You’ve heard our names.  You’ve seen our faces.  But do you know why we are part of Stiggy’s Dogs?  Find out on My Story Monday. 

Back in the winter of 2011, I was trying to find a new home for this sweet, smart, gorgeous older pup named Brutus.  He ended up coming to live with me for a time, during which I took him to obedience classes and got to know just how special and smart he was.  During this same time frame, my sister and I had made a connection with the Better Life Canine Center.  They had taken in Brutus’ mother and found her a great home along with a number of other dogs from our area.  In June 2011, I felt Brutus was ready to find a new home, BLCC posted him on Petfinder for me and I also attended a couple adoption events with him, as well.   About the same time, Jennifer Petre had been starting to look for a dog to potentially pair with a veteran currently in the Stiggy’s Dogs program. Since they had worked with BLCC in the past, she was keeping an eye on their adoptable dogs and Brutus sure caught it!  Long story short, Jennifer Petre, Donna Fournier and Jason Keller came up to Frankenmuth in early July 2011 to meet Brutus and the rest is history.   Once Brutus became the service dog for veteran Jason Keller, I continued to follow and support Stiggy’s Dogs in any way I could.

I have two personal dogs of my own, Connor and Kobe, and my option to foster a dog for Stiggy’s is usually contained to the summer months.  But it has been my experience learning about dogs and training my own two dogs that has made me feel comfortable in taking in a dog to foster for Stiggy’s, since I also work on making sure they are highly socialized and well mannered before sending them on to Stiggy’s for further training.  My next foster for Stiggy’s  was a bit of a fluke.  Stiggy’s didn’t have a veteran to pair with him at the time he came to me, but I knew once I met Corspman that he would be the perfect dog for Stiggy’s.  He just needed to grow up a bit since he wasn’t quite a year when he came to me, so I offered to foster and train him until he was old enough to enter the program.  I am now currently fostering Rotor who I am sure will be moving on to be paired soon!