Fauster was adopted out as a puppy in October 2009. He was returned to Howell Mill in February 2014 along with his doggy sister because the owners could no longer afford to take care of them. He was transferred to Mansell in April and was adopted by Renee Vazquez in October 2014!
We’d like to share Fauster’s “Story of Hope” with you as told by his proud pet parent Renee…
I awoke one morning recently with an overwhelming desire. It seems somehow, perhaps in a dream, I was given the task of going to an animal shelter to rescue a dog. But there were defined requirements: female, mature, large, who had been sheltered too long and needed to go home. Perhaps, I thought… one dog’s prayer, and maybe my own, was needing to be answered that day.
It is something I had thought about for some time. The timing wasn’t exactly right, since I am temporarily living in an apartment and am buying a house with a large fenced yard next year. But that didn’t seem to matter on that day. All I knew is that I needed to go and rescue a needy soul –NOW.
I went online and looked at the pictures of the dogs in shelters in all the nearby counties. (Side note: It’s pretty wonderful to have that access these days!) My desire was to get a large dog since those seem to be “less desirable.” I had previously rescued 2 small Chihuahua mixes, Coco and Sasha, 2 years prior… as well as Ciara, Grayson, Baby and the neighbors’ pet, Rusty, who seems to like my home more often than his own! These babies are of the feline persuasion.
I started out with a prayer and asked God to choose the right fit for our family. I went county to county and didn’t find her, but I was determined to give one pup a forever home that day and ended up in my own backyard at the Atlanta Humane Society’s Mansell Campus in Alpharetta, Georgia.
The amount of large dogs was pretty limited compared to the numbers I had seen at the shelters. But upon first glance, I saw this one large black lab/pit boy who was 6-years-old; he was sitting there with his head tipped down and looking up at me with the saddest eyes I had ever seen!
Fauster had been at the shelter for 9 months… such a long time. We met out at the meet and greet yard. He was so energetic, lively and playful and never stopped smiling. Yes, he was a good actor… with those sad eyes he knew how to get us Humans to take him out to play. That’s because he is highly intelligent.
His personality was so infectious that I ran home and swooped up his possible future bro and sis, and we all met back at the play yard. They hit it off wonderfully. It seems he has never met a stranger he didn’t like.
Well, I had made up my mind. I came for a girl, but I was going home with the best boy I was lucky enough to encounter. When we got in the car and drove off, I watched as he smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen on a dog, the evening air blowing against his face. But little did he know, his joy was just beginning…
Yes, I am a spoiler of animals, domestic or wild, big or small, rodents to canines, I love them all. And this special boy, I figured, after enduring 9 months of incarceration, deserved extra special “spoilization.” Once nervous, Coco and Sasha now seem to be sleeping better knowing that their big brother is there to protect them.
I could go on and on describing Fauster’s outstanding traits, but at the end of the day, this remarkable soul is now living the life he deserves.
And as for me doing the selfless act of saving a four-legged soul… well, I too win out in the end. He’s one of the best I’ve ever known.
Overall, Fauster was at Atlanta Humane for over nine months. Even though he was sweet, well-mannered, and friendly… he was constantly overlooked because of his age, allergies, and the fact that he barked loudly in his kennel at people. However, we strongly believe that he and Renee were meant to be – she came to the shelter specifically for an older dog that needed a home the most. We are so grateful for people like her who really give Hope to innocent animals.