Heartaches that become happy endings

“I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I can stand to foster,” said Jill Elston, Veterinarian Technician at Animal Care Sanctuary (ACS) in East Smithfield. “Doesn’t it break my heart to give them up?”

Elston fostered 17 animals during 2020 including bottle baby kittens, a cat with Feline Leukemia, a fearful dog, a dog that just needed to not be in a shelter, and a sick kitten that wasn’t recovering in the shelter. 

“If I kept the first one I fostered in January, what would have happened to all who came after,” continued Elston. “The truth is, some of them would still be living in the shelter, scared and unable to be handled. Some of them honestly probably would have died. This is what I do. I get them ready for forever.”

But Elston doesn’t foster alone. She has three companion dogs of her own that are part of her fostering family.

One of their recent fosters was Kevin, a dog who came from a dog meat farm in South Korea. It might be best for Kevin tell you his story before he met Elston.

“It’s really dark and cold in here. This wire cage is all around me; there’s barely room to stand and turn around. I can’t sleep on these wet dirty wires. No one comes to clean my cage. It smells awful. I can hear other dogs barking and crying. Will this horrible life ever end? I wish it would. Then my cage door opens and hands reach in to grab me. I am put into a crate. It’s more comfortable and I am finally able to relax and sleep. I wake up to a steady roar – an engine of some kind. And there’s a weird feeling in my stomach. There it goes again. I feel like I am floating up and down. Finally there’s a big bump and some screeching. My crate is moved into a van. I hear some strange words spoken; a language that is foreign to me. Another long ride, but finally I am put into a larger kennel. I’m really scared.”

Elston remembers how fearful Kevin was when he first came to ACS. He had never been out of a cage and never known the gentle human hand.

“When I first met Kevin, he was so terrified that he really didn’t even know how to live,” said Elston. “He spent his days huddled in the corner of his cage. He wouldn’t move out of that corner even to eat.” 

Elston realized that Kevin needed a quiet place to be in order to get used to humans. Thus, his fostering began. 

Kevin, along with his crate was taken to Elston’s home. He remained in his crate all day.

Kevin could see Elston and the three dogs from his crate, but they didn’t interact with him. 

“He watched me play some feeding game with my dogs,” said Elston. “And ate two treats that I tossed into his crate.”

“Twice he stood up to come to the front of the crate and sniff the air, checking out the situation,” added Elston, who realized that Kevin was going to need a lot of time and patience. She was hoping her dogs could work their magic and teach him how to “dog” properly.

On the second day Elston moved his crate so he could access her door and backyard. He went outdoors briefly, and relieved himself. He also casually met Elston’s dogs up close for the first time. The night before, they had checked him out, but hadn’t had any real interactions.

After about a week Kevin started to try being a little playful when he was outside with the other dogs.

“In the following weeks it would be these dog interactions that would most help Kevin learn what it meant to be a companion dog,” said Elston. “Ava’s confidence would show him that new things were not so scary. Newt, the enforcer, would carefully correct him when he began pushing boundaries. Simza’s playful nature would both distract him from his fear and serve to demonstrate how much fun toys could be.”

After nine days with Elston, Kevin made a real breakthrough. 

“Kevin took a step towards me and sniffed my face. I slowly reached out and touched him,” said Elston. “For the first time, he didn’t flinch away. He actually slowly relaxed. This session was the first real positive human interaction he had.”

After about two more weeks, there was another breakthrough. Elston was sitting on the floor in her living room and Kevin made the choice to leave his crate and come sit beside her, with their shoulders touching.

“From that moment, it was clear that Kevin had decided I might be worth trusting,” said Elston. “Within three short days he became my lap dog and snuggle bug.”

After three more weeks of working on things like handling, leash walking, muzzle training and meeting strangers, Kevin was put to the next test – with the help of a co-worker, he got his first ever bath. 

“I was both amazed and so very proud of how well he handled such a scary event,” said Elston.

Kevin continued to progress with the help of Elston, her dogs, and the ACS staff. Finally, after 39 days, everyone felt he was ready for adoption.

“I was immediately met with several people questioning me. How could I bear to give him up? Wouldn’t I be breaking his trust by sending him away? Didn’t I feel that he would be heartbroken?” said Elston, who replied. “I am the bridge to forever. My job was to teach him to trust humans, not just myself. That is what I did. I taught him the skills he would need to be someone’s most loyal friend.”

Thanks to fostering, Kevin was transformed from the terrified boy cowering in the back of a crate, unwilling to come out even to eat, to a playful goofball who loves a good cuddle.

“Watching the walls break down, little by little, baby step by baby step, will always be my favorite part of fostering,” said Elston.

And then it was time for Kevin to meet his adoptive parents. They spent two hours getting to know him. They listened to his story. He fell in love with their other dog, Sunny, right away, and Elston knew in her heart this was a good fit.

“Forty days after I carried this terrified dog into my home, I watched him jump into a car with no fear. This boy that had been so afraid was warming up to brand new people,” said Elston. “He now has people who promise to give him all the love that he so deserves. I was the bridge that led him there.”

Kevin can tell you himself how he has been living his new life, as a real dog.

“Mom and Dad took me to (the park) today; it was so fun! We walked around the whole lake, and then mom let me take my very first swim in the lake! The water was cold, but I loved it! So did my sissy Sunny! Then we left and I got to have a hamburger at A&W! It was so yummy! Sunny and I were really tired out so we took a nap in the back on the drive home.”

“This is why fostering is so incredibly important, and I will always advocate for more people to do it,” said Jill Elston. “Fostering gave Kevin a chance, for the first time in his life, to live out of a cage. Fostering helped him learn to be a companion, rather than a feral dog in a cage. Fostering brought him to life.”