HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM BTRNC

No tricks - just two cute bostons all dressed up for Halloween! Meet Zoey who was formerly known as Mia while on our available dogs page.

She and her boston sibling, Mr. Bean adore each other and their family. They may not be overly thrilled about the Halloween costumes as you may gather from their faces. They are more than willing to put up with this once a year in return for 364 days of love, play, blankets, and kisses!

Remember to keep your fur babies out of the chocolate and away from the front door during trick and treat. Costumes may frighten the friendliest of dogs so consider your dog's personality and fear thresh hold before taking them with you through the neighborhood.

If you have a black cat, you may want to keep her indoors over this weekend. Black cats are considered unlucky and often associated with Halloween. There are unfortunately some not so nice people in the world!

Thank you for your support of BTRNC. Have a howling good Halloween!

SANCTUARY SPOTLIGHT -

MISSY PRISSY

If you follow our blog, then you know about the Sanctuary. BTRNC moves these precious dogs from active foster dogs seeking adoption to Sanctuary status when we reasonably determine that chances for a new forever family are slim but we want to keep them on our website and update visitors on their progress. Of course, we would always be willing to consider a formal adoption should a perfect match come along. In the meantime, however, we want to provide these older or sick babies with the comfort and security of a home with all it's perks with a foster family.

Unfortunately, we have to say good bye forever to many sanctuary kids as their time comes to cross the bridge. It is heartbreaking to the foster families, but at the same time rewarding to know that they have provided stability and love during their final days, months, or years on this side of the Rainbow Bridge. Our most recent Rainbow Bridge resident is Eve who crossed on October 19th. She will be missed.

Today we shine the light on Missy who was quickly named Missy Prissy by her foster Mom. Her story emphasizes the importance of net working whether on a social net working site, group e-mail distributions or word of mouth. MP as I shall call her landed in foster care and ultimately in our sanctuary through a chain of luck and contacts. She was found as a stray by a couple when she came walking into their driveway. They contacted the local shelter to see if anyone was missing a Boston Terrier. No luck there. They then ran ads in the local paper hoping that her owner would see it and contact them. No luck there, either. Missy's luck changed, however when the ad was spotted by a relative of someone who had previously adopted from BTRNC. She contacted the couple and gave them the contact information for BTRNC. Within days, Missy began her new life safely in foster care.

Her luck unfortunately did not extend to her health status. She is heart worm positive, has severe upper respiratory issues and almost left us in July before rallying and showing her spirit to survive. Her health care is expensive and her needs are certainly more than a younger dog but the reward of seeing in her eyes the devotion to her "person" cannot be measured in cost. She loves to snuggle, and give kisses, follows her person every where and will double and triple check during the night that her person is still there in bed. Perhaps she remembers what it was like to have lost a family and she wants to make sure that doesn't happen to her again.

We don't know how long MP will be with us but thanks to her foster mom, she will be loved and cared for as long as she can stay! Missy Prissy's bio is on our Available Dogs page under the Sanctuary.

ENVIRONMENT IS EVERYTHING

You know how the most ill behaved children in the world can suddenly turn into angels when they are in a neighbor's house, school or other organization when supervised by different adults? It's like they know how to behave, what to do and not to do but yet do the exact opposite in their own homes.

Dogs can often exhibit similar behavior. The same dog that is turned over to rescue for destroying the furniture, never chews up a thing in his foster home. Many dogs are turned over to BTRNC because they are not good with children. Yet, many of these same dogs are wonderful with the children in their foster home or the children they encounter on walks and in other settings.

Is this because the dogs like it better in their foster homes or do they have more respect for their foster families or are they terrified that if they break the rules, they will be homeless again? These are the things that weigh on the Boastful Boston's mind!

Whatever the reason, we are always glad when things work out that way. Here is Tyson, adopted in 2008.

Tyson was turned over to rescue because he could not get along with other dogs. He was a perfect gentlemen in his foster home, interacting and playing well with the other dogs in his foster home. Then he was adopted out to a family who returned him stating that he was not good with children. He finally found his perfect home. His new family's update states that "Tyson is the sweetest, cuddliest, well behaved little guy I have ever had."

In his new home, Tyson loves the 3 year old neighbor and the neighborhood dogs. He walks well on a leash, plays with the cat and loves his toys. His foster Mom says that she is in love!

The morale of the story is that sometimes the perfect home equals the perfect dog. May they all find their version of perfection!