Dogs of 2008

I did a "Dogs of 2007" last year and I liked being able to go back this year and see who passed through this house during the year, so I decided to do another one for the Dogs of 2008. This was the first year that we had Jack Russell terriers--four of them in all. It also was a sad year, with the loss of Poochini and Tosca. But here is the list of all the dogs of 2008:

	Bissell was the first dog we've had who was named after a household appliance! I had purchased a Bissell steam floor cleaner the morning that I brought him home from Petco. I never expected the name to stick, but he really looked like a Bissell. He was a real sweetheart.
	Jack and Russell were broth Jack Russell terriers, both pretty unsocialized, Russell the more timid of the two. Russell spent more time with us than Jack
	Gizmo came to us looking like a Gremlin, so Ned named her Gizmo. She had been treated for an infection (demodex) and needed to regrow her fur. She did.
	I can never forget Munchkin because her bark is my cell phone's ring tone for Ashley. She was very sweet, but needed attention 110% of the time and barked incessantly if she didn't get it.
	Two more Jack Russell siblings, Scooby Doo and Scrappy. I had both of them several times and had a bad scare when Scrappy got loose (fortunately he came back)
	Two Jack Russells AND lively Freddie made for an interesting life around here! I had to send them all away when I took a fall and hurt myself.
	I can't really remember anything about Georgie, which must mean that he wasn't here more than a day or two.
	Chico was our first, but not our last chihuahua puppy.
	While Chico was here, we also took in Joy, another chihuahua mix. Discovered these little guys were really lovely dogs.
	Hannah is Nicki's mother and the two of them arrived together, though she was so protective of Nicki, Ashley decided they should be separated.
	Awww...sweet Nicki. She was here two months.
	Tara just wanted to be left alone. She and Nicki hated each other. We had to find a new home for Tara.
	I called him Goblin, Ashley called him Cotton because he looked like a Q-Tip, and later he became Claus because he looked like Santa's beard. He was Nicki's age, but waaay too big for her and scared her, so he had to move to a new home.
	I still feel sad about the death of Poochini and Tosca, but they were just too little to make it without their Mom.
	Twix was also a sweet puppy, but entirely too big for Nicki so she left with Ashley after we returned from Santa Barbara

Out of curiosity, I decided to count how many dogs/puppies we have fostered since Toby, Jed and Leo came in January of 2005. Turns out that to date it has been 84 fosters, 4 of whom died. But 80 have moved on to forever homes (...well, 78, since Nicki and Twix are still homeless).

It helps to look back and realize how many dogs we have learned to love and then had to let go. We didn't fall in love with all of them, but most of them. It is especially helpful knowing that most of them are now in loving forever homes and very happy dogs. Now if only we can find that perfect home for Nicki!