Meet Coal (FKA TR Coal Bucket).

We first met this love bug in November when we visited the GPA-GO Kennel in Orlando.  Coal had been waiting for a home for 1 and 1/2 years at the rescue kennel.  Each hound has their own story, but when we heard Coal’s, we knew we had to help. 

 

Hearing his story brought back memories of when we heard Booyah’s story.  Maybe it was just my emotions carrying me away, with Booyah’s Gotcha Day falling on the week of our visit and the days approaching the one year anniversary of letting him go to Rainbow Bridge, I am not sure, but for whatever reason, I was drawn to Coal.

We got Coal out of the crate at the kennel and were able to socialize with him for a bit in the run.  His tail never stopped wagging.  Great personality, we both thought.  Again, we could not believe this hound had been waiting so long for his home.  We called the President of the adoption group we volunteer with and told her about this special boy.  We thought he might be a good match for a young couple we had recently done a home visit for.  As it turns out, he wasn’t a match.   But she could not get him off of her mind either so VAGA decided to bring him up on the next haul that was scheduled to arrive mid December and we agreed to foster him.

There will always be a soft and special spot in our hearts for the large black male greyhounds.  We have our wonderful Booyah to thank for that.  🙂  We can’t add another to pack.  We have reached our limit at three.  Although we had four hounds for several years, we know we can’t do that again.  But we can do the next best thing……advocate for their adoption.  We do a good bit of volunteer work throughout the year and have been doing so since we adopted Maggie in 2006.  Meet and Greets, conducting phone interviews and home visits of potential adopters, and hosting adoption are all great, but there is something extra special about fostering.  At least I think so. 

It did not take long for the group to find Coal his forever home.  We are still fostering Coal until his new family can take him home on New Year’s Day.  What a great way to start 2014 for Coal and his new family.  He is getting an awesome forever home and will be enjoying the good life.  We will miss him.  It is hard not to form a bond, even with a foster dog, whom you know you will not be adopting, but it feels GREAT to know we played a small part in helping this special boy find his forever home.  It makes it all worth it!

Below are some photos I have taken of Coal since he has been with us.  He is a tail wagging, happy, sweet, friendly, big, love bug and has been a joy to foster!

Coal loves this orange Afghan blanket.  We carry it from room to room for him.  He has slept on it every night. 

How he would prefer to spend all day every day.

He loves that blanket so much, he will work his way on to the bed with that blanket on it until my hounds give up and move to let him have his blanket.  I have a feeling this blanket will be going home with Coal.  🙂

He is 82lbs of pure love and happiness!  We are going miss him tons but are so thrilled that he has finally found his forever home!

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  Coal sure got the best gift of all this year…..a family.  🙂