Monday, July 23, 2012

A New Crewmember

We could make a lot of excuses, and say that we only wanted to be foster-parents for a day or two, but when we first saw the six month old potcake, we fell in love.

There are quite a few ironic things about the situation. Our friend Janie Thompson, who lives in Abaco, actually found the little fellow and his brother. She couldn't resist and took them in, and soon contacted our friend Judy Marshall, who runs the Royal Potcake Rescue organization here in Atlanta. The ladies have collaborated for several years, and eventually the Bahamian dogs and cats are flown to Atlanta to be put up for adoption.

Carolyn and I walked into the PetSmart to visit with Judy. She had the honey colored pup on a leash and said, "this dog has your name written all over him - come meet Robert!" The shy little pup was fluffy, and his white markings gave him a very distinctive look that could not be ignored.

Judy's sister Nancy had been fostering Robert since his arrival from the Bahamas, along with five others. And that's when everything changed. "We can fostering him for a day or two if you would like."

The rest is history. Robert was enrolled in obedience classes, has visited Canine Ranch in Canton, GA in the company of Victoria Stillwell's personal dog, where he learned to swim. He's done extremely well learning his basic commands and will try most anything for his special treats.

In mid-July we took he and Coco down to the boat for several days. Somewhat unexpectedly, he loved it and the two of them have settled in quite nicely together at home and on the boat.

It's akin to having another baby. The hours are long, the potty breaks are often, but the thrills we are experiencing make it all worth while.