Our Fosters
Minnie's Story
Minnie came into Cavalier Rescue USA June 22, 2015. At 10 years old, she was surrendered by her owners because of financial difficulties. Minnie had a history of ear and urinary infections as well as, skin issues, a grade 1-2 murmur and teeth in need of a dental. She came into my care on June 25, 2015 along with medications from her initial rescue veterinary visit for a positive urine test, medicated shampoos and eardrops as well as, Royal Canin Prescription food for loose stools and diarrhea.
Minnie was a very gentle girl, who probably had some hearing loss and a worried look on her face as I greeted her at my CR-USA Coordinator's house. We spent about an hour together before making the trip to our home where she would spend a few months as my second foster dog. As we walked in the neighborhood to potty, before getting in the car, it was obvious that she was looking for her people! Luckily she liked the car and settled down pretty quickly as I talked to her letting her know it was going to be ok and playing classical music for her.
Upon our arrival, I had asked my husband to take Noah and Jonah into the yard so that they could all meet outside. They are amazing with our fosters and although Minnie was very aloof, the boys, accepted her into "their" home but gave her, her space. Again, I noticed that she was going to the gate, looking for her people.
I immediately changed her food to Verus along with some of her prescription to make the transition easier and after 2 days gradually added in some organic veggies. On day 5, we had normal poop! Minnie loved to eat and was always on the lookout for any additional food she could get or find. She had no idea of taking a treat gently from your hand, but would lunge at your hand.
At about 2 weeks, Minnie wouldn't eat her breakfast and would only take a few treats and ate the butternut squash out of her food. This was not Minnie! I thought it might be an issue with her mouth so immediately made an appointment with my Vet. Along with testing, some x-rays were taken and apparently there seemed to be an unexplainable mass on her abdomen, not something you want to hear. Minnie was scheduled for an ultrasound of her abdomen 3 days later. Her dental would have to wait. It was determined that Minnie had an inflamed gall bladder and it was suggested to remove it. After discussing her condition with my coordinator and because of her age we decided to put Minnie on medication, feeling that it would be a major surgery and recovery. Minnie started on Denamarin which would be for the rest of her life. Next, Minnie had her dental and came through with flying colors"¦with no extractions! Twenty-nine teeth to do lots of eating! Finally, Minnie had her follow-up ultrasound and was doing great on the Denamarin! It was time to start the search for her "forever" family!
Minnie was quite the little character, always getting into cupboards and the pantry scoping them out for food. One day, while I had just stepped outside on the deck for a few minutes, I came back in to find Minnie in the kitchen with a package of hot dog rolls that she had confiscated from my big metal bread box and proceeded to break open the package and scoff down as many rolls as she could. Luckily, I came in when I did because she had only gotten into a second one! She had figured out how to flip off the lid of the bread box and tip it off the bottom shelf of my kitchen island! I remember coming inside to find Noah and Jonah just sitting just outside the kitchen door in shock watching this going on"¦and probably thinking, they had never seen anything like this before! LOL
I started the adoption process for Minnie by writing her "bio" to be posted on the Cavalier Rescue USA website, along with her pictures. It wasn't long before we had quite a few interesting applications for Minnie and so the we started interviewing. I thought we had found the perfect couple who already had a Cavalier and so we set up a visit. I liked them very much and felt they would be a good match for Minnie, especially since the mom was cooking for her Cavalier and Minnie loved food, she would be in heaven. Her adoption was set for September 15 and everyone was very excited for Minnie. We even celebrated by bringing "good-bye and thank you" cupcakes for everyone at our Vet's office so everyone could have a chance to wish Minnie well in her new life.
Her new mom and dad came to pick her up at our home and after having lunch together we said good bye to Minnie with lots of hugs and kisses and tears! I knew she would only be an hour away so I could go see her if I wanted, which helped with letting her go. My heart was so sad, although, I knew I had to be happy for Minnie. It was a Sunday.
On Tuesday morning, I received a call from her mom that it was not working out with Minnie! I was shocked. They did not want to try to work it out, so they brought her "home" the next day. I am thankful that it was only two days for Minnie and not a month. She was happy to be back. She came right in like she had never left and went to her bed! Sweet Girl!
And, so, the process started again after a week or so. I was not feeling very good about what had happened and was second guessing myself about making the right decision for Minnie, and reluctant to start the search. We had thought of keeping Minnie ourselves but I wanted to foster, and I knew I could not keep every dog that would come through our home. I would be extremely careful as to who would adopt my sweet Minnie, but if it didn't work out, I was not going to put her through another failed adoption. She would just join our family. Minnie never got over looking for her people. Whenever we would go anywhere, she would always go towards people as if she was searching for them. It would always make me so sad. I was going to do everything to protect her from being hurt again.
A few weeks later, I reviewed an application that "really" seemed perfect this time, but they lived in Maine! How could I let her go that far away? When I spoke with one of her dad's on the phone, I felt in my heart that she would be so loved and cared for, but it was so far! We scheduled a visit to NJ to meet Minnie, but I knew if the visit went well, I would probably need to do the adoption that day because of the distance which had my stomach in a big fat knot! How could I just send her off with two strangers in the car for 7 hours! The home visit had been done by another volunteer and it was glowing. I told my husband that I didn't think I could let Minnie go without knowing where she would be living and asked if he would go to Maine with me to visit her potential new dads. We took Noah, Jonah and Minnie to Maine and stayed in a local motel so that Minnie could meet the new dad's the first night, come back to the motel with us and then see them again in the morning.
I knew that if there was anything I wasn't feeling good about at all, Minnie would just be coming home with us. But, something amazing happened on the first night that we met. One of the dad's just sat on the floor, not even near Minnie and she actually went over to him and sat close. It was then, that I knew in my heart that Minnie was "home!" It still makes me cry when I think about it, especially, after being rejected for no good reason, my sweet Minnie was with "her" people. Minnie has the best ever dads who truly treasure and accept her, quirks and all. She is taken care of medically, gets lots of love, good food, has two siblings and lives in the most beautiful home. You chose well, sweetie! It was an honor fostering you and "You" are always and forever in my heart. I would like to say that Minnie's first family had a hard time letting her go, but, did the right thing by surrendering her to CR-USA, where she could get the care she needed by people who understand the breed and go to any length to rescue a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She is safe, happy and healthy.
Minnie was a very gentle girl, who probably had some hearing loss and a worried look on her face as I greeted her at my CR-USA Coordinator's house. We spent about an hour together before making the trip to our home where she would spend a few months as my second foster dog. As we walked in the neighborhood to potty, before getting in the car, it was obvious that she was looking for her people! Luckily she liked the car and settled down pretty quickly as I talked to her letting her know it was going to be ok and playing classical music for her.
Upon our arrival, I had asked my husband to take Noah and Jonah into the yard so that they could all meet outside. They are amazing with our fosters and although Minnie was very aloof, the boys, accepted her into "their" home but gave her, her space. Again, I noticed that she was going to the gate, looking for her people.
I immediately changed her food to Verus along with some of her prescription to make the transition easier and after 2 days gradually added in some organic veggies. On day 5, we had normal poop! Minnie loved to eat and was always on the lookout for any additional food she could get or find. She had no idea of taking a treat gently from your hand, but would lunge at your hand.
At about 2 weeks, Minnie wouldn't eat her breakfast and would only take a few treats and ate the butternut squash out of her food. This was not Minnie! I thought it might be an issue with her mouth so immediately made an appointment with my Vet. Along with testing, some x-rays were taken and apparently there seemed to be an unexplainable mass on her abdomen, not something you want to hear. Minnie was scheduled for an ultrasound of her abdomen 3 days later. Her dental would have to wait. It was determined that Minnie had an inflamed gall bladder and it was suggested to remove it. After discussing her condition with my coordinator and because of her age we decided to put Minnie on medication, feeling that it would be a major surgery and recovery. Minnie started on Denamarin which would be for the rest of her life. Next, Minnie had her dental and came through with flying colors"¦with no extractions! Twenty-nine teeth to do lots of eating! Finally, Minnie had her follow-up ultrasound and was doing great on the Denamarin! It was time to start the search for her "forever" family!
Minnie was quite the little character, always getting into cupboards and the pantry scoping them out for food. One day, while I had just stepped outside on the deck for a few minutes, I came back in to find Minnie in the kitchen with a package of hot dog rolls that she had confiscated from my big metal bread box and proceeded to break open the package and scoff down as many rolls as she could. Luckily, I came in when I did because she had only gotten into a second one! She had figured out how to flip off the lid of the bread box and tip it off the bottom shelf of my kitchen island! I remember coming inside to find Noah and Jonah just sitting just outside the kitchen door in shock watching this going on"¦and probably thinking, they had never seen anything like this before! LOL
I started the adoption process for Minnie by writing her "bio" to be posted on the Cavalier Rescue USA website, along with her pictures. It wasn't long before we had quite a few interesting applications for Minnie and so the we started interviewing. I thought we had found the perfect couple who already had a Cavalier and so we set up a visit. I liked them very much and felt they would be a good match for Minnie, especially since the mom was cooking for her Cavalier and Minnie loved food, she would be in heaven. Her adoption was set for September 15 and everyone was very excited for Minnie. We even celebrated by bringing "good-bye and thank you" cupcakes for everyone at our Vet's office so everyone could have a chance to wish Minnie well in her new life.
Her new mom and dad came to pick her up at our home and after having lunch together we said good bye to Minnie with lots of hugs and kisses and tears! I knew she would only be an hour away so I could go see her if I wanted, which helped with letting her go. My heart was so sad, although, I knew I had to be happy for Minnie. It was a Sunday.
On Tuesday morning, I received a call from her mom that it was not working out with Minnie! I was shocked. They did not want to try to work it out, so they brought her "home" the next day. I am thankful that it was only two days for Minnie and not a month. She was happy to be back. She came right in like she had never left and went to her bed! Sweet Girl!
And, so, the process started again after a week or so. I was not feeling very good about what had happened and was second guessing myself about making the right decision for Minnie, and reluctant to start the search. We had thought of keeping Minnie ourselves but I wanted to foster, and I knew I could not keep every dog that would come through our home. I would be extremely careful as to who would adopt my sweet Minnie, but if it didn't work out, I was not going to put her through another failed adoption. She would just join our family. Minnie never got over looking for her people. Whenever we would go anywhere, she would always go towards people as if she was searching for them. It would always make me so sad. I was going to do everything to protect her from being hurt again.
A few weeks later, I reviewed an application that "really" seemed perfect this time, but they lived in Maine! How could I let her go that far away? When I spoke with one of her dad's on the phone, I felt in my heart that she would be so loved and cared for, but it was so far! We scheduled a visit to NJ to meet Minnie, but I knew if the visit went well, I would probably need to do the adoption that day because of the distance which had my stomach in a big fat knot! How could I just send her off with two strangers in the car for 7 hours! The home visit had been done by another volunteer and it was glowing. I told my husband that I didn't think I could let Minnie go without knowing where she would be living and asked if he would go to Maine with me to visit her potential new dads. We took Noah, Jonah and Minnie to Maine and stayed in a local motel so that Minnie could meet the new dad's the first night, come back to the motel with us and then see them again in the morning.
I knew that if there was anything I wasn't feeling good about at all, Minnie would just be coming home with us. But, something amazing happened on the first night that we met. One of the dad's just sat on the floor, not even near Minnie and she actually went over to him and sat close. It was then, that I knew in my heart that Minnie was "home!" It still makes me cry when I think about it, especially, after being rejected for no good reason, my sweet Minnie was with "her" people. Minnie has the best ever dads who truly treasure and accept her, quirks and all. She is taken care of medically, gets lots of love, good food, has two siblings and lives in the most beautiful home. You chose well, sweetie! It was an honor fostering you and "You" are always and forever in my heart. I would like to say that Minnie's first family had a hard time letting her go, but, did the right thing by surrendering her to CR-USA, where she could get the care she needed by people who understand the breed and go to any length to rescue a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She is safe, happy and healthy.