A Harvey Foster Dog Tale (With Help from Jet.com)

Getting a dog has been a weekly conversation piece for as long as I can remember. The girls love being around animals in general, but doggies have a special place in their hearts. But the reality of having a dog in a small apartment in New York City is a whole other matter. That said, Husband and I had been talking about a foster dog for a while, as it seemed like a good way to take a pet for a "test run," so to speak, while giving it some much-needed love at the same time.

Enter Hurricane Harvey, which ravaged through southeast Texas and Houston in particular. A blogging friend of mine, Melissa from The Staten Island Family, is a volunteer for Louie's Legacy Animal Rescue. I saw a post of hers on Facebook which said that Louie's Legacy would be going to Houston to relieve an animal shelter affected by the storm. If we were going to get a foster dog, now seemed as good a time as any.

Meet Willie

Once we signed up, everything seemed to move very fast, and I realized I was completely unprepared for a 4-legged friend to come and stay with us. Luckily, I reached out to Jet for assistance (they've been heavily involved with hurricane relief efforts) and they said they'd be happy to help out. Their enormous selection of pet products (and 2 day shipping!) made finding items easy & quick, from a dog bowl and leash to toys and dog food. THANK YOU, JET! You made Willie feel comfortable almost immediately.

Willie has a good heart, clearly loves the girls... and has lots of energy, as he's only 19 months old. He's half Plott Hound and half Dutch Shepard - two breeds I'd never heard of before a week ago! While we are busy juggling a new schedule that revolves almost completely around him (new parents, sound familiar?), I can say wholeheartedly that getting a foster dog is an EXCELLENT way to see if you are ready for a pet full-time. While I would say I'm still in the adjustment period, and I can't for sure say that Willie has found his forever home, I do know that we are giving him some stability and love as he eases out of a traumatizing experience, and that I'm very happy about.

If you're still looking at ways to assist hurricane relief in Texas and Florida, check out Jet's donation page, where there are many ways to help. Through its JetCares "Give a Pack" program, Jet will match the first $25,000 in donations made to both Florida and Texas diaper banks. Amazing! I love to see large companies giving back in a meaningful, direct fashion (and even to rescue dogs they meet along the way).

This story gets an official "to be continued"...