14 May Foster Friday: Meet Lori P.
As a part of our 10,000 lives saved celebration we will be featuring the stories of some of our fosters, both Northern and Southern, old and new. As a rescue that does not have a shelter facility, fosters are a vital part of our rescue.
Meet Lori P., a long-time southern foster who has been around since the inception of Last Hope!
What is your position in the rescue?
I am the lead to help oversee a group of our southern fosters in Arkansas and also serve as the shelter liaison for three of the shelters in Arkansas that we pull dogs from: Kensett, Bald Knob, and Judsonia.
What year did you join?
March of 2012
Why did you decide to join Last Hope?
I was the first southern foster for Last Hope, and I was on the phone with the founder of the rescue the day it started. I had called her about a puppy that needed help to get out of the shelter.
How many fosters have you had?
Hundreds, I lost count a long time ago!
What do you think has been the biggest change in the rescue since you started?
It went from being two people to so many people now. When I picked up that first dog, Guinness, I cried on my way home. I kept thinking “oh my God, this is such a wonderful opportunity for the dogs in Arkansas. What if we could take one dog every week? Or 5 dogs?” And now you look at the organization, which is composed of hundreds of people across Arkansas and New England, and the number of dogs we have taken and are still taking…it’s mind-boggling. I am so extremely proud of this organization. As someone who has been here since the beginning, this has been like watching a child grow up. This organization is deep in my heart and I can’t imagine not being a part of it.
What is your favorite adoption story?
Back in 2012, I got a call from a woman whose family owned a pet cremation company. She picked up a dog from a local vet that had been put down because the owner could not take care of him anymore. The family had another dog that was still with the vet and was due to be put down later that week. I picked up the dog, his name was Buddy, he was a red Catahoula mix and the smartest dog I had ever met. He was gorgeous and I could talk to him like he was a person, we had such a great bond. The only negative was he was kind of shy and reserved but he loved you once he got to know you. He was adopted by a family south of Boston and they stuck it out with him, even though they had two young boys and he wasn’t the cuddliest dog. They have taken him to training and he is still with them, I keep in touch with them and he is still the most perfect dog. To me he is a symbol of what Last Hope has become. I’ve known him since the beginning, and he has blossomed into this amazing dog. I’ve looked at so many dogs that have come through my home that have gone onto wonderful homes and I think back to that phone call and this is why that day happened, everything happens for a reason.
What is your favorite foster story?
Every single dog that comes through my house teaches me something, I just have to be open to learn from them. The dogs can be smarter than I am, so I have to be perceptive enough to read them. I have a dog now that I’ve had for two years, he is a border collie mix, super smart but has a systemic fungal infection. It can be fatal and there is only one medication that treats it, which is of course expensive. We have done this medication for a year and he has finally been released by the vet. I am going to send him North soon, but I need to do some work with him first. Being one of my medical dogs he has gotten a lot of attention and has become very spoiled!
What is your favorite part of volunteering with us?
I enjoy all of it, the favorite part is meeting new dogs, the least favorite is putting them on transport, but I know they are going onto good and better things.
What is the most important thing you have learned since you started volunteering?
There is no room for drama. Even though I try to let people know how much I appreciate them, this is not the time to be patting yourself on the back over things. It’s hard work, but everything you put in you get back ten-fold. The payoff is always much better than the effort.
What advice would you give to a new volunteer?
You’re going to learn something from every single dog, just be open to letting that soak in. Even if it’s a dog that’s difficult or grumpy, there’s a reason they’re that way. You have to be perceptive enough to figure out what’s going on.
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