I've fostered now. I will have to go thru my pictures and keep track. I'd like to remember.

Yes, the differences in perception are very interesting. I see some things stand out to her more than they did to me or the other way around. She doesn't remember things about them that I clearly remember.

I am not good at documenting a whole lot about each foster either... but, I always take quite a few pictures.

What a cool journal and a cool kid! We need to hook her up with the young girl with the pug blog who volunteers for DFW. They could be long distance pug pals!

You should be very proud of her. She's a super cool kid and the Lucky story was very sad.

Wow!! Beautifully written from her heart.

You have an amazing daughter Renee:)

That's quite a daughter you have there, Renee. Smart as a whip, clearly.

It's interesting to read a 12-year-old's perspective on the pugs; it focuses so much on their personalities and feelings, and very little on the medical (I guess because she's not in charge of the rescue's bills!), which is what's truly the most important thing for fosters when you get right down to it (the personalities and feelings, that is).

What a fun read!

Beautiful. I loved reading it. You have a great daughter!

Renee, thank you so very much for posting your daughter's writing. It was beautifully writen and so interesting to get her point of view on the pugs that you have fostered in your home. I too, got all teary eyed when I read about Lucky.