I know Small Paws well! I run Lone Star Lab Rescue in Dallas. We are a small group, but we work hard at what we do!

My accountant tells me that I have to cut back on the SPR donations, but I want to be in their good graces for when we CAN get our pup2b! With our allergies, we'd like a bichon who's between a pup and 5 years old. I think the older ones have even more joy to them!

DH would LOVE to get a Lab, but just can't tolerate them. We'd have to change our last name to "the Redeyes"!

Let's not forget those of us with (or recently without) a smallish dog. When walking said dog, people always say, "She's so pretty!!" Surely some of these people release that there has to be some males to keep the breed pure!

He's a freaking MALE, and not a freaking POODLE, either!! Sheesh!

You would not believe how many times I've heard people refer to Whiskey as "she". My father-in-law in particular continually asks how "she" is doing - sometimes, when he's on the phone with us, I hear my mother-in-law in the background yelling "HE! HE! HE'S A BOY!" :D

When someone asks me about my cat and says something like "How is she doing?" I usually say something like, "Oh, Whiskey? He's doing fine, a real bundle of energy." I indicate the correct sex without making a huge point of it. But it seems like some people believe all cats are female ... in which case, uhhh ... where do kittens come from? ;)

Honey, did you recently lose a dog and did I miss it? If so, I'm sorry for your loss.

I tend to call all dogs "she" because my most recent dog was a she. When my most recent dog was a "he", I called them all "he" at first.

Dawww, I love bunnies. We had one for a while but allergies become unbearable for my dad, so we had to give him away :( We found him a new home with other bunnies though, so that was good :)

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...22152612_n.jpg

My "manly" kitten in a violet floral lettered bag....

I have fostered both dogs & cats for various rescue groups for more than 20 years. Now I run a Lab rescue. It is a topic that will vary a lot, depending on whether you want to foster dogs or cats. Pick one! The experience is very different depending on the species.

Best place to start is by looking at the rescue organizations available nearby.

Thank you, aephialum. It's been almost a year, but we're active lookers for a new bichon. We'd love to get a youngish (uETAnder 5) rescue.


ETA a picture of Buffy (Mr. Buff), who went to the Rainbow Bridge last year:


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ppy_Buffy2.jpg

Actually, if you really want to FOSTER and not adopt a pet, most agencies would prefer that you can handle the shorter attachment. There are times when they know that Martha Mange will be taking the dog, but is mid-move or mid-divorce, or whatever, but they want the dog (or cat) to still be in a home enviroment until Martha's ready. Those are perfect fosters. People who chose to foster but then can't give them up and end up adopting the dog or cat usually say that they "flunked fostering"! We all know that I would flunk fostering, so I avoid looking at those. (*sigh*)

This is Cletus. That's all he does is eat and sleep. He is one lazy cat.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8324/8...11a5e7172a.jpg

yeah, that "Mr. Cute-Face" has eaten about 15 holes in my bed sheets, peed on the couch (twice) and me (once) and eaten two holes in my couch (which is hideous and needs to be re-upholstered anyway). Yet, he still has the nerve to be "Mr. Rock-Star-Rabbit-with-a-God-Complex" when I come in the morning with the food.

I do adore him, though. In fact, he is currently two feet away from me on the couch digging through the Sunday sale papers. (and, eating all the corners).