Even though being a foster parent to a pup isn’t an easy job, it sure is rewarding!
Helping a pup who just needs a bit more love and attention to overcome the difficulties they face in life and finally seeing a smile on their face is one of the best feelings ever.
A feeling that a foster mama named Tamara is well familiar with.
One Scared Pup
When Tamara took in a foster pup in need of some extra love, as soon as she saw her, she immediately knew that it was going to be a hard task.
“She was hiding in the back of the crate, with her head faced the other way. She wouldn’t make eye contact. She was huddled as small as she could,” Tamara told The Dodo.
Even when Tamara went to check up on her the next day, the pup was still sitting at the back of the crate, trying to hide away from the world.
All Tamara wanted to do at that point was pick her up, cuddle her, and reassure her that everything would be okay, but since she knew that pups in such conditions needed to relax at their own pace, she just gave her some space.
The next day, however, the pup started trusting Tamara more and came to the edge of the crate in order to eat.
She even held eye contact with her foster mom – something that she avoided ever since they met.
The same afternoon, the pup came out of her crate, licked Tamara’s hand, and quickly retrieved it back. This small gesture reassured Tamara that they were making progress.
“She probably was just thinking like ‘They are feeding me, it’s warm, maybe it’s a safe place!’” she added.
And then, something incredible happened.
Magical Friendship
On one occasion, Tamara’s son decided to approach the pup with some food in his hand. When he got close, he called the pup out, and she came!
“She just all of a sudden ran out, and her tail was wagging and she said hello. He just looked at me like ‘Mom, she said hi!’ So, he was pretty, pretty excited,” said Tamara.
From that point onward, things only got better.
The pup, named Parker, truly came out of her shell and started enjoying every single moment with her foster family.
And, seeing Parker go from a shy pup to one who adores playing with every hooman she meets made Tamara’s heart overflow with joy.
However, this also meant that Parker was ready to find a family of her own – something that happened rather quickly.
New Life
As soon as Parker arrived at her new house, she immediately settled in.
She loved her new family as well as her new furry sibling, Willow, with whom she clicked the second they met.
“She really blossomed, and it’s crazy to think that she even was that same dog,” said Kristen, Parker’s mom.
Now, Parker is living the best life ever, spending her days having fun playdates and sweet cuddles with her new family.
Good girl, Parker!