Sunday in Front Royal

Hercules was good but
was bored with it all until
I got his ball out of the van.

I drove to Front Royal for a VGSR adoption event on Sunday despite predictions of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.  It did snow some, and rained some coming home, and then we got some snow overnight as the temperature dropped.  The folks in the valley must have been busy stocking up and hunkering down because it was a quiet afternoon.
 

This is Herc meeting another foster
dog at the adoption event.

My primary reason for going, however, was to transfer Barack to another foster home.  It's a home I've placed dogs with before and he will get what he needs in the way of training, socialization, and exposure to get him adopted.  It will be Barack's third foster home, which ordinarily isn't ideal, but he was going stir crazy in the first one; he had plenty of activity here, but his adoption prospects were not improving; in the third home he'll have other dogs, activity, and training that will improve his adoptability.  Besides, he's not a dog that's overly bonded to one person.  He's quite happy to go with the flow and see what's in store, always hoping that it will be something interesting.
 
Toquima went back home on Sunday too, so with Lady's demise we ended the weekend with three less dogs.  That's not a shortage, mind you, we still have 14 total, 7 indoors, and one more moving indoors on Monday (Rocky, after his neuter surgery). 

I'm happy to say that Maya is really settling in and acting like she lives here.  She does a big alert bark if any other dog starts one.  On Monday she jumped out of the dog yard, which isn't good, but she ran up to the house on the boardwalk, which is great. 

He's a sweet boy and he will
make someone a great dog.
His youth really made me appreciate
the senior dogs even more.



Barack helped himself to all the toys
that they keep down at dog level.

Hercules is on a limited ingredient diet and medication for skin and ear infections.  I'm hoping the diet will address those problems and still enable him to gain weight.  If not, we'll stick with the diet and add the enzyme back into his routine.

Here's some pics from Sunday's event.  It's a 2.5 hour drive each way, longer than I care to make, but it got Barack moved to a home where he'll have a better shot at adoption.  There's two more local shepherds heading my way probably within the next week or two, so I need to keep some moving out as well. 

Monday was a dark, wet, depressing day, made worse by several contacts from people asking me to take dogs.  I can't fault anyone for trying and I don't object to be asked, but I hate the fact that I'm obliged to say no more often than not.  One was from someone who was losing their home, and I can really sympathize with their plight, but it didn't sound like something I could help.  She lived in Henrico so I encouraged her to contact the Richmond SPCA sooner rather than later because they have an intake waiting list.  The other was an email about a rottie that someone had found and kept but was going to euthanize when they move.  Looks and sounds like a good dog.  Of the two incoming shepherds, I think I'll be able to move one right away to another foster home.  The other one may or may not come, we'll see.