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“Ashu is a very practical guy. He rarely acts on emotion and he likes to have all the facts before making a decision. When I initially wanted to adopt a dog, I made him a PowerPoint presentation laying out all of the costs that would be involved, which breeds would be a good for our lifestyle, and the benefits of dog ownership,” Melissa said. “So when I decided I wanted to start fostering dogs, I took a similarly practical approach. I casually brought up the subject a few times, and once he started to consider it, we sat down and determined how much more it would cost us to have a second dog in the house (not much more than having one), and how much we would enjoy it (a lot). Still, it was hard to get him to give me a firm ‘yes.’ At that time I volunteered as a handler at a weekly adoption event for Paws4You. One Saturday I met a sweet, scared dog named Lili who needed a foster home. A few hours later I called Ashu to say I was on my way home…with a dog in the back seat. Luckily he didn’t kill me and we’ve been fostering ever since.” Melissa, Ashu and Hopps packed up and moved to Washington, DC where Melissa found City Dogs Rescue. They have become a fostering family opening their doors and hearts to Hans (now Dewey), Emma (now Raven), Champ (now Oboe), and Lemon. Post by Red Curl Gurl  Ashu and Lemon If you’ve ever tried to convince your partner that a really cool bottle cap sculpture that you found at a garage sale will perfectly match your decor, imagine trying to convince him or her to foster a dog. That was the task that City Dogs Rescue foster, Melissa Schaffer, faced when trying to convince her partner, Ashu, to take on the task of bringing a furry friend into their home. “You have to know your partner. Is he or she practical and business-minded? Or do you need to appeal to his or her emotions?” Melissa said. “In either case, one of the most important things to remember is that you’re not making a permanent, life-altering decision. You’re just opening up your home for a short period to change the life of a dog.” At the time, they were living in Miami, FL, and had adopted their dog, Hopps, from a high kill shelter. “She was pretty rough around the edges when we first got her, but with some love and training, she became an absolutely awesome dog. Ashu and I often remark that getting her was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,” Melissa said. “I wanted to give other overlooked shelter dogs the same chance to blossom and become beloved members of people’s families.” Melissa began volunteering for a rescue named Paws4You. She decided that she wanted to foster a dog and she’d need to figure out a way to convince Ashu to be on board.  Hopps keeps a watchful eye on Lemon “Since it was my idea to foster a dog, I try to shoulder more of the responsibility, but Ashu is wonderful (and a total softie when it comes to dogs) so he is as involved as I am,” Melissa said. “Actually, Hopps ends up doing most of the work. When a foster dog comes to our house, Hopps shows him or her the ropes and will even correct bad behavior.” Their last foster dog, Lemon, had figured out how to lift the top of the dog food bin, but a few barks from Hopps was all it took to let Lemon know that wasn’t ok. Melissa also feels that the timid dogs seem to feel more comfortable with Hopps in the house. “I suppose they think that if Hopps trusts and respects us humans, we can’t be all that bad.”  Melissa hanging out with Lemon and Hopps While fostering on a day-to-day basis, might not always be easy, Melissa said that it’s always rewarding in the end.
“It’s amazing to see the change in a dog when he or she begins to trust you. Once they feel safe and comfortable, they remember how to be dogs again. Nothing makes me smile more than watching a previously scared dog romp around and play for the first time.” And it’s not only enriched Melissa and Ashu’s lives, but also shaped how they see the bigger picture. “Fostering has taught us patience. It has taught us that there are more important things in life than a perfectly orderly house and that a little chaos can be a good thing. It has also taught Hopps to be better at sharing.” If you’re lucky enough to get your partner on board with fostering, Melissa believes that City Dogs Rescue will be there to support you. “The great thing about fostering for City Dogs Rescue is that they want to make fostering as easy as possible.”
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We're happy to report that Buck is doing great with his fur-ever family.  Buck is a trooper Letter from Kevin: So Buck went in for his first heartworm treatment this morning and I figured it was a good time for an update. He was a trooper at the vet, of course, I was a mess. A lot of the online information about heartworm treatment is very alarming, but the vet really made me feel much better about the prognosis, especially given the fact that Buck is so calm. Also, she said he is probably late stage 1 given his x-rays, so he should be ale to come through this with no permanent damage (but there is the beginning of some lung damage and heart enlargement).  Otherwise, Buck is pretty much a dream. Dave was right when he said that all Buck would really want was to hang out in the room with us. He is not demanding at all and is happy either in the house or outside walking/sitting in the park.  We can leave him alone (although we very rarely do). He seems to sleep while we are gone, but then gets overly excited when we return (in a way he doesn't if one of us is home the whole time). But it is a completely manageable problem. We have kept working with Shera, but more on basic obedience and behavior than anxiety.  Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that things are going well and I think Buck is very happy. The next two months will be tough, but it will be worth it in the end.
 Shelter Photo They say good things come to those that wait. Since May, Daisy and Buttercup (a bonded pair of rat terriers) have been waiting for their forever home. During that time, they enjoyed the warmth, love and security of three foster homes.  Kate, their first foster, literally came to their rescue when Bladen County's A Shelter Friend informed us that as owner surrenders and a bonded pair, these girls would be first to be put down. The plea read "Don't let these girls die alone!" After Kate had to move, another great foster, Leslie took them for a few weeks while CDR tried to find a long-term foster. It was so great that CDR found Karen who took the pair in with her dog Sausage and allowed them to get treatment for heartworm. All their foster parents agreed – these were two great girls that simply couldn’t be separated.  Nellies' ad City Dogs Rescue felt the same and worked hard to find just the right home for them. Over the summer, they battled with heartworm and medical costs that exceeded $4,000. With lots of attention on the website, at adoption events, on the blog, on the Facebook page and Twitter, City Dogs Rescue kept the faith that one day the right person would come along. City Dogs Rescue did a lot of outreach to community and these famous girls appeared in: Borderstan, DCist, the Daily Dog Tag, The DC Examiner. In fact, if you search Google images for "Daisy and Buttercup", the pictures that come up are these sweet girls. CDR's great sponsor Nellie's Sports Bar featured the girls for a month in their weekly newsletters with the ad at the left. Their YouTube video has over 1,000 views!  Settling in at Amys' Amy signed up to volunteer with dog intake for new shelter dogs. She got to talking with Darren about her dream to adopt a pair of dogs. After months of waiting, CDR received their first application for Daisy and Buttercup. Amy loves them dearly and has decided that Patty and Selma are very suitable names. CDR agrees. |
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About Us
City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue saves adoptable dogs and cats in overcrowded and high-kill shelters, where resources are severely limited. We offer a lifeline to as many of these wonderful pups and kitties as possible. City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue 1812 1/2 11th St NW Washington, DC 20001 Administrative Office Hours: We are not a shelter and do not accept animal surrenders at our location, nor do we have adoptable animals onsite. All of our adoptable animals are in private foster homes. Due to COVID-19 we have closed traditional office hours. Visit our contact page for information about foster supply pick up. City Dogs Rescue has federal tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective September 21, 2011.
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