We’re going to try something new here at The Pixel Fund – it’s #fosterfriday! As important as it is to showcase our amazing pups, we think it’s time to start showcasing the people who make saving these lives possible. We’re talking about our incredible foster network. Each #fosterfriday we’re going to tell you a little more about one of these dedicated families. Read their stories, learn more about what it means to be a foster, and appreciate the hard work and love these families give to help save lives and show these dogs love, sometimes for the first time. First up we have Chris and Mary Bezio. Chris and Mary represent the true spirit of fostering. They take an animal in need because they want to, because they need to, because they see it as their responsibility as human stewards. When a pup presents an issue, they deal with it. They sing their fosters praises, and when The Pixel Fund is in a jam, they are the first to step up. When we thought about who to feature as our very first Foster Friday Honoree, the choice was obvious. Chris and Mary, we love you with all our hearts. Please read Chris and Mary’s incredibly moving words about their experiences fostering with The Pixel Fund: Our journey with The Pixel Fund started on October 2, 2013 when we walked into the local Tractor Supply to introduce ourselves to some of TPF volunteers. One of our best friends had been fostering for TPF for about 4 months and had talked to us a lot about it. We knew we wanted to adopt a dog but we were unsure about when the right time would be. Michelle suggested we go to the local event just to test the waters. We met about six different dogs that day and probably four volunteers. I (Mary) struck up a conversation with a woman who was handling two dogs, Pipo (a white stocky mutt mix) and Mickey (a little 6lb Chihuahua). I instantly fell in love with them both. Chris and I left and all Chris could talk about was Pipo, all I could talk about was Mickey. We already had a little 7lb Chihuahua/Pomi mix who ruled our house and I thought Mickey would fit right in. As fate would have it our best friend ended up becoming Pipo’s foster that same night. Our forms were immediately filled out and within 48 hours we were on our way to Portland to pick him up. Pipo had already been on a couple FTAs (Foster to Adopt) and had been returned so the foster coordinator at that time told us to take our time, make the right decision for both us and for Pipo. A month later on November 2, 2013 we adopted Pipo officially. During that month we saw behavior we never had expected from that first meeting and there were days I called Chris up crying telling him I didn’t know if Pipo was the right choice, but once I learned his ways I found ways to keep him entertained. Dog behavior sites and books became our biggest source of advice and slowly he came around. It was amazing too to see Lily come alive with a playmate. Being an alpha, and small, she often came off as aggressive so other people preferred we kept her away from their dogs. With Pipo in the house we watched as she became less alpha and more compassionate towards other animals. Also on November 2, 2013 Chris started to become ill. We had no idea at the time the ride we were about to embark on. Later in the month Chris was hospitalized and had to leave work, still undiagnosed. I received a message from our friend later in the month saying there were some puppies that needed fosters ASAP. She said she hated to put us out with Chris being sick but she didn’t know who else to ask. Around November 28th we started our actual first fostering. A little brown puff ball named Peanut Butter Cup. We were hooked. On December 14th we took on our second actual foster. A little pug/Chihuahua mix named Goober. In December Chris’ mom adopted PBC and renamed him Brownie. Then in January the day came that we dreaded. There was talk of Goob being adopted. I remember that day like yesterday. My heart broke. As I hooked on his leash and took him for his morning walk I broke down. Tears streaming down my face I ran back inside to Chris and looked into a face that mirrored my own. I didn’t even have to speak the words and Chris knew and agreed. Goober was already where he was supposed to be. The transformation in him alone is astounding. He had anxiety and trust issues when he first arrived and within months a new dog emerged. Many more fosters came and went a total of 20 to be exact. I remember every name and every face. I keep an electric journal entry with all of their pictures. I can’t lie and say there weren’t dogs who left who broke my heart, but with Chris getting sicker I couldn’t justify keeping them. Months went on and Chris got worse. He gradually lost the ability to walk unassisted. On March 30th another big personality came into our lives… a tornado of brindle fur named Xena. Pipo was great practice for Xena and they meshed perfectly. No more of me having to entertain him with countless hours of fetch, Xena became the best babysitter there was. She is another one we’ve watched morph into a completely different dog. Time and basic obedience classes allowed the gentle lady she was hiding behind excitable behavior to shine. She is still here with us now, six months later, but we will stick by her until that final perfect match is made. We’re not so secretly hoping it’s someone we know so we can continue to be in her life because we want to see her journey through. We want to be there to see the perfect dog she’ll be one day. Miss Mona came into our lives in May. The exact day escapes me but I remember opening her crate and seeing the pudgiest little Chihuahua I’d ever seen. She wouldn’t come out of the crate for anything and we honestly thought she was mute as she didn’t make a peep. Then one night, about a week later, I hear this sad little whine coming from the hold room. I can’t believe my ears as this pathetic little squeak of a voice comes from underneath the door. I opened her door and she walks out of her room and into mine. I welcomed her into our bed and sealed our fate. On June 2nd we became a foster fail for the second time to our third Pixel Pup. During this time words for Chris’ diagnoses starts being thrown around… Parkinson’s. We had become so frustrated with the doctors and tests that an acknowledgement of even a possibility was a relief. There were days that Chris hardly wanted to wake up, but he did for the dogs. Our dogs gave him a purpose. (Even fosters are referred to as our dogs while they are here.) Chris has always been a helper. He gets joy from making someone else’s life better. Even if it’s just a smile he gives. Chris had been the activities coordinator at a local nursing home and with his illness he lost his ability to work. In a lot of ways he lost the very thing that made him the happiest. Fostering gave him that spark back. It gave him a reason to crawl out of bed, to push himself, and to be honest there is no better therapy than an animal’s love. Many of our fosters came to us with terrible back stories and they showed us that they could still love humans and could forgive. Many nights we crawl on the couch with our dogs, with popcorn all around, and we feel like the richest people in the world. We might not have the biggest house, nor the fanciest of cars, but they don’t care. They’re happy with our broken half eaten furniture, they’re content pig piling us in the recliner. They give us so much more than we could ever repay just by being them, bad behaviors and all.
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 21:15:01 +0000
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