When Cara felt her teenaged children slipping away and saw an empty nest on the horizon, she decided the best way to fill that void was with dogs—lots of them—and so her foster journey began.
In 2015, her Pennsylvania farm became a haven for Operation Paws for Homes. There were the nine puppies at once, which arrived with less than a day’s notice; a heart—worm positive dog; a deeply traumatized stray pup from Iraq; and countless others who just needed a gentle touch and a warm place to sleep. Operation Paws for Homes rescues dogs from high-kill shelters in the rural south and shuttles them north to foster homes like Cara’s on the way to their forever homes.
What started as a search for a good dog, led to an epiphany that there wasn’t just one that could fill the hole left in her heart from her children gaining independence—she could save dozens along the way. The stories of these remarkable dogs—including an eighty-pound bloodhound who sang arias for the neighbors—and the joy they bring to Cara and her family (along with a few chewed sofa cushions) fill the pages of this touching and inspiring new book that reveals the wonderful rewards of fostering.
When asked how she can possibly say goodbye to that many lovable pups, Cara says, “If I don’t give this one away, I can’t possibly save another.”
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“Achterberg has in fact written another good book about dogs, but even more so she has produced a manifesto on how to change the world.”
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Jim Gorant, New York Times bestselling author