Smokey’s Story
Smokey came to us as a stray, and was such a loving dog. He may have been in some pain, but he never let his discomfort get the best of him. When our vets examined him, they found that he had growths on his feet as well as his throat.
After performing radiographs and more tests, they discovered that he had Stage 3 Lymphoma, which is cancer of the lymphocytes.
Although we had just learned of Smokey’s cancer diagnosis, he was still very happy and active. When pets are still under our care and treatment, but require the comfort of a home, we will send them out to a hospice foster. This person/people will take the pet into their home and give then the best possible life they can with their time here. The next step was to find a hospice foster for Smokey.
One of our dedicated foster volunteers, Kirsty, saw that Smokey needed a home. On the same day that she gave back her litter of foster pups to be adopted, she picked Smokey up.
Make Their Time Count
Kirsty has since fallen in love with dear Smokey, as he is the most loving and loyal companion. They spend lots of time together, and she takes him on many adventures. Kirsty understands the importance of giving pets the best last days that she possibly can.
“It is important to foster because you get to cheer up an animals and give them their last part of life the best life that they could have, It is so rewarding knowing that you did everything you could do for the animal.” — Kirsty, Smokey’s foster mom.
Hospice fostering is not easy a lot of the time, but you get to know what you are doing is truly making a difference.
“The hardest part about hospice fostering is when you lose them. It never gets easier, but knowing that you gave them the best life really helps heal the pain.” — Kirsty, Smokey’s foster mom.
They have made Smokey a part of their family, and shower him in so much love. We can tell from the joy in his photos that he is really living a great life.
“Smokey is the most loving, kind doggy soul, He has not a mean bone in him. He is attached at my hip and goes everywhere I go. He follows me from room to room, he sleeps next to my bed on his comfy bed and is seriously the best dog. He loves going for car rides and to snuggle (he is the best snuggler around). He loves getting treats and will stand and wait for one.” — Kirsty, Smokey’s foster mom.
Smokey loves his new mom so much, he sits and waits for her to return when she leaves. In just a short amount of time, he has already become attached and knows that this is the place for him. When it is time for Smokey to leave us, we know that he has been in the best hands possible.
Smokey sitting on the driveway waiting for Kirsty to return from the store.
Hospice fostering is one of the important ways that you can impact a pet’s life. Many do not realize that you can make such a difference in bringing a pet into your home in their most vulnerable time, when they have nowhere else to go.
If you are interested in learning more about our Foster Program, please visit our Foster Page.