Foster Story: Pringles
"I am new to fostering with the NBMDN. I decided to foster because I love Bernese mountain dogs and have experience with traumatized Berners from puppy mills. My second berner was rescued at 3 yrs old and was frightened by everything. Now at 8 yrs old, she is a lovable big floof and without the emotional scars and phobias. It’s hard to imagine that she was considered as disposable, unwanted, and unloved. Five years later, she has the opportunity to show the foster pups how to be a true berner.
My first foster was Pringles who was somewhere between 5 and 7 yrs old. Her exact age was unknown. She was a slow moving dirty dog with a strong stench and almost constant itching. She was stanky! She was pleasant, friendly, and she loved the car ride.
Everything was new to Pringles. She needed to learn what dog treats were, dog beds, navigating steps, etc. She was a very smart dog who watched what my other dogs and followed their lead. While Pringles didn’t seem to have emotional baggage, it was clear that she never received much physical contact in the terms of love. Once she discovered pets/brushing and being loved upon, there was no turning back. If the other dogs were getting wiped off because of rain, she would get in line for a rub down even when she hadn’t been outside.
Probably the most striking moment as a foster was the realization that this Network literally saved Pringles life. Pringles was slow moving and ate very little for a girl with huge paws. In fact, she lost a few pounds. I was doing my best to get her to eat. When she was spayed, I was told that her uterus was full of fluid so luckily it was good timing on the operation. All my dogs had been spayed so I didn’t know what that meant. This condition can kill a dog or make them seriously ill if not detected in time. Pringles was showing symptoms with the lack of appetite and being lethargic. If Pringles had not been rescued, it’s highly likely she would not be alive today.
After the surgery, Pringles became a new pup! Her appetite was finally good and she started doing zoomies around the yard. She became more of a social butterfly when meeting new people. To even prepare her for her new forever home, I had little girls from my neighborhood come over and meet Pringles. Luckily I have very nice neighbors who were more than willing to help out!
Through this journey with Pringles, there were so many rewarding moments and so much that I have learned. The most rewarding was finding this beautiful soul a forever home. When you see a 4 yr old little girl walk up to Pringles and give her a big hug, you realize this was meant to be. It was truly a very rewarding experience!"
-The Nicholson Family, September 2024
