My adventures in fostering

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:43 am


I've decided to start a chronicle of my fosters, mostly as a diary type thing to remember them all. I'm going to go back and try to post photos and mini bios about those that have come and gone (and those that have stayed:-)
I've had 24 fosters so far!!

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 2:31 am


On March 20, 2013 I responded to this Facebook post and offered to "temporarily" foster this piggy who was in danger of being pts.

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I met a transporter on March 23 to pick her up and we decided to call her Sunshine (OCCH referred to her as Linda)
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I fell in love with her instantly and within a few days I decided to adopt her. My first foster failure.

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 2:36 am


On April 13 I picked up Tiana and Bijou, an older pair of girls who had been with OCCH for a while and they were being shuffled around. They only stayed with me for about a week and were moved to another foster home and were adopted shortly after.

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 2:46 am


On May 5 I picked up Ellie. She had been adopted from the rescue and paired with a piggy. I'm not sure how long later, her cagemate passed away and her owner couldn't keep her so she was returned to the rescue. They tried several times to pair her with piggies but she was a bit aggressive.

I had her as a single pig for a few weeks until we got two little babies, Abigail and Elizabeth. We paired Ellie with Elizabeth and it was a perfect match!

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Ellie was too young to be alone so we put her with Jessie and Delilah for a while. On June 15 Abigail was adopted as a friend for a piggy named Bubbles.
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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:01 am


On June 19, 2013 my daughters pulled two single females that were turned in separately as owner surrenders. Hanna is a gorgeous Peruvian, about 4-5 years old and Patches was all black except a patch of white on her butt. I felt bad for them so I put them together. It seemed good at first but after a while Hanna started acting stressed. She developed diarrhea which I was told can't be caused by stress but she was fine in a cage alone and once I put her back with Patches, the diarrhea would come back.
We all fell in love with Hanna and I decided to try her with Sunshine who I was convinced was destined to live alone forever because she was scared to death of all other pigs. Well, it worked out perfect! They get along great, neither one is dominant but Hanna takes it upon herself to be queen of the ramp and blocks Sunshine when she is running laps. Sunshine, the goofball that she is, doesn't let old fuddy-duddy Hanna stop her, she runs halfway up the ramp and turns around, round and round the cage then up the ramp again.

Patches was adopted by one of OCCH's volunteers after her piggy passed away. A week or so later she adopted a baby to pair with Patches and they're doing great!

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:25 am


On July 16 I pulled the SB Trio as they were referred to. They were at the worst shelter in our area and were being housed outside in triple digit heat in wire bottom cages. There were two younger females and a huge Peruvian male about 3 years old. I went to check on them but our rescue was full so I knew I couldn't pull them. I was a wreck, this shelter was awful and I hated leaving them there. We posted to Shelter Exchange and Wee Companions offered to take them if we could pull and transport. Ecstatically, I went back to get them that afternoon. I took them home, bathed them and trimmed their VERY long nails. By the next morning the girls were popcorning happily but Gonzo (as my husband named him) was not doing well. I syringe fed him critical care and gave him some Reglan. That afternoon he seemed to be a bit better. I took them to another fosters house where they stayed the night then she transported them to Wee Companions. Gonzo went to the vet and they think he was suffering from heat stroke. He recovered nicely and was adopted by a great family. I haven't received an update on the girls, I'll have to check on that.

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:49 am


On July 20 I got Hope and Faith, a young mother / daughter pair. They were very sweet and very bonded but also very skittish. I had them about a month and they were adopted August 18 by a mom and her two daughters. They fell in love with them right away and I'm sure they're being spoiled!

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 4:01 am


On July 23 my daughter and her boyfriend pulled a pair of boys and she named them Paco and Leo. They were in pretty good shape except Leo had a spot of missing fur. They both received their ivermectin and Leo's fur grew back nicely.
About the second day we had them I noticed Leo had labored breathing. I took him to the vet a couple days later and he was diagnosed with a very enlarged heart. He was put on Lotensin and Lasix and a course of antibiotics. Because of the severity of his heart and his advanced age (about 4-5) he will be a sanctuary pig and stay with a foster permanently.
After they adjusted to their new environment I noticed Leo was bullying Paco. We decided since they weren't bonded very well and since Leo would remain a permanent foster, we would split them up and find a new home for Paco.
Paco went with a new foster on September 22 and Leo got a new friend!

Paco was adopted as a friend for a lonely boar on October 13.

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 4:14 am


On August 10 I got a big, beautiful girl we named Darla. She's probably about 3-4 years old a super sweet and mellow. She's remained a single pig and is looking for a new BFF. She was with me until September 22 when she went to a new foster home. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her. If she could just learn to get along with other piggies!

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:51 am


They are all real cuties!

I celebrate your failures! (and successes!)

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 11:15 am


Thank you Lynx! I absolutely love fostering! I'm almost caught up to present fosters then I can add them as I get them. It'll be nice to look back someday and remember all my little babies :-)

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Ibepatience
Supporter in '13

Post   » Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:47 pm


On August 19 I pulled the "Harbor Boys". Two very bonded boys, about 1-2 years old. They were not used to being held and were very leery of people. We named them Buzz and Andy. Buzz is the adorable white crested guy and he LOVED to be on top of his pigloo watching what was going on. Andy was more scared and hid most of the time. I discovered I am not a good piggy tamer so they were moved to a more experienced foster on September 22. They're currently looking for their forever home.

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