“If you’re lucky…a dog will come into your life, steal your heart, and change everything.”
(author unknown)
A year and a half ago our lives changed in a way that was better than we could have hoped. Over the years, we have fostered a couple dozen dogs — mostly German shorthaired pointers. It’s the breed we know and love — yes, we’re those crazy Pointer People! (or so we’re always being told by anyone that finds out we have a GSP.) So, when a friend reached out letting me know that there was a 4-year-old German shorthaired pointer that was in need of a foster at a local rescue, I assumed this case would be no different. We’d foster, provide a little love and stability, and work on finding the dog a forever family…as we had done for every other foster prior.
When I went to pick up our new foster at Secondhand Hounds, I was immediately greeted by a slightly overweight dog with a little tail that wouldn’t stop wagging. Her name was “Little Girl”…and I could tell there was something different about her from the moment she approached me. Although her tail was wagging, you could see the confusion and sadness in her face. She had just left the only home she had ever known and was faced with a world of uncertainty. Her owners surrendered her to rescue as she was “too much” to handle. Her energy was something they couldn’t control and at 4 years old, they had hoped she would have calmed down by then…but she had not. If you’re familiar with this breed, you may know they come with endless amounts of energy, and unfortunately, are given up on for this reason more often than you can imagine.
The moment I walked through the door at home, it was almost like love at first sight for “Little Girl” and our GSP, Gordie. This scared and reserved looking foster had a new sparkle in her eyes the second she was near Gordie. They followed each other around the house, he brought her toys from the toy box and slowly encouraged her to play, he shared his beds, and he even shared me — which he NEVER would do with previous fosters. When it was time for bed, we got in bed the same as we did every night and this time Gordie didn’t follow. Instead, we found him curled up on the floor with “Little Girl” to comfort her. The tears immediately welled up in my eyes. This was the first and only time he had ever not slept in our bed in five years…FIVE YEARS. He stayed with her the whole night.
The next morning, we knew that our dog had just chosen who he wanted to be a part of our family. And the best part…we could not have agreed more! We filled out adoption paperwork that day and officially welcomed LYLLE to our family.
Today, Lylle is a confident, sweet and spunky girl (and 10 lbs lighter!) who loves nothing more than pleasing us, bird watching, and spending time with her #1 fan, Gordie. The bond that Gordie and Lylle have formed proves opposites really do attract. She is a feisty, always smiling bundle of energy and he is like a grumpy, wise old man.
We are always asked why fostering is so important to us, and outside of the obvious answer of helping dogs in need…fostering got us Lylle. Without the rescue and fostering, we may not have had the chance to meet a dog that is now one of the biggest parts of our lives.
I am now a true believer in serendipity.
(featured image by KME Photography)
Have you ever adopted a foster? Tell us your story in the comments!
Hi! I’m Krystle, a 30-something yr old Dog Mom living in the ‘burbs of Minneapolis. An Advertising Creative Strategist with a slight Pointer obsession, addiction to coffee, eye for interior design and need for travel. I’m a rescue supporter and breed advocate, on a mission to help inform and educate while providing daily smiles through our Instagram feed, @PointerProblems.
One comment
We love this bird dog crew! You always make us smile!