Needed: Foster Homes for Great Danes

[gr8dane]

What does it take, you ask? It takes a special heart willing to commit to helping a homeless Dane; to teach manners, to help him learn to trust, and to be able to love again. It takes some time, it takes some work, and it takes lots of laughter and tears.

And there is always the chance that you'll lose something: your heart, to a successfully adopted Dane, or your tears to a Dane who just doesn't make it. For the time you spend with each Dane, you have given them something they may have never known before, which is the warmth of a loving home, and the knowledge that they are truly loved. And, as a foster parent, you can give them the chance to find their forever home with a family that will love and cherish them every day, for the rest of their life.

Please also see the foster guidelines on the website at:

http://www.magdrl.org/fostering.htm

Interested? Pls visit www.magdrl.org or call 410-945-5454

Thank you
Lori

 

[beerlover]

What does it take, you ask?...

...A really BIG pooper-scooper.

 

[MysticalMom]

A friend of mine, Ginny Wiser, contacted MAGDRL in Spring of 2006 to help find a home for her Great Dane, Squeeky, when Squeeky and her canine mom, Daisy, quit getting along. Though she was devastated over it Ginny thought it was best for Squeeky and that MAGDRL would be the route to go to find Squeeky a dane prepared home. Boy was she wrong.

Susan, president of the NOVA chapter assured Ginny that she would get regular updates and be able to know how Squeeky was doing etc. She said she understood the turmoil she was going through and that MAGDRL was there to help people and danes alike. After all, Ginny had raised Squeeky from a puppy. Bottle fed her and her 10 brothers and sisters when Daisy got eclampsia when the puppies were 3 days and couldn't feed them anymore. Squeeky was like one of her own children.

A week after placing Squeeky with Magdrl, Ginny was completely cut off. Susan actually told her, and I quote, "She is not your dog anymore and we've never had someone give up a dog they love."

Ginny got a lawyer and sued Magdrl to get Daisy back. It went back and forth for awhile and eventually Squeeky was placed with another family (yes, during the court case!!) and Ginny lost her due to the placement family being "innocent 3rd parties." Magdrl said they didn't have the dog anymore, therefore couldn't return her, so the judges hands were tied. He made magdrl pay Ginny the value of the dog and left it at that. It was a shady shady deal and magdrl did everything they could to cover their butts. In the end Ginny, who just wants to know that Squeeky is ok, was left in the cold. She is still, months later, devastated. She knows that Squeeky is somehwere in West Virginia and that's all she knows.

Fostering a dog is a wonderful thing. Don't not do it just because magdril is shady. Just be aware.

 

[jp2854]

A friend of mine, Ginny Wiser, contacted MAGDRL in Spring of 2006 to help find a home for her Great Dane, Squeeky, when Squeeky and her canine mom, Daisy, quit getting along. Though she was devastated over it Ginny thought it was best for Squeeky and that MAGDRL would be the route to go to find Squeeky a dane prepared home. Boy was she wrong.

Susan, president of the NOVA chapter assured Ginny that she would get regular updates and be able to know how Squeeky was doing etc. She said she understood the turmoil she was going through and that MAGDRL was there to help people and danes alike. After all, Ginny had raised Squeeky from a puppy. Bottle fed her and her 10 brothers and sisters when Daisy got eclampsia when the puppies were 3 days and couldn't feed them anymore. Squeeky was like one of her own children.

A week after placing Squeeky with Magdrl, Ginny was completely cut off. Susan actually told her, and I quote, "She is not your dog anymore and we've never had someone give up a dog they love."

Ginny got a lawyer and sued Magdrl to get Daisy back. It went back and forth for awhile and eventually Squeeky was placed with another family (yes, during the court case!!) and Ginny lost her due to the placement family being "innocent 3rd parties." Magdrl said they didn't have the dog anymore, therefore couldn't return her, so the judges hands were tied. He made magdrl pay Ginny the value of the dog and left it at that. It was a shady shady deal and magdrl did everything they could to cover their butts. In the end Ginny, who just wants to know that Squeeky is ok, was left in the cold. She is still, months later, devastated. She knows that Squeeky is somehwere in West Virginia and that's all she knows.

Fostering a dog is a wonderful thing. Don't not do it just because magdril is shady. Just be aware.

Thanks for the heads up MM. I now know to stay far away from them if I ever foster dogs.

 

[cattitude]

A friend of mine, Ginny Wiser, contacted MAGDRL in Spring of 2006 to help find a home for her Great Dane, Squeeky, when Squeeky and her canine mom, Daisy, quit getting along. Though she was devastated over it Ginny thought it was best for Squeeky and that MAGDRL would be the route to go to find Squeeky a dane prepared home. Boy was she wrong.

Susan, president of the NOVA chapter assured Ginny that she would get regular updates and be able to know how Squeeky was doing etc. She said she understood the turmoil she was going through and that MAGDRL was there to help people and danes alike. After all, Ginny had raised Squeeky from a puppy. Bottle fed her and her 10 brothers and sisters when Daisy got eclampsia when the puppies were 3 days and couldn't feed them anymore. Squeeky was like one of her own children.

A week after placing Squeeky with Magdrl, Ginny was completely cut off. Susan actually told her, and I quote, "She is not your dog anymore and we've never had someone give up a dog they love."

Ginny got a lawyer and sued Magdrl to get Daisy back. It went back and forth for awhile and eventually Squeeky was placed with another family (yes, during the court case!!) and Ginny lost her due to the placement family being "innocent 3rd parties." Magdrl said they didn't have the dog anymore, therefore couldn't return her, so the judges hands were tied. He made magdrl pay Ginny the value of the dog and left it at that. It was a shady shady deal and magdrl did everything they could to cover their butts. In the end Ginny, who just wants to know that Squeeky is ok, was left in the cold. She is still, months later, devastated. She knows that Squeeky is somehwere in West Virginia and that's all she knows.

Fostering a dog is a wonderful thing. Don't not do it just because magdril is shady. Just be aware.

You actually heard them tell her that? or was it second hand?

I'm curious what the rescue's side of the story turns out to be.

 

[MysticalMom]

You actually heard them tell her that? or was it second hand?

I'm curious what the rescue's side of the story turns out to be.

Oh yes, I actually heard that come out of Susan mouth. I tried to talk to her several times on Ginny's behalf. Tried to tell her that Ginny was devasted because her dogs were her children. (She has 3 other danes) To no avail. They quit taking calls or answering emails almost from the start. The dog was misrepresented on the magdrl website as an abused dog (Squeeky was a very shy dane but always loved and NEVER abused) and Ginny was completely cut off from any information.

We're just curious as to WHY they did it in the first place. When Susan came out to Ginny's home to meet Squeeky she was as nice as could be. Reassured her over and over that Squeeky would be fine and Ginny was doing the right thing. Even hugged her! Ginny told Susan she had all the paper work on Squeeky and even wanted to pay for the stomach tacking she would need. She made it clear that the dog was loved. Susan told her they didn't want the paperwork (registration and such) and that Ginny could give all that to the new owners if they wanted it once Squeeky was placed.

A year and half later Ginny still cries over Squeeky. She says the most horrible thing is NOT knowing.

 

[MysticalMom]

Thanks for the heads up MM. I now know to stay far away from them if I ever foster dogs.

No no! That was not my intention. Don't let the danes suffer just because magdrl is not always on the up andup. Just know that you might not be getting the true story from them.

 

[krazd_kat]

Susan, president of the NOVA chapter assured Ginny that she would get regular updates and be able to know how Squeeky was doing etc. She said she understood the turmoil she was going through and that MAGDRL was there to help people and danes alike. After all, Ginny had raised Squeeky from a puppy. Bottle fed her and her 10 brothers and sisters when Daisy got eclampsia when the puppies were 3 days and couldn't feed them anymore. Squeeky was like one of her own children.

A week after placing Squeeky with Magdrl, Ginny was completely cut off. Susan actually told her, and I quote, "She is not your dog anymore and we've never had someone give up a dog they love."

Fostering a dog is a wonderful thing.

I will say that every dog that has been an owner surrender to me has been hard on me and the owner surrendering it. They are usually crying about how much they love this dog.

The first couple of times I was pretty tore up about it myself.

I have always assured them the dogs will go only to an approved home, etc., like most rescues do.

But... would you like to know how many of these people have ever followed up with me? ZERO -

They love their dog and will miss them, clear up until I leave the driveway.

Their perfect pet that they were devastated to surrender, is now the foster home's problem, not really housebroke, resource guarding issues, medical issues... just to name a few.

It sounds like this story is different, but you have to look at the rescuers side as well.

But YES foster homes are always in short supply.

 

[MysticalMom]

I will say that every dog that has been an owner surrender to me has been hard on me and the owner surrendering it. They are usually crying about how much they love this dog.

The first couple of times I was pretty tore up about it myself.

I have always assured them the dogs will go only to an approved home, etc., like most rescues do.

But... would you like to know how many of these people have ever followed up with me? ZERO -

They love their dog and will miss them, clear up until I leave the driveway.

Their perfect pet that they were devastated to surrender, is now the foster home's problem, not really housebroke, resource guarding issues, medical issues... just to name a few.

It sounds like this story is different, but you have to look at the rescuers side as well.
But YES foster homes are always in short supply.

I understand and have known people like that too.

This story is definitely different! There are some GREAT rescues out there. And I sincerely HOPE that most chapters of magdrl are different. But Susan L. in the NOVA chapter had absolutely NO reason to act like she did.

Ginny missed (and still misses) and stressed,(and still stresses) over Squeeky so much, that she developed a condition called Alopecia and all her hair fell out. She spent almost 10,000 dollars in attorney fees. She put her life on complete hold to just try and find out where Squeeky was and how she is. She's now considering hiring a private investigator in WV to try and find her. Not to take her back at this point, because she hopes beyond hope that whoever has her now loves her too. ( it's what keeps her going) but just to KNOW for sure.

We all want the old happy Ginny back. We've all told her maybe she needs to get over it at this point. But she feels like her child was stolen from her and can't.

 

[jetmonkey]

Ginny sounds crazy.

 

[MysticalMom]

Ginny sounds crazy.

Well she is a little crazy over her dogs. But to her they are her kids. I'm a little crazy over my kids too.

Maybe she took it to the extreme, but if in her situation, would you just sit back, let it happen and do nothing? :shrug:

 

[jetmonkey]

Well she is a little crazy over her dogs. But to her they are her kids. I'm a little crazy over my kids too.

Maybe she took it to the extreme, but if in her situation, would you just sit back, let it happen and do nothing? :shrug:

Well, I doubt I would obsess over it to the point my hair would fall out.

 

[MysticalMom]

Well, I doubt I would obsess over it to the point my hair would fall out.

Ok. I'll give you that one.