Rescue Me: Foster "fail" becomes one of the family
Editor's note: This new weekly series will highlight stories from our readers about animals they've rescued, fostered or adopted. Do you have a great story to tell about how your dog or cat (or any other animal — we love them all) became part of your family? We'd love to hear it. Fill out the form here. Questions? Email digital editor Beth Hutson at bhutson@fayobserver.com. Be sure to join our Facebook group, FO Pet Welfare & Rescue. Parts of this story have been edited for clarity.
This week's story comes to us from Ashleigh Shinkle, who started fostering to pass the time while her husband was deployed and ended up falling in love with a sickly puppy.
Kella is a 16-month-old pup who completely changed our hearts! (My husband and I) have been together for five years and seem to add a new furbaby to our family each year we’ve been together -- now up to four cats, a dog and now a 2-month-old baby!
We had been discussing getting a dog for quite a while but knew he’d be coming up on a deployment anytime. I wasn’t excited about taking care of a puppy and four cats by myself, plus we wanted to make sure the puppy knew and loved him, too.
I decided to volunteer with Carolina Hearts Aussie Rescue, doing reference checks for applicants to pass the time my husband was deployed. Exactly one week before he was expected home, they posted the saddest and cutest picture of a little puppy who needed a foster from Cumberland County Animal Shelter.
[Fayetteville area shelter pets for adoption]
It didn’t take either of us very long to agree to foster her -- she was just adorable! When I picked her up, she looked at me with these big puppy eyes, and I knew she stole my heart.
It wasn’t easy at first. Kella had sarcoptic mange and rickets and needed to be quarantined from our four cats until she was cleared of the mange. Within just a couple of weeks, new fur growth was noticeable, and her rickets had cleared up after a couple months of a good, healthy diet!
When my husband got home and met her, he was instantly in love, too. Kella ended up becoming our “forever foster.”
Since day one, this girl has had quite the personality. She loves to play fetch with her daddy and torture her kitty brother, Acey. The other three kitties tolerate her as much as a cat can tolerate a dog. Since Kella is so full of energy, and likes to chew holes in the wall or take out the inserts of every shoe she can find, we put her in doggy daycare at Cross Creek Animal Hospital. She has the best time there and has made so many friends!
[Fayetteville area pets available from rescues]
Kella recently got a new human sister, too! Our first day home from the hospital, we introduced them. Kella sniffed very intently and backed away growling! She was not too sure of this tiny, crying ball of blankets. Now, Kella loves her sister and especially likes showing her the right way to do tummy time or taking her for walks.
When we first got Kella, no one had any idea what kind of dog she was. We found this fabulous company called Wisdom Panel that does DNA tests on dogs. All it took was two simple cheek swabs, and they sent us a super detailed report! We found out that she is 25 percent golden retriever, 25 percent American Staffordshire terrier, 12.5 percent German shepherd, 12.5 percent chow chow and 25 percent mixed breed. It even pointed out some possible physical and health traits based on her genetics and the type of dog she is.
Kella has truly been the perfect addition to our crazy family, and we couldn’t ask for a better puppy!
Ashleigh Shinkle, 29, works in Fayetteville as a pediatric occupational therapist. She lives in Raeford with her husband 30, who is in the Army, and their 2-month-old daughter. Be sure to check out Kella on Instagram at @princesspuppyflake.
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Read the previous stories in our Rescue Me series
