Condo for Sale:
Where Will Cocoa Call Home?
by Robin Namenek-Beets
edited by Emily Shoemaker
It’s truly the dog days of summer on the late August evening that I have a call planned with a Carolina Boxer Rescue foster mom. The heavy humidity is felt even on a quick jaunt in the yard with my own two CBR pups, so I hustle back inside. After a number of failed attempts for our scheduled video chat, we decide to go old school. I pick up my phone and give this month’s CBR Spotlight’s foster mom a call.
Katherine is a joy to talk to. She starts our call sharing her history with the boxer breed while I sit back and listen. Nearly a decade ago, her son brought home a boxer puppy, Gucci, and introduced her family to the wonderful breed. Gucci made such an impact that over the pandemic, Katherine’s daughter rescued 5- year- old Willa. Unfortunately, both Gucci and Willa were lost to lung cancer in the same year, and Katherine’s family felt the void they left behind.
As a longtime supporter of CBR, Katherine was aware of the fostering program. So, while they weren’t quite ready for full ownership of another boxer so soon after losing Gucci and Willa, Katherine thought fostering would be an amazing opportunity to open their home to another dog. It only took a few days for CBR to approve her for fostering after a home visit, and even less time to fall in love with sweet Coco.
“She is the sweetest, most gentle soul…” Katherine exclaims, “fostering her has been such a joyful and rewarding experience”. While it seemed Coco had received some training in her prior home, Katherine has been busy learning where the gaps in that training might be. Leash manners were a big focus- Coco walked nicely and didn’t pull, but she was reactive on the leash. Katherine tells me that Coco doesn’t much care for most dog treats, but she loves chicken breast, and she soon took advantage of the fact. But even with taking this high- profile treat on their twice- daily walks, it took a consistent four months of training for Coco’s leash reactivity to stop. “I’d never had a leash- reactive dog before,” Katherine laments, “it was a learning process for both of us”. CBR provided support and resources that Katherine has utilized over Coco’s training. Her improvement has been so significant, even the neighbors have noticed. Katherine shares a touching memory of a man stopping her on one of her regular walks with Coco just to tell her that he and his wife had been watching her walk with Coco for several months, and were amazed at her progress in such a short time.
All of this isn’t to say that it’s been all work and no play! Though it took some time for Coco to be comfortable with physical affection, she jumped right up on the couch on her first day in Katherine’s home, and now loves to spend time dozing near Katherine while she takes her work calls from home. Coco’s one of the girls: she’s always down for a car ride, especially if a Starbucks pup cup is involved!
The dog Katherine describes is sweet and loyal, always waiting for Katherine to come back home. The two have built a strong relationship off of Katherine’s patience and Coco’s amazing ability to trust again after being surrendered, and it’s only by necessity that Katherine is ending her foster-ship of Coco. This amazing girl is facing down a mere month left in her foster home, and an empty roster of prospective adopters. I ask Katherine what she envisions for Coco in a perfect scenario,
“Coco does need to be an only dog… I think she would do best with a person who works from home, or [spends a good amount of time at home] since she’s accustomed to me being home during the day… I’d love for her to have a fenced in yard to run and play with her squeaky toys, and lay in the sun… a family [maybe with] kids who will take her for walks, go on car rides for pup cups, and snuggle on the couch”
The building Katherine rents in is being sold, and she can’t bring Coco with when she leaves at the end of September. Katherine herself will likely stay with her daughter while she searches for another residence. Like many Americans, she is faced with the heartbreaking reality that skyrocketing rent prices, overfull shelters, and restrictive pet policies in rental properties are insurmountable obstacles.
I thank Katherine for her time with me, and Coco. After we hang up, I pull up the photos she sent. Coco’s toothy grin shines back at me from a beautiful brindle face, pretty and proud in a pink harness. I look at my own foster pup, Six, snoozing away on his bed, and my heart aches at the thought of another dog just like him losing the peace and stability rescue dogs need so badly. Though the clock is ticking for Coco, Katherine has left no room for interpretation in her glowing view of the sweet girl.
“There’s a home out there for Coco, and for you,” I tell Six. He looks up at me, yawns, and goes right back to sleep. It’s as though he’s confident everything will work out as it should.
I hope he’s right.
If you are interested in sweet Coco, check out her page on our website!
You can also fill out an adoption application online.