How I became a ‘foster fail’

It all started when I travelled to Port St. Joe to shoot some photos for the Blues on Reid festival. I got there about 30 minutes before the musicians started playing, to scope out the area and see what different booths were offering. There is something truly magical about the sense of community in these towns across the Forgotten Coast and I always have a wonderful time getting to know different locals and visitors alike at these events. 

As I reached the end of the booth line-up, the St. Joseph Bay Humane Society had their own setup with three adorable puppies up for adoption. I went over with the intention of snapping some quick photos of the pups and collecting information to help the humane society promote adoptions.

I mostly spoke with Diana Burkett, board president of the St. Joseph Bay Humane Society, and with Susan Gasser, who along with her husband Allen, was running a booth next to them. 

In our conversation, I found out two of the three available puppies, Rascal and Buster, were siblings found nearby the Field of Dreams Dollar General, across from the Gulf Franklin Center. The third, T-bone, was part of a litter of eight, all found under an abandoned house over by Avenues E and F in Port St Joe.

T-bone was the last puppy out of his litter to find his forever home,, and hearing his story broke my heart. I was torn because I already have three dogs, which fortunately had bonded quickly with one another and are very calm natured. Our household is a quiet and peaceful one and as I’m sure anyone reading this knows, puppies are very high maintenance and full of energy.

At first, I decided to foster him for the maximum 30 days,  which is until he found a forever home or until we most likely became “foster fails,” which is a term that refers to when a foster family decides to permanently adopt the dog. Well, after only a week, that’s what we’ve become. We’ve also renamed him Archie, inspired by the old Archie Comics. I wanted to name him PeeWee, because I’m a fan of Pee Wee Herman but my mom convinced me that that would be too close to PeePee

It’s hard work keeping up with him. Archie is a smart and sweet boy but is a very young puppy who requires a lot of patience and training. He is very curious and mischievous, as well. Recently we took our eyes off him for just a second, and he immediately got into the cat litter that we had blocked off. One of his favorite pastimes is grabbing objects he’s not supposed to have and running around as I chase him.

Potty training can be especially trying. Every time he wakes up or drinks some water, he becomes a ticking time bomb. Sometimes, right after he takes care of his business outside, he decides to leave us little gifts as soon as he gets inside. Just the other day, we came back in, and it only took him five minutes to have himself a tinkle on a pile of dog toys. 

Having our other dogs around to set a better example has helped him though. He seems to take note of their behavior and adapt. Speaking of our other dogs, it turns out Archie quickly found his place in the pack! Our other dogs were quick to share their favorite toys with him and one of the older dogs has taken on a sort of motherly role with Archie.

Most likely due to not being properly weaned from his mother, Archie has separation anxiety. The first couple of days, we couldn’t leave his sight, without him screaming and crying. At one point, I was taking him into nto the bathroom with me. He’s slowly getting better though. It takes a lot of practice, and he still has moments where he either potties in retaliation or starts crying, but we are helping him associate his crate with positive things and making it a comfy space for him.

The first week is always the most difficult, especially when balancing every other aspect of your life with a puppy that requires so much attention. I wish I could say it gets easier very soon but I won’t sugar coat it. We’ve got a long road ahead of us. I wasn’t seeking out a new animal nor did I want one when I met Archie. Honestly, I was terrified the first day I brought him home. I thought, “How are we going to make this work? Did I make the right decision?”

I now believe Archie coming into our lives was truly a blessing. Even with the challenges we face raising him now and the ones we may encounter later, I’m so very glad that he is here with us. Adoption may not be for everyone. There will be good days and bad, but if you have enough love and patience to give, it can grow into a lifetime of love.

Mary Akin is a graphic designer with Neves Media and a student at Gulf Coast State College.