Dakota

As you all know, I have a foster dog named Tweed. Due to his stranger fear and separation anxiety, he is very hard to adopt out. It will take a long time to find him a home, it’s already been 3 months that he’s been with me. At this point, Tweed has become an easy member of our household, even though he is a foster dog he acts more like a personal dog. Just an all around easy, great pup to have around. I don’t mind fostering him for as long as it takes to find him his forever home.

I am part of several Facebook pages that network shelter dogs in my area, trying to find them homes, foster parents, or get them into rescue before their time runs out. There was a beautiful white Husky named Dakota who was desperately needing a foster home so that he could start treatment for a bad case of heartworm. For at least a month they had been trying to find him a foster home, and not a single person would step up. I have no idea why, as he is a stunningly beautiful dog.

I couldn’t stand the thought of him dying in that shelter because nobody would take him in and get him treated for heartworm. Heartworm treatment involves the dog doing nothing but staying in a crate for 3 months, and the treatment is all covered by donations. So, a little over 2 weeks ago, I said I would foster him. He came here and started 2 weeks of antibiotics, then went in for his first treatment a few days back. So far he’s doing good!

Dakota had spent his life on a chain. He was seized during a raid of a (probably large-scale) marijuana growing operation, he and a German Shepherd were being kept to guard the place. Living outside on a chain meant he was exposed to many mosquitoes(mosquitoes carry and transmit heartworm disease) and as a result, he had a bad case of heartworm by the time he was seized and turned into the animal shelter. His treatment is going to cost at least $600 dollars, and is completely covered by donations from some awesome people! Heartworm treatment requires him spending all of his time in a crate for about 3 months straight. If he gets too excited while undergoing heartworm treatment, he will die. He’s taking 3 pills twice a day right now.

Dakota towers over little Tweed

He was very matted when he came to me, in fact I had to shave off ALL the long fur on his tail after our first photoshoot. He also had many mats clipped out from the fur on his legs and behind his ears. He gets along extremely well with my personal dog Nelly and my other foster dog, Tweed. The very first thing he did when he met Tweed was give him an invitation to play. Unfortunately I have to keep him separated from my dogs, as he is so set on playing with them. He cannot get excited(and this includes playing) until he is cured of the heartworm.

So, at the moment I have two foster dogs in the house. All Dakota does is stay in his crate, so it’s pretty easy having him around. For the first time in his life he’s learning what it’s like to live in a house and be loved by people. After 2 weeks he is just now starting to really warm up to me.

Oh, did I mention he is GORGEOUS? He is all white, and both of his eyes are brown and blue!