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My next foster ..........

3K views 32 replies 23 participants last post by  pupresq 
#1 ·
Mods - please move this to the "rescues where are they now section". I selected the wrong category. Thanks!


Here is the sad tale of my next foster. I have a hunch I already know of a wonderful home for him. I'll just have to keep him long enough to get to know him first!

Teddy bear with a broken heart this is Max's story

This is a very sad story Max was turned into animal control when his owner feared for his safety. She actively fosters children and along with the help of Max rehabilitated many. One day while she was at work one of her foster children took Max in the woods with some neighborhood kids. They tied him to a tree with a chain and took turns beating him with a baseball bat. He suffered numerous injuries at the hands of these evil children. His tail had to be amputated and he lost a canine from the blows to the head. This trusting loving dog went willingly thinking he was being taken for a walk not a beating.



To make matters worse the children that live next door to him taunt him. They bang on the fence and throw things at him. His owner tried everything, talking to the parents, Peta & Animal Control. She took him to Animal Control thinking that at least Max would have the chance on a new safe home. This is a kill shelter luckily we were contacted to help Max. Since his trauma was rather recent I would not advise him being around young children just as a precaution.



He is 3 years old, UTD on all his shots, good with other dogs and very sweet dog
 
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#3 ·
Any pictures?

What a horrible thing--the poor dog! I felt like throwing up when I read this! I do not feel good about that woman's safety if this is what happened to her dog!

I hope you will keep her long enough so that she regains her trust in people. And I hope there isn't any neurological damage. Blows to the head can cause all sorts of problems and they don't necessarily appear right away.
 
#4 ·
How sad. This is horrific.
I do hope she regains her trust.

I also agree with Ruth, I hope there isn't any lasting neurological damage. I have first hand experience what a blow to the head can do to a dogs temperament, and not showing up for many months later.
 
#5 ·
violence to animals is a precursor to violence to humans. these children should be getting some help (if there is any help out there for them). i'm also not quite understanding the statement "feared for his safety so turned him in to animal control". ??? isn't this woman afraid to continue to foster a child capable of such violence. i just don't get sending the DOG away. many, many blessings to you for helping him.
 
#8 ·
OMG that is horrible. I hope he will not have lasting damage. He is still so loving, how sad. Part of me wants those children severly punnished and the other part of me is terrified that these children need help before they grow up any more. I am so glad you have him and I know he will get all the love he needs now. I hope he will find a wonderful forever home.
 
#11 ·
So, why was a foster child left alone to get near this poor dog? Why are these children (who yes they obviously need alot of help) not charged or punished for such cruel behavior and why is this lady allowed to foster children she can't watch or be responsible for? I expect she likes the monthly check she gets for fostering. I feel for the poor dog and hope someone does foster him and give him a better life.
 
#12 ·
Originally Posted By: k9sarneko Part of me wants those children severly punnished and the other part of me is terrified that these children need help before they grow up any more.
You are a better person than I then. I hope they get punished severly. I know it sounds terrible but they will just grow up to be more sicko's in society. We have enough. I have no soft spot or any desire to help people (kids or not) like this. I hope she removed the ungrateful brat from her home!!
but I do agree with you that I hope he finds a wonderful home. He is gorgeous!!!
 
#13 ·
Bless this poor boy's heart. Look at his eyes in the pictures, he still has so much love to give. Just goes to show you that dogs can easily forgive what people do to them. If their is anything we can do to help in his rehabilitaion please let us know!!

and as for those kids, i hope they got severly punished for their actions, these are the kids who grow up to be violent against people and animals. they need to be straightened out now before it gets any worse!
 
#14 ·
I have a wonderful MIL who is a foster-parent recruiter so have gleaned some info from her over the years as to what happens in a foster care situation; good and bad. So please, don't condemn the foster parent(s) without knowing the full situation, give them the benefit of the doubt even though we don not like their choice - they may have had to act fast and bringing Max to a shelter was the quickest (and therefore best) option for removing him from more potential harm.

Perhaps the "child" was a teen, many foster children are, and are often sent to families with parent(s) who work full-time and expect the teen to be able to look out for themselves between school and when parent(s) come home.
If the teen has shown no adverse behaviors - even yet - this is reasonable to expect.

It's not uncommon for despicable behaviors like this to not be apparent until something like this happens - the harm to this lovely dog could have happened in retaliation for a (deserved) scolding/punishment/restriction that the foster parent(s) could not possibly foresee.

We also do not know the rest of the situation; the foster child may have been moved from that home (and be in a juvenile detention center for their actions) but the foster parent(s) still rightly fear for the dog because of the other "children" in the neighborhood that were involved.

I am glad for Max that he is getting help and another chance, the poor sweetheart deserves all the love he can get after going thru such ****!
 
#15 ·
You are a great person to help this poor dog. For the sake of the foster mother, she has to keep a very close eye on those kids. Many violent people start with animals.
 
#16 ·
I'm glad no further harm came to Max.

Foster kids are kids who have most likely already gone through ****. They need help. I am sure most have already been "severely punished." It looks like Max is getting the help he needs - I hope the kid does too. I'm also hoping that the other kids involved get squared away. Of course there should be consequences for their actions. That would be part of the whole shebang.

Max, fortunately, looks like he has a great life ahead of him. I hope the original owner gets to know that.
 
#19 ·
Thank you to those who have voiced compassion and hoping for "proper help" for the foster children. I'm a little confused how such an incredible group of rescuers, who help the neediest of dogs, don't want the same for some of our neediest children.
We train our dogs with redirection and positive approach, why can't we do that with the foster children who could benefit from it the most.
A lot of these children have been through a **** that probably some of us couldn't even imagine. Yet, such a small amount of our social resources goes to helping them work through it. We have prison programs that work hand-in-hand with rescues in rehabilitating and training our neediest dogs, why don't we have sanctuary-type rescues that can partner with our group foster homes and such and redirect these children while we still can. Teach them compassion that they haven't ever seen, and let them love and help an animal that has been in the same boat as they have.
While I was stationed in California, there was a group of volunteers called UPAC (United Peace Officers against Crime.) I volunteered with this group for four years. Every year, we took children who tried their best in school, despite their surroundings, on a week-long camping trip in Idlewild. These kids came from some of the toughest areas (South Central LA), but were lucky enough, if you called it that, to still have some sort of home and adult figure inside it. There were no frills on our camping expeditions, brick buildings with cots, showers and hot food. Everyone pitched in with cleaning details, organized activities, and an evening bonfire.
Each year I was amazed at these children who had never seen a squirrel or any kind of wildlife, the children who started out the trip acting like tough gang bangers and ended the trip crying in our arms because they didn't want it to end.
And each year I cried with them at our bonfire talks, when the kids would cry about the love ones lost to violence and we would work through it and give them ideas how they can pull away from the crime.
When I think about it right now, these were some of the lucky kids. Yes, the pain and violence they experienced are probably things we have only heard about, and yet still, they had a home and someone who they cared about.
A lot of foster children simply dream about something like that. "Punishing them severely" for this horrible thing they have done to this dog probably won't help matters much. How about some compassion and redirection for the children also??
 
#20 ·
ebrannan,

Your sentiments and compassion are lovely to see and the fact that you have personal experience of children in similar circumstances gives your opinion a lot of merit.

However, these children took turns beating a dog who was in himself an ambassador for abused children. There are many abused chidren in this world (to society's absolute shame) but to excuse this heinous behaviour simply on the grounds of what the children may (or may not) have experienced is too lenient in my opinion. Everyone has a choice on how they behave despite their experiences - we all know what is right or wrong but how we choose to behave (even with that knowledge) determines our path in society.

I am saddened that these children made a conscious premeditated decision to behave this in this manner and, if their previous experience made that decision easier, then that is sadder still - but that does not excuse their behaviour one iota.
 
#21 ·
Oh geez, poor boy... Thank you so much for taking Max as a foster. I hope he's okay and no permanent damage has been done. I know he'll blossom again under your care. I feel so sorry for his mom having to give him up, but admire her for doing what she had to do to keep him safe...
 
#23 ·
Maximus arrived as scheduled on Sunday afternoon.

He is such an awesome fellow - he knows all of his basic commands and his owner said he can open a 2 Liter soda bottle, answer the phone and open car doors.

Yesterday was his big day at the vets - he got neutered! Everyone at the vet's office was totally charmed by him.

We certainly have some work to do before he is ready to be adopted, but he is a pleasure to have around.

Whenever he comes in the house he grabs a toy on his way back in and he does it at a full run. I have labeled it a "drive by" because he doesn't slow down at all when he scoops up the toy. It is really too funny.
 
#25 ·
Sounds like he is happy to be in a loving home! thanks for the update, and keep us posted on his successes!
 
#26 ·
As many of these URGENT and rescue stories break my heart this one really got to me. I'm glad he is getting another chance at life and able to live a life where his human counterpart love and protect him as he will do for them.

As, many of you expressed, after this terribly sad and tragic ordeal he has been through you can still see the love he has to give in his eyes. What an amazing animal.

I too think there should be some punishment for those kids!!! That could be another topic within itself!

Remo ... thank you for doing such a wonderful act and spoiling this lovely boy! He will forever be greatful and love you for the opportunity you are giving to him.
 
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