Shortly after we were married, my husband and I rescued a dog via Pen Pals, a program that connects local area rescue dogs with inmates at Virginia correctional centers to train and socialize dogs in need of adoption, while also providing rehabilitation and life skill development opportunities for inmates. It is a wonderful program that we were happy to support and were thrilled to start our family together with Shoney, a well-behaved and sweet pup. Four kids quickly followed to complete our competitive and fun-loving family - Shoney was a lucky dog surrounded by lots of love. In late February 2020, our family sadly said goodbye to Shoney after 18.5 fantastic years.

As we struggled to adjust to life without our long-time pet, quarantine hit and our totally crazy, chaotic school and sports schedule screeched to a halt. During the pause in learning, our kids were tasked with weekly research projects to exercise their minds, dig deeper into things that interested them and hone their presentation skills. Our thirteen year-old daughter gave a heartfelt presentation on the benefits of fostering a pet convincing us to jump onto the Lucky Dog website and begin the application process. We had no idea the impact that this decision would have on our family.

Our experience with Lucky Dogs Animal Rescue has been nothing short of amazing. Our family started our fostering journey with a timid pup from Puerto Rico that infused an energy and feeling of joy into our home that is difficult to explain. Our teenagers emerged from their rooms, put down their phones and focused on the dog – working together to make her feel comfortable with lots of treats, belly rubs and romps around the yard. After a few short weeks, she was placed into her forever home and our family couldn’t wait for our next foster pup. In short, we quickly became foster addicts. Religiously checking our email for Lucky Dog weekly needs and making (quick) family decisions on which puppies to ‘draft’, we couldn’t wait to find out which puppy or puppies we would welcome next.

Fast forward nine months and we are 41 pups and counting. Big or little, solo or litters, shy or rambunctious, healthy or frail - our family has learned to work with a variety of breeds and personalities teaching us that with a little love, kindness and patience all of these puppies can flourish. So many wonderful memories, amazing puppy snuggles and stories of successfully matching these pups with grateful and loving families. Thank you to LDAR for giving us the opportunity to help these adorable pups – pretty sure this is the definition of a win-win situation.