Beren, my sweet foster boy:
In a few days, you will be joining your forever family. The lovely couple who came to the house last week and who were so happy to see you, these are the people that you will call your own until your last days in this life.
I hope that you have understood that I will not be your forever family.
I hope that the way I managed you, handled you, and related to you made you realize that you were only a guest here, a visitor, in between what was a bad situation and what I am sure will be a wonderful situation for you and your new people.
I gave you a lot of time by yourself not because I wanted you to be alone or lonely, but to give you the chance to really rest from your hard past and learn to become independent. Outside of our play, exercise, and training sessions, I did not spend a lot of time with you, not because you aren’t a wonderful boy, but because it is my responsibility to ensure that you understand that you are only with me for a short time.
I gave you few privileges not because you aren’t worthy but for you to realize that your adoptive home is so much better than your foster home and to help you move on.
It would not be fair otherwise, to give you the impression that you are a part of this family and then send you someplace else. What should be one of the happiest days of your life, your adoption day, would be a heartbreak and I will not have that.
Beren, my darling boy, you have done a great job adjusting, decompressing, and healing from your trauma. Though you had a hard life being bounced around, being surrendered by the person you once trusted, and experiencing life in a high-kill shelter, you have shown me the true extent of your kindness, resilience, capacity to move on, and desire to continue to love and to bond with humans.
I know that the first few days and weeks that we shared together were hard on you, just as they were hard on me. You were so anxious and difficult to handle, and I know that you did not mean to be a handful, I know you were struggling and wondering where your former person went. On our walks in these early days, I could see you looking around for that person, wondering whether they will come back for you.
But with time, and with patience on my end and faith on yours, we have now come to get along and reach an understanding. And you have given me the privilege of showing me just what an amazing dog you are.
You are kind.
You are thoughtful.
You are smart and want to learn.
You are goofy and playful.
You are healthy, strong, and very handsome too!
You are prepared to put forth the effort necessary to live peacefully with humans.
You have proven to be a quick study indeed and I could not be prouder of you and how far you have come.
I am sure you are wondering why I can’t keep you. You need to know that it’s not because you’re not an amazing and intelligent dog – a great example of your breed indeed!
Rather, it is an obligation and a duty for people like me who know how to handle challenging dogs to let the good ones like you move on with another family.
Do not ever think that I made the decision easily or that I don’t take your feelings seriously.
But trainers like me need to keep space available for other dogs who were in your situation, and I know that you would want for others to be saved, just like you were saved.
The good news is that your adopters are such wonderful people that we will be in each other’s lives forever. They have been so impressed by your manners and those of the other dogs that they can tell that our training and rearing approach is the way to go.
Because they don’t ever want you to feel that you have been abandoned, they will continue to train you with me, they will board you with me when they travel, and whenever we can, we will get together for walks and hikes with your old friends Bruna and Nejra.
This is how good these people are – they are deserving of your big heart just as you are deserving of theirs.
And you know what else? They will be keeping your name “Beren,” though, as you know, I never called you by that name because I wanted them to have a choice. And their choice was to keep the name I gave.
Now you have a name. You have a family. You have a home.
You have a place in my heart and in theirs.
Beren I am going to miss you terribly.
I know that the first few days and weeks in your new home will be hard for you. I know they will be hard for them as well because they do not have my skill or experience, but they are so willing to learn, so please, sweetheart, do help them.
Show them the good you have under the hood.
Be patient with the transition and show them how to be good leaders for you and please, do it kindly.
And any time things are hard, have faith that they will get better because your parents will be in constant contact with me to help steer them in the right direction.
We will meet again soon. I know that when we do, I will be so impressed and pleased to see you with the family that you have waited a very long time for.
I love you Beren and godspeed.
Your Foster Mom, Teacher, and Forever Friend,
Souha and Dogs Kizzy, Bruna, and Nejra