Karson's Happy Ending

Just before Thanksgiving 2006, an adorably precocious pup named Karson arrived in BTRNC care. His older fur sister had a jealous streak and did not take to the strapping young lad so off Karson went to fosterland at the tender age of 8 months.

His adventures in fosterland were chronicled in a previous blog which you may peruse at your liking.

When Karson visited the vet to be micro-chipped he caught the eye of a vet tech who had been longing for a Boston Terrier of her own. An adoption application was submitted days later and 2 weeks before Christmas, Karson not only had a home and yard of his very own, he also had a new mom, dad and 2 feline siblings.

We received this note from Karson's new family along with a few pictures that warrant an adoring audience.

"Karson seems to be really enjoying himself here and has, well, become a spoiled rotten little man... He enjoys his new feline brothers, not sure the feeling is mutual. Right now they pretty much tolerate the little blurr of black and white. He enjoys the park next door, and likes being under the covers to snuggle.

We are very glad that Karson got to come live with us, and now I don't think we would be able to live without him. We love him very much."

Cheers for Karson and his doting parents, applauds

The Bashful Boston

Princess' Forever Foster Home

There is an ongoing joke in BTRNC centered around those who have failed at fostering. Failed not because harm was done to their dogs but because they fell in love with their foster dogs and couldn't part with them when the time came to adopt them out!

Here is the tale of one failed fostering experience from our volunteer, Mary Jane.

Princess was my first (and last) foster. I fostered Princess for 2 months and when the time came for her to go to her forever home, I realized she already had a forever home. I could not part with her. So, I joined the ranks of people who failed fostering. Though I know foster homes are badly needed, this was just something I could not do. Thankfully, there are folks who can, not because they don’t get attached or don’t care, they just have the needed will power to let them go to make room for another.

Princess was pulled from a shelter where she was dumped not once, but twice. Her last adoptive family took her back to the shelter because they didn’t think she liked children and they thought she could not hear. The day she was pulled was her last day before being put to sleep. Thankfully, I saw the emergency posting, and offered to foster her. It turned out that Princess was deaf but she loves my 3 year old grandson. Princess has adapted well to being deaf; she closely watches her siblings for cues; if they run out the pet door barking, she runs out barking, too! She follows them everywhere they go. We tried teaching her hand signals but later saw that it worked better to let the other two know what we wanted and she would follow suit. I have not regretted keeping Princess at all. She is a joy to all of us and we love her very much!

Our hearts are warmed each time we hear of another failed foster experience because we know that a lost dog has found his home.

Each time we lose a foster home it means we need a foster home to replace them. So, whether you think you'll be a great success or a failure, we welcome foster home applicants! Please visit our Volunteer page for more information.

On the Road with Otto

Otto traveled many miles before settling into his foster home. From Georgia into the NC mountains across the piedmont and to the sandy coast, Otto met many volunteers along his journey. He rested for several nights in Athens, GA and parked for another night in Arden, NC. The pictures included in this blog are snapshots of Otto on his journey.

Today, Otto is just happy to have a chance to slow down and enjoy life. He is having a grand ol' time in foster care. He enjoys competing for toys with his foster siblings and the company of his foster parents.

Foster parents, Marc and Heather, say Otto is just a loveable little guy. He loves sprawling out on his back and snoring the night away. On the coldest of nights he's even allowed to climb into bed with the family for a cozy cuddle session.

Life doesn't get much better, does it? For Otto, it surely will! We know there is a family out there with a big heart and an even bigger bed! If this road warrior is the dog for you, please visit our Available Dogs page and get working on that application!

Valentine Cards

Today's mail has arrived and BTRNC has received a few adorable Valentine cards that we'd like to share with you!


Our first card is from foster dog Demi (aka Thumper) and her sister Clover. Demi has been in foster care recovering from mange. She quickly captured the heart of her foster family and they have announced they plan to adopt her! Congratulations Demi!


Our next card is from Lulu. Lulu was rescued from a backyard breeder by a Good Samaritan who was horrified to see her in such poor living conditions. Lulu recuperated physically in foster care and made great strides learning to trust people. Adopted in November of 2005 by a retired couple in western NC, Lulu is now living the pampered life.



Last is our popular Flanigan boys. Popeye (on right) was adopted by his foster mother in 2004 after successfully recovering from mange. He and his adorable brother Harley are exceptional at posing for holiday photos.


The Bashful Boston asks that you share your Valentine's Day with your loved ones- whether they be two or four-legged. Make sure the ones around you know how much they are loved!

Dallas' Save

Last Friday evening, BTRNC learned that a Boston Terrier was sitting in a high-kill shelter. The dog had been on the adoption floor for two days. Although he had no doubt done his best to catch the attention of passerbys no one noticed him. Terrified that the dog would be heading to the shelter's gas chamber, our volunteers rushed to the shelter the very next morning and adopted the dog. All in a span of 12 hours.

That is dedication.

This is Dallas' save. How Dallas ended up at the shelter is a mystery. What we know is that we rescued one very grateful dog. Dallas is on his very best behavior in foster care. He listens to his foster mom, he does his business outside and he accepts his role as newcomer in the pack. He is submissive and he is sweet. He is a dream. After a week in foster care we are yet to unveil any "issues" or "flaws" in Dallas' personality. Nothing that would tell us why someone would let this teddybear slip through their fingers.

Their loss. Our gain.

Dallas is ready to be adopted into a home that will hold this guy tight. His placement limitations are few. He is obedient, he is housetrained, he enjoys other dogs and we suspect he might get along with children- even the little ones.

Visit Dallas on the Available Dogs page. If this is the guy for you, get work on the application! Better hurry or the Bashful Boston might beat you to it.

A Day at the Office

The Hicks clan is enjoying a lazy afternoon chewing bones, burrowing in covers and snuggling against one another while dad is at work in his home office.

From left to right is Oliver O'Neal, Harley Bandit,
Mulligan Callaway and Fenway 4-Sox.

Is the Bashful Boston alone in her desire to break out into song?

"Four little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED"

Timmy's Sad Expression

Looking into Timmy's eyes, one can see the gentle soul that lies beneath. A little bit of timid mixed with a whole lot of sweet makes one endearing dog. Timmy is a sensitive boy and his expressions convey this. He is slowly coming out of his shell in foster care and his playful canine ways are emerging. He is excellent with other dogs and loves to race and play tug. Every once in a while he'll get up the courage to sneak off with someone else's toy.

Loud noises and yelling frighten Timmy so he needs a fairly quiet home.

What strikes us most about these pictures is the sad expression on Timmy's face. Photo after photo, his expression rarely changes. His foster mom says she has seen him smile while playfully throwing a toy high into the air or racing through the backyard. Unfortunately, the smile was fleeting and replaced with this pensive look. Timmy looks as if he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He's not scared dog, just a little worried.

Timmy craves an adoptive family who will provide him stability. He needs a safe place to rest his head each night and he needs to know he's loved. As Timmy relaxes, we are confident that the weight on his shoulders will ease and a heartwarming smile will emerge.

If you want to put a smile on Timmy's face, please visit him on the Available Dogs page and submit your application. This gentle, loving dog deserves a happy ending.

Henri and his Pajamas

This is not Henri's first appearance on the Boston Blogger. As avid readers will remember, young Henri was adopted by a BTRNC volunteer in the fall of 2006. Henri was born with a neurological defect that has left him incontinent for the rest of his life. You can read the full story in his original blog.

Raising an incontinent dog is no easy task and it's defintely not for everyone. We aren't going to sugarcoat the fact that this can be a messy, frustrating job. Fortunately, Henri has a clever adoptive mom that devised creative fixes to the problems she encoutered.

The first creative fix is credited to Henri's foster mom, Laura. When Henri's diapers wouldn't stay up, she made a pair of comfortable suspenders. This allowed Henri to run and play in his home without a bothersome drooping diaper!

Changing Henri's diaper on the kitchen counter didn't seem too sanitary even to the most devoted of animal rescuers. A baby changing table was brought into the home to solve this diaper changing problem. Here we have Henri relaxing on his very own table.

And what is Henri wearing, you ask? Why, they are puppy PJs of course! During the day, Henri wears his suspenders to keep his diapers in place but after continuous wear, poor Henri's armpits were becoming raw. That's when Henri's mom found a pair of pajamas that were just Henri's size. His pajamas not only keep him warm but they keep his diaper in place so he doesn't have any accidents during the night.

Ingenious design conceived out of love for a pup with a disability. It doesn't get any better than this proclaims

The Bashful Boston

SNOW DAY

Many east coast states were blanketed with snow yesterday! Foster and adoptive parents across the region wrote in to share pictures of their Bostons enjoying the snow in their own unique ways.


In central North Carolina foster dog Pauley went out to investigate the cold, white stuff. His journey didn't last long as he was at the door asking to be let in only moments after this picture was taken.
Pauley we applaud your curiousity!


Tootsie in northern Georgia wasn't too happy about having to go out into the cold to do her business. Her adoptive mom snapped this picture of Tootsie in a private moment.


Here we have Buddy in Greensboro, NC bundled up in his favorite fleece. Although the fleece kept Buddy safe from the elements he was quick to come knocking on the door for his foster mom to let him back in!

Harley in Charlotte, NC passed on the cold, wet stuff and instead curled up in front of the fire for a nap. Smart girl, insists



The Bashful Boston