w Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories following Valkyrie after she was dropped off with her puppies at the Kauai Humane Society in January.
PUHI — Valkyrie has rejoined the rest of the dogs ready for adoption in the Kauai Humane Society kennel, but her three fuzzball puppies have found homes with local families.
In fact, thanks to KHS outreach and a foster family, those puppies were adopted within days of being ready to leave their mamma.
Valkyrie almost found a forever home earlier this week — she was adopted by the Flecher family. All were stoked to welcome their newest member.
“She’s doing great! She will be sleeping on my comfy bed tonite!” wrote Valkyrie’s new owner, Mary Flecher on Tuesday afternoon in a note to KHS about the dog.
It was almost a match made in heaven.
Almost.
About 1 p.m. Wednesday, Flecher confirmed with The Garden Island that Valkyrie wasn’t quite the right fit.
“So sorry to say that she and my little dog Oliver were incompatible,” Flecher said. “There was an incident at my home this morning. I spoke to Hope (Ramirez, staff member at KHS) and she met me to return her. I am beyond sad, but it is for the best, and I know she will find the right home.”
Mirah Horowitz, KHS executive director, said that happens sometimes — not everybody gets along. She also said KHS is committed to finding a home for Valkyrie and the right dog for the Flechers.
The brown, black and brindle hound was dropped off at the Kauai Humane Society in January, shy and skinny with her four infant puppies. They weren’t at the facility long before a Wailua family offered to foster. Shortly after that, one of the puppies died. The rest grew fast and strong.
Horowitz said foster homes offer the ideal situation because it gets the animal out of the stressful kennel environment and a chance to be with a family that can socialize them. It was especially important for Valkyrie and her pups.
“Valkyrie and her puppies were some of the lucky ones at KHS,” Horowitz said. “The shelter can be an overwhelming place for many animals. Having a foster parent allows our dogs and cats a break from the stress.”
When Valkyrie came back to KHS earlier this month, she’d gained weight. She was more socialized and relaxed. Now, she’s healthy, gentle and ready to be adopted.
“Valkyrie was not in the greatest shape when she was brought to KHS,” Horowitz said. “She was very thin and because she was nursing, she has having a hard time keeping weight on. Her foster parents did a tremendous job getting her weight up, while making sure she had enough nutrients to feed her puppies.”
Animals’ chances of adoption increase when they move into foster care because it allows for socialization and connection. But it’s also a major benefit for animals like Valkyrie, who have puppies or other additional factors.
In a perfect world, Horowitz said KHS would be able to find fosters for animals with specific needs on a regular basis.
“Unfortunately, however, we don’t have enough fosters in our network to provide all the animals in need with a foster to care for them, particularly when they might need care for up to four to six weeks,” Horowitz said.
It’s not difficult to become a foster family for KHS, and it can be for shorter periods of time. In the end, more foster families means helping more animals.
“It’s a win-win-win,” Horowitz said. “The foster parent knows they help to save a life, the animal’s life is improved, and the animal’s eventual adopter will benefit from a healthy, well-socialized animal.”
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Jessica Else, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.
