a star that suddenly becomes thousands of times brighter and then gradually fades to its original intensity.
That is the name of the puppy I'm fostering through Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue. Paul and I have been wanting a dog for a while, but didn't know quite what we could handle yet, and decided it would be better to provide temporary homes to dogs that would otherwise stay in shelters and be euthanized. The goal is to have her adopted, and then foster another one... and another one...
The need for foster parents in Alaska has grown a lot since the Mat-Su shelter seized 157 dogs from a "breeder" that were all starving to death. Around 20 were already found dead on the premise, one dog had to be euthanized at the shelter, and some of the dogs seized may not make it per the last article I read. They were starving so bad that their recovery is long and hard.
The town has risen to the occasion by sending in donations of food, straw (for warm bedding), supplies, and money. But these dogs are in a shelter that was already full, and the shelter cannot have them adopted yet because they are part of a criminal investigation - so until the judge declares the hoarder "guilty" those dogs are at a standstill. So the rescue is helping by pulling out dogs that were there before the seizure and are adoptable and placing them in foster homes and in their adoption clinics.
Seems like we picked a perfect time to get involved!
So we have this sweet, small husky mix named Nova. I'm praying she lives up to her name! I'm waiting for her to spark. It may take a while, or it may never happen... she's still a lovable dog either way.
She is ridiculously timid and submissive. If it was up to her, she'll stay in her kennel forever. She's afraid to come to us, and if our cat walks by her food she will run into the bathroom in the dark and stay there until the coast is clear. I have to prepare the house to get her to eat; get the kids to quiet down, but Caleb in his crib, feed Leo something else in the kitchen.
She won't bite. She won't even whimper. She is mute as far as we know. She just ducks for cover. She'll pace around the house until she finds a lonely place to lay down.
The kids offer her plenty of love and help. They like being involved in feeding her and they pet her as often as they walk by her. Of course, no one will take her out for walks except for me (wait... Paul did... ONCE) because it's like, -15.
She looks sad/depressed most of the time.
Her mellow nature helps because we are in an apartment building... so I don't have to worry about neighbor complaints. It was perfect for Leo because he's sooo much more relaxed and he wasn't used to dogs at all. He did NOT like dogs. But he likes Nova about as much as he likes our sofa. The kids are more gentle and quiet around the house only in consideration for Nova (they don't care if I have a migraine - but for Nova, they'll quiet down).
She takes on lots of love. You can tell she needs it too. I'll sit next to her on the floor and just rub her head and behind the ears and her eyes will get real big as she looks at me. I've seen her wag her tail twice (normally it's permanently positioned between her legs, and she only moves it out of the way to pee); once I was feeding her, the other time I had doggie snacks in my hand and she seemed interested in one. A couple of times she has walked up to me and Paul for a head scratch, which is leaps of progress.
Her usual, if she will have it, is to lay in the back of the kennel all day.
I can't help but wonder what has happened to her in the estimated past 6 years that she has no spirit or personality other than "EVADE!" Poor baby. It must've been a very rough life. And if I pick up the broom, she somehow manages to cower even lower than usual.
Why is this blog-worthy for me? Because I feel like God is trying to teach me something. Am I as withdrawn and discouraged from Him as she seems to be with the rest of the world? And how do you help heal a broken heart (mines, a friends, or a church members)? An injured, sick body has ways to be recovered... manuals, books, veterinary instructions... But how do you restore a spirit that has been broken? Will MY heart and MY broken spirit ever be restored?
In other words, will either one of us ever witness our burst (of light)?
That is the name of the puppy I'm fostering through Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue. Paul and I have been wanting a dog for a while, but didn't know quite what we could handle yet, and decided it would be better to provide temporary homes to dogs that would otherwise stay in shelters and be euthanized. The goal is to have her adopted, and then foster another one... and another one...
The need for foster parents in Alaska has grown a lot since the Mat-Su shelter seized 157 dogs from a "breeder" that were all starving to death. Around 20 were already found dead on the premise, one dog had to be euthanized at the shelter, and some of the dogs seized may not make it per the last article I read. They were starving so bad that their recovery is long and hard.
The town has risen to the occasion by sending in donations of food, straw (for warm bedding), supplies, and money. But these dogs are in a shelter that was already full, and the shelter cannot have them adopted yet because they are part of a criminal investigation - so until the judge declares the hoarder "guilty" those dogs are at a standstill. So the rescue is helping by pulling out dogs that were there before the seizure and are adoptable and placing them in foster homes and in their adoption clinics.
Seems like we picked a perfect time to get involved!
So we have this sweet, small husky mix named Nova. I'm praying she lives up to her name! I'm waiting for her to spark. It may take a while, or it may never happen... she's still a lovable dog either way.
She is ridiculously timid and submissive. If it was up to her, she'll stay in her kennel forever. She's afraid to come to us, and if our cat walks by her food she will run into the bathroom in the dark and stay there until the coast is clear. I have to prepare the house to get her to eat; get the kids to quiet down, but Caleb in his crib, feed Leo something else in the kitchen.
She won't bite. She won't even whimper. She is mute as far as we know. She just ducks for cover. She'll pace around the house until she finds a lonely place to lay down.
The kids offer her plenty of love and help. They like being involved in feeding her and they pet her as often as they walk by her. Of course, no one will take her out for walks except for me (wait... Paul did... ONCE) because it's like, -15.
She looks sad/depressed most of the time.
Her mellow nature helps because we are in an apartment building... so I don't have to worry about neighbor complaints. It was perfect for Leo because he's sooo much more relaxed and he wasn't used to dogs at all. He did NOT like dogs. But he likes Nova about as much as he likes our sofa. The kids are more gentle and quiet around the house only in consideration for Nova (they don't care if I have a migraine - but for Nova, they'll quiet down).
She takes on lots of love. You can tell she needs it too. I'll sit next to her on the floor and just rub her head and behind the ears and her eyes will get real big as she looks at me. I've seen her wag her tail twice (normally it's permanently positioned between her legs, and she only moves it out of the way to pee); once I was feeding her, the other time I had doggie snacks in my hand and she seemed interested in one. A couple of times she has walked up to me and Paul for a head scratch, which is leaps of progress.
Her usual, if she will have it, is to lay in the back of the kennel all day.
I can't help but wonder what has happened to her in the estimated past 6 years that she has no spirit or personality other than "EVADE!" Poor baby. It must've been a very rough life. And if I pick up the broom, she somehow manages to cower even lower than usual.
Why is this blog-worthy for me? Because I feel like God is trying to teach me something. Am I as withdrawn and discouraged from Him as she seems to be with the rest of the world? And how do you help heal a broken heart (mines, a friends, or a church members)? An injured, sick body has ways to be recovered... manuals, books, veterinary instructions... But how do you restore a spirit that has been broken? Will MY heart and MY broken spirit ever be restored?
In other words, will either one of us ever witness our burst (of light)?
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