Fostering Chester

52 fosters. We’ve made a second trip through the alphabet. So this is A-Z: Where are they now? Second edition.

27) Chester2 Abbie Faith. Rescued by Dog Tags.

Remember Abbie Faith?

The photo, above, is of Abbie heavily pregnant in the Marlboro County Animal Shelter. She came through our door with her pups shortly after she delivered. She was so happy to be out of the shelter that she smiled the entire first day, despite the fact that her ears seemed to have been recently cropped with a razor blade.

Now, Abbie Faith and three of her seven pups are in training to be service dogs. They were rescued by the organization Dog Tags; the company overview reads as follows:

“Dog Tags is a Veteran run organization, committed to changing the stigmas associated with shelter dogs and Veterans with PTSD. We rescue, rehabilitate and train shelter dogs into Service Dogs for Veterans with PTSD and other disabilities and support Veterans in their quest to train their own service dog.”

Their motto: “NO VET is a throwaway, and NO DOG is either!”

Agreed!

Update:https://fosteringchester.com/2011/11/12/a-big-fat-veterans-day-disappointment-and-unfortunately-memorable-mishap/

SIGH.

28) Chester2 Bradley. Adopted by Catherine Eisner and Bryan Germann.

I’ve mentioned before that I have the best neighbors ever. Even newest neighbor, Colin, has been super supportive of living next to a constantly rotating pack of dogs.

The first time I met Colin, if I remember correctly, I was crawling under a bush in his front yard, trying to coach York/Pepper out of hiding. Since then, he’s alerted me to dog poop on my shoes, has stepped in dog poop himself while visiting the puppies, AND he found a home for one of Abbie Faith’s pups!

His friends, Bryan and Catherine, decided that their girl, Tilly (below), needed a sibling.

Enter baby brother Bradley. As Catherine writes, “Who can resist that face?” Or those Harry Potter green eyes.

29) Chester2 Cayce. Adopted by Lauren Eyler and Dawn Perry.

Colleague Lauren Eyler decided to gift her then girlfriend/now fiance Dawn Perry (congrats, again, girls!) with a new puppy. So, they came to my house one Saturday to meet the pack. Dawn fell for the puppy with the guitar-shaped mark on his head, rock star Cayce. They’ve renamed Cayce “Truman,” as in Truman Capote. This is the perfect name, since Truman’s sibling sister is named Harper, as in Harper Lee. Yes. We’re book nerds. See sweet Truman, below, nestled in Mama Dawn’s arms.

And here’s Truman with big sis Harper. They look like they belong to each other. — although Harper will abandon baby brother in a minute to come inside. I know. I’ve pup-sat. Truman will stay in the backyard playing with the other dogs. Harper is “over” the outside in like 5 seconds, Truman be damned.

Funniest Truman memorable mishap: Dawn and Lauren report that Truman may prefer being outside and playing with other dogs at my house, but that he does NOT like to go outside to pee while at theirs. When I asked if Truman was house-trained yet, they reported that he is trained to a certain extent. He pees whenever he sees the leash, to avoid having to go out. /giggle

I know it’s annoying, Dawn and Lauren, but I take immense joy in the fact that I’m not the only person in Columbia, SC constantly mopping up dog pee.

30) Chester2 Duncan. Rescued by Dog Tags.

Duncan is the first of Abbie Faith’s pups to have been picked for a special project with Dog Tags: 11 Service Dogs for 11 Veterans on 11/11/11 (Veteran’s Day).

Duncan is one of the 11, and is probably, as I type, walking the halls of the Maquire VA hospital in Virginia. Board member for Dog Tags, Shelby Sargent, explains the program, below:

“We’re working with Maguire VA hospital [training] 11 service dogs for 11 veterans for Veterans Day. We have a program where we help the VETERAN train their OWN service dog from the GROUND UP from puppy! Most of the work is done with Therapeutic services right there at the hospital, and is just that . . . very therapeutic for the veteran. It’s so much fun and works on many levels . . . and is an amazing thing to watch.”

And we’d very much like to watch it. Video please, Shelby?

Update:https://fosteringchester.com/2011/11/12/a-big-fat-veterans-day-disappointment-and-unfortunately-memorable-mishap/

SIGH.

31) Chester2 Elloree. Adopted through Middle Mutts/LCAR.

Elloree is the third of Abbie Faith’s litter to be adopted. Someone with connections to Middle Mutts fell for her photo, so she made the long trip to NY and is now living it up.

Kudos to Elloree for finding a home! And kudos to me for taking such an awesome photo! [pausing to pat myself on the back now]

32) Chester2 Fairfax. Rescued by Dog Tags.

To think that we very nearly lost Fairfax due to a respiratory illness. And now, he’s the second of 11 service dogs for 11 Veterans on 11/11/11.

Hurrah for second chances! (and third, and fourth, and fifth and so on) — both for humans and for dogs.

Update:https://fosteringchester.com/2011/11/12/a-big-fat-veterans-day-disappointment-and-unfortunately-memorable-mishap/

SIGH.

33) Chester2 Gaffney. RIP

We lost Gaffney, despite Sandra’s and Mark’s best efforts. They generously offered to hand raise this little girl, who had difficulty getting her fill of milk. Yes. Middle of the night feedings and all. It’s tough being the runt of the litter, though not as tough when you have friends like Sandra and Mark.

I think it’s appropriate to share one of my favorite “dog” quotes. It’s one that I repeat to myself after “losing” each foster, but it also works for more permanent loss:

“It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.” Author unknown.

Thanks, again, Sandra and Mark. — for everything.

34) Chester2 Hilda. Rescued by Dog Tags.

Hilda is the third service dog for the Dog Tags 11/11/11 project and is a favorite of Shelby’s, who wrote the following after seeing her photo:

“Awww! I can’t wait to get Hilda into a vest and get her romping through Maguire VA hospital with her Vet, showing the world JUST what a puppy can do.”

Yes! And pictures please, Shelby!

Update:https://fosteringchester.com/2011/11/12/a-big-fat-veterans-day-disappointment-and-unfortunately-memorable-mishap/

SIGH.

35) Chester2 Isla. Adopted by Krystal Branch. Renamed Lucy.

I love puppy makeovers. And I think that Isla wins the most dramatic makeover in A-Z, second edition. She went from this, a canine version of Swamp Thing . . .

. . . to Golden Girl . . .

. . . to Lucy, beloved Branch family pet!

You’ve come a long way, girl!

36) Chester2 James. Adopted by Amy Bolger. Renamed Murphy.

Remember Chester James? He was renamed Micky by foster dad John. One day, John was walking Mickey, and Mickey met Amy Bolger. And it was love at first sight, for both of them. See Mickey, below, living his new life as Murphy Bolger. Murphy has two human siblings to adore.

And one canine sibling, with whom to nap.

Life is good.

37) Chester2 Kincaid. Rescued by Nuts for Mutts. Renamed Jackson.

Kincaid is currently in Rochester, New York, being adored by the rescue organization Nuts for Mutts. Seriously. Right after his arrival, we got a “Kincaid is awesome!” email. He’s made many new friends and is learning how to charm prospective adoptive parents.

He’s disappointed, because he wasn’t able to meet his sponsor, Ashley Smith, during her last visit to Rochester. But, he promises to save some kisses for her, in hopes of meeting her one day. Until then, we trust that the Nuts for Mutts volunteers will work on finding him his forever home.

Best of luck, Kincaid-y!

38) Chester2 Lexington. Still available.

Interested in this sweet girl? Read all about her, and send me a message!

https://fosteringchester.com/category/chester2-lexington-available/

Here she is, below, looking for her forever home. Until then, she’s happy with her wonderful foster mom, Sandra Keller.

39) Chester2 McBee. Still available.

Interested in this fun boy? Read all about him, and send me a message!

https://fosteringchester.com/category/chester2-mcbee-available/

McBee, renamed Roo by foster dad John, seems to be a rat terrier mix. So, I’m sure he’d be an expert at ridding your home of pests. If he could learn not to be afraid of them.

40) Chester2 “Harley” North. Adopted by Frank and Dianne Plyler.

Mom and Scott LOVE to try to curb my enthusiasm for dog fostering. And, knowing me so well, they know the two most effective ways to do it:

Clean freak that I am, Scott goes for “Our house smells like pee!” — or poop, depending on his mood.

Hypochondriac that I am, Mom goes for “Your kids are going to get worms.”

But, Harley is PROOF that, deep down, Mom is as much of a softie as I am. She attempted to foster for me. And is a foster failure. Harley is so happy in McBee that she’s offered him a forever home there.

Watch out for worms, Mom. 😉 Love you!

41) Chester2 “George” Olar. Adopted by Jacq McConkey.

Another dramatic doggy makeover to rival Isla’s! See poor George, on the left, in the Marlboro County Animal Shelter. See the new and improved George, on the right, after being spoiled by wonderful foster mom Jacq McConkey.

George was in such bad shape at the shelter that we assumed he was a senior dog, when in fact he’s only 5 years. — prime trick-or-treating age, as you can see in the photo below.

Jacq is another foster failure, and George couldn’t be happier. He’s home.

42) Chester2 “Gertie” Powdersville. Adopted by Ina McCoy.

Gertie, I trust, is recovering nicely from her FHO. She’s probably more of a “Gert” now than a “FrankenGert.” She has a wonderful new home with dog lover Ina McCoy and a senior canine sister.

Thank you, Ina, for understanding the wonderful thing that is senior dog adoption!

43) Chester2 Quinby. Rescued by Dachshund Rescue of North America.

How we miss our Q in the Fisk household! But, as you can see in the photo above, she’s perfectly content with Karen of Dachshund Rescue of North America. When she’s not napping by Karen’s bed, I’m sure she’s enjoying autumn in Georgia, in a style similar to the handicapable dog below.

A friend of mine sent me the above photo, which is now one of my favorites. Dogs don’t have our egos. Being handicapped bothers them much less than it does us. And by “much less,” I mean “not at all.”

44) Chester2 Ravenel. Adopted by Wendy Faulkner. Renamed Roxy Sparkle.

Wendy fell in love with Ravenel’s photo as soon as Whitney posted it on the LCAR adoption page. See Ravenel, renamed Roxy Sparkle, below, with her human siblings.

Wendy and I have chatted since Roxy’s adoption. We know that she’s in the right place, especially since Wendy has a Jack of her own, who also loves Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

45) Chester2 Salle. Adopted through Middle Mutts/LCAR.

Yay for Salley! Salley traveled to New York last weekend, and LCAR has already placed her in a home. I love seeing the big Adoption stamp on her photo. And I fully expect to meet up with her again one day, on the streets of the Big Apple. She’ll be in her adoptive mom’s purse, of course.

46) Chester2 Timmonsville. Adopted by David and Miriam Crow. Renamed Scout.

I love it when Fisk Fosters are adopted locally, and none have been adopted more “locally” than Scout. He’s living next door, with the Crows. He has a canine sister, Trinka, who he loves. He seems to think Trinka is his mother, Miriam reports, and tries to nurse. — but she has no patience for that nonsense.

So, Scout contents himself with being mothered by sweet human sister Hannah.

Apparently, Scout LOVES being a purse dog. And we love having Scout as a neighbor! Thanks to the Crows for giving him such a wonderful home!

47) Chester Union “Chance.” Adopted through Middle Mutts/LCAR.

Union Chance’s adopter saw the photo, above, on Middle Mutts’ page, and fell in love with Chance before he even left the shelter. So, he had a home before I pulled him. May all shelter dogs be so lucky.

Enjoy your home up north, you sweet ball of fluff!

48) Chester MorVen. Still available.

Interested in the best nanny dog ever? Read all about him, and send me a message!

https://fosteringchester.com/category/chester2-v-morven-available/

49) Chester Williston. Adopted by Trina Shealey.

My foster-in-crime Trina is our third foster failure in this batch of Fisk fosters. Willie, she said, is too cute to pass up. And being dachshund lovers ourselves, we agree. Willie joins canine sister Spot and who knows how many future foster brothers and sisters!

Thanks for all you do, Trina!

50) Chester BordeauX. Adopted by Lisa Bailey. Renamed Sissy.

Sweet Daphne BordeauX was a favorite at the Richmond County Animal Shelter. And, now, she’s a favorite in the Bailey household. She has been renamed Sissy, in honor of the fact that she’s sister to Lisa’s favorite boy Pepper (formerly Fisk Foster York).

Sissy is teaching Pepper how to be a puppy. Pepper is only a year old, still very much a baby himself, but his difficult life as stray and shelter dog has made him grow up before his time. Sissy is on it, though.

And Lisa, and human sister Hannah, and Pepper are all on the job of caring for Sissy. As the runt of a litter of Chorkies, she’s only two pounds. Lisa reported that both she and Pepper woke up constantly during their first night with Sissy, to make sure she was still breathing.

Sissy was, of course, still breathing. You can see her, in the photo above, winking as though she knows that she has the entire Bailey household wrapped around her very little paw.

51) Chester “Yabby” Yemassee. Rescued!

Yabby, who likes to eat cars, has found rescue! I took her to Rockingham yesterday, where she was united with her sister Gabby, before leaving for New York! — in a plastic, metal crate that she tried to chew. Casey calls her my “goatadoodle.”

We wish Yabby the best. Despite the damage to the car, even Scott has a soft spot for her. She’s one of the most loving, grateful dogs we’ve fostered. And she has an admirably strong jaw and set of teeth.

52) Chester “Zeus” DalZell. Still available.

Interested in this handsome boy? Read all about him, and send me a message!

https://fosteringchester.com/category/chester2-yemassee-and-dalzell-available/

Foster mom Trina reports that Zeus is “the sweetest thing” and “just wants to be loved.”

Surely, there is someone reading this post who could accommodate.

Chester Edisto was my fifth foster. Forty five fosters later, Edisto has finally caught the bus to New York and (hopefully) his forever home. He’ll be featured in an adoption event today, hosted by the fabulous Last Chance Animal Rescue, and, if he’s not adopted, he has a foster family in NY waiting for him.

“And then?” my friend Casey asked.

“And then he’ll be featured in the next weekend’s adoption event. And the next. Until he’s adopted.”

Casey and I laughed for fifteen minutes at least, imagining Edisto as the star in a sort of Doggies in Tiaras reality tv show.

We got to the bus pick-up point, Chesterfield, SC, and started unloading. Casey took Edisto, who immediately started going in the opposite direction.

Because the drivers of the bus weren’t quite ready to go, they set up some pens, so that Edisto and Ravenel, and the pups, could enjoy being outside in the sun before the 12-15 hour drive.

When they opened the door to the pen for Edisto, he went down on his belly, with his four legs spread out.

“Yep, that’s Edisto,” we said. “That’s what he does.”

He felt much better, though, once he was penned with Ravenel, pretty red-head that she is:

Here’s Ravenel, with a big grin. — and rightly so. She already has a potential adopter lined up through Last Chance Animal Rescue!

We asked that the drivers crate Edisto and Ravenel together, in hopes that her enthusiasm would rub off on Ed.

And we asked that the drivers crate Abbie Faith’s remaining four pups together:

The pups, along with Abbie Faith, will be dropped in Virginia on the way to New York. They’re going to be trained as service dogs for veterans through the organization Dog Tags. — well, all except for Elloree, because someone in New York fell in love with her photo and asked to adopt her.

Please visit the Dog Tags facebook page and give them a big thumbs up, for Abbie Faith and pups:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dog-Tags/213146118702788

We couldn’t be prouder of the pups, and we think they’ll make fantastic service dogs. And yay for Abbie Faith! Tracy said that she’ll now be able to pay her karmic debt for terrorizing Yorkshire cats. Way to give back to the community, Abbie Faith.

So, to recap: Ravenel has an adopter lined up, and Abbie Faith and pups will be trained and assigned to veterans with PTSD and other disabilities. The only one who has a foster, rather than adopter, lined up is . . . Edisto. Of course. SIGH.

Still, we have HIGH hopes for today and told Edisto so before we left.

By the way: When I asked Casey the night before if he’d like to go “doggy adventuring” with me the next day, he was up for it immediately. But, when I told him that our mission was, particularly, to get Edisto on that bus to New York, he said:

“Omg, this should be ridiculously awesome.”

And it was.

Best of luck, Chester Edisto. We love you, you big Goober. I wouldn’t have such an awesome number of “Memorable Mishaps” blog posts, if it weren’t for you.

In early August, I wrote a post entitled “A-Z: Where are they now?” for my first trip through the alphabet with my first 26 fosters:

https://fosteringchester.com/2011/08/07/a-z-where-are-they-now/

And here’s the Cliff Notes version:

Chester A: Adopted by Sabra Smith; Chester B: Adopted by Federica Clementi and Chris Holcomb; Chester C: Adopted by Jenny Rhoad; Chester D: Passed away from distemper; Chester E: Oh, Edisto; Chester F: Adopted by Sue and Wayne Crow; Chester G&H: Adopted by Peggy Sudol; Chesters I-W: Rescued by Save-A-Litter; Chester X: See update below; Chester Y: Adopted by Lisa Bailey; Chester Z: See update below!

I’m happy to update the previous post by saying that Chesters X and Z have been adopted. So, yes, that means that the only foster left from the first trip through the alphabet is Edisto. SIGH.

24) Chester PaXville. Renamed Max. Adopted by Jim Summey.

Chester X spent some time with us before moving to a second foster home with my colleague and friend, John Muckelbauer. In the photos, below, PaXville is lounging on John’s perfectly loungable couch . . .

. . . and getting acquainted with John’s friends, like super-smart cutie, Brooke Rollins.

John changed Chester PaXville’s name to Maximus Noggin, which suits him! He also told me that Max needed to be adopted into a home with a big yard (J was taking M on four walks a day to tire him out!) and with other dogs. Enter Mr. Summey.

Mr. Summey lives across from Lisa Bailey, which is great for me, because I can visit Chesters Y and X at the same time. He has a large fenced-in yard, with two neighbor dogs, one beside and one behind. Max has made fast friends with them, and they “talk” to each other through the chainlink fence and race along the side.

He has dog houses and shade and toys and food and drink. Plus, Mr. Summey will let Max inside to lounge with his human pack now and then. But, Max loves being outside in “his” yard! And, as soon as he learns to stop chewing the cover on Mr. Summey’s town car (!), Mr. Summey says he’ll be the PERFECT dog.

26) Chester Z. Renamed Cassie. Adopted by Kathy Schrum Peck.

Chester Z, renamed Cassie, is fitting in well with her new family, the Pecks. In the photo, above, she is being loved by new Mom, Kathy. And, in the photo, below, she is being loved by new Dad, John.

Someone asked John how Cassie’s feline siblings are handling the new arrival. John replied in the way that countless parents have replied to the same question, whether asked about fur baby siblings or human ones:

“They don’t care for her, but they’ll get over it.”

And, after shared experiences like birthday parties . . .

and outdoor play . . .

and baths and indoor play . . .

the cats will be “in the same vicinity” as Cassie, as the following photo caption reads.

Success! I imagine that, with cats, being in the same vicinity is often as good as it gets. Well done, Cass.

Upcoming post will feature current fosters!

1) Chester, the First or Chester Andrews. Renamed Jethro. Adopted by Sabra Smith.

Chester A. remained local, which is lucky for me, because I get to pet-sit occasionally. Sabra was Julia McKinney’s friend first; Julia told Sabra that she should meet me and adopt my foster dog; and, Sabra did just that. And now I have a new friend. Here are photos of Sabra and Jethro, romping around in our backyard. I’m actually in the background of one, holding Edisto, who kept trying to get into the photo, Goober that he is. And Goober that I am, I didn’t move far enough away, so he still got in it. — though I’ve since managed to crop us out. Only my legs and feet remain.

Chester A.’s days are full of kisses and belly rubs. He’s a happy, happy dog.

2) Chester Berkeley. Renamed Chester Bark. Adopted by Federica Clementi and Chris Holcomb.

Chester B. continues to live the good life with parents, Federica and Chris. He’s also local, so I’ve told F&C that we’ll dog-sit whenever they need us. But, Chester B. is so easily transportable that he’s spent much of his summer at the beach, loving every minute of it.

Although: I don’t think it really matters to Chester B. if he’s in Columbia or Beaufort, as long as he has a lap to sit it.

And, if that’s your goal, then you’re a lucky dog, Chester B.!

3) Chester Clover. Renamed Carley. Adopted by Jenny Rhoad.

Chester C. isn’t as local as Chesters A. and B., but she lives in McBee, SC, the small town where I grew up. She’s enjoying her life in the county with her mother, Jenny, who is also her best friend forever. Chester C. wants to go nearly everywhere with Jenny and will follow her to the bathroom and sit at the door impatiently until J. comes out again. The only place she does not want to follow her: the garden. She’d much rather sit in the air conditioned house and watch from the window while Jenny works in the sweltering SC heat.

Chester C. is a princess indeed.

4) Chester Dillon. Passed away from distemper.

Anglophile that I am, I’ll type for Dillon the epitaph Queen Victoria wrote for her spaniel, since these are qualities I’m sure Chester D. would have had, had he lived to show them:

“Here lies DASH, the Favourite Spaniel of Queen Victoria By whose command this Memorial was erected. He died on the 20 December, 1840 in his 9th year. His attachment was without selfishness, His playfulness without malice, His fidelity without deceit. READER, if you would live beloved and die regretted, profit by the example of DASH.”

5) Chester Edisto. Still available. Want to adopt? See the following link, for all posts featuring Chester E. the Wonder Dog. And there’s a lot of them.

https://fosteringchester.com/category/chester-edisto/

Update: Rescued! Friday October 21, 2011 by Last Chance Animal Rescue

6) Chester Florence. Renamed Molly. Adopted by Sue and Wayne Crow.

Chester F. is living in Aiken, SC. It was rough going for awhile, because she loved her parents, Sue and Wayne, so much that she would hurt either the house or herself if they left her alone for a few hours. She would chew the door frame. When kenneled so that she wouldn’t chew the door frame, she’d try to chew her way out of the kennel, making her gums bleed.

But, finally, life is calmer at the Crows’ house. — after bitter apple spray for the doors and lots of positive reinforcement for Chester F.

Here’s Chester F., sporting a pony tail and playing with . . . something that looks like a mustard bottle. Hopefully it’s a squeak toy and not the real thing.

Correction: Sue just wrote to tell me that Chester F. is guarding her squeak toy cell phone. So much more fitting than a bottle of mustard for my miss priss of a Chester!

7 and 8 ) Chesters Gilbert and Hampton. Renamed Cooper and Romeo. Adopted by: Peggy and Mike Sudol.

Chesters G. and H. are living where Scott and I lived for a few years after we were married: on Johns Island. They share a lovely home with their parents, Peggy and Mike, who will occasionally give them control of the remote.

They are still terrified of the vet’s office, but Peggy was smart enough to take Mike as reinforcement when she took them for their first visit. And Chester G. and H.’s vet is sympathetic enough, after hearing their sad shelter dog story, to not take their seemingly irrational fear/dislike of her too personally.

9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23) Chesters Iva, Jefferson, Kline, Lydia, Marion, New Ellenton, Oates, Patrick, Quinby, Ruby, Sumter, Taylors, Ulmer, Vaucluse and Williams. Rescued by Save-A-Litter.

Iva and her remaining pups are thriving in Logansville, Georgia. We lost a couple of pups before the transport, and the new foster mother, Carolyn, has lost a couple more since. — to be expected, I suppose, with such a huge litter. Rather than saying they died, I’ll continue being an Anglophile and say, instead, that “God’s finger touched [them], and [they] slept.” — Tennyson.

And the ones that aren’t “sleeping” are romping around with open eyes (that were still closed when I said my goodbyes) and with lots of puppy cuteness. And, I get the most hilarious updates from Carolyn about Iva. The latest? Iva has been trying to take over Carolyn and hubby’s bed. When they get in it at night, Carolyn says, they find squirming puppies behind their pillows and in their sheets. — along with their stinky presents.

They moved Iva and pups behind a baby gate. Iva broke out. Then they put Iva and pups in a crate. Iva somehow managed to pry the bottom bars up and slip out with her brood.

So, the battle to find the perfect place to nest continues. Fortunately, Carolyn says she and her family are in love with Chesters I-W.

24) Chester PaXville. Still available. Want to adopt? See the following link, for all posts featuring Chester X:

https://fosteringchester.com/category/chester-paxville-and-york/

And here’s a recent photo of the big baby. He’s found a cool place (under our wood deck) to enjoy the summer day:

And, here’s Chester E., who always manages to look like he just got caught doing something very bad. /sigh.

25) Chester York. Renamed Pepper. Adopted by Lisa Bailey.

Chester Y. has found his home here in Columbia. Here in the Columbia, SC USC English department family, no less. (I know you’ve moved to the business school, Lisa, but you’ll always be part of the English department to us).

I’m especially happy about this, because Chester Y. is the sweetest little guy, and I’m looking forward to seeing him often. I’ve always had a fondness for squirrels . . . and . . . well, Chester Y. looks and acts like a slightly overgrown one. He’s a gray ball of timidity and playfulness and mischievousness (just a little bit of the latter).

He’s currently recovering from heartworm treatment. New mom reports that he’s doing well and following doctor’s orders to take it easy (see below). Good boy, Chester Y.!

26) Chester PelZer. Still available. Want to adopt? See the following link, for the post introducing Chester Z.

https://fosteringchester.com/category/chester-pelzer/

And here’s Chester Z., saying “Love me, please. You know you want to.”

At 20 lbs full grown, this 11 month old is probably the most unusual looking and photogenic dog we’ve ever had. And she’s in the running for the sweetest too.

We don’t really think PelZer fits Chester Z. We’ve been calling her “PelZ Belz” instead, but we aren’t sure about that either. Casey thinks she looks like Raggedy Ann and Andy’s dog, Rags. So, maybe we’ll try RagZ.

The problem with the name isn’t really a problem at all, though, because she follows us around everywhere, whether we call her or not.

Update: Adopted! August 2011 by Kathy Schrum Peck