“Maddie is what every foster wishes they were…she is the owner of a fabulous boarding facility, Lucky Paws, in Allen. So basically she spends her day snuggling and playing with puppies. Cool, right?
Maddie was referred to us through one of our adoption counselors after adopting the cutest puppies ever from DPA! She dove right in and became a foster as well as one of our boarding partners. Maddie has continuously stepped up when fosters were in desperate need of immediate temp situations. These pups would have had no where to go if it wasn’t for her willingness to take them in!
We recently received a rave review through Facebook about one of our representatives who helped wrangle in a loose foster pup at a gas station in Allen. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together to know that it was of course Maddie who came to the rescue! DPA is extremely lucky to have Maddie and Lucky Paws on our team!” – Stefanie Steiner, Foster Director for Dallas Pets Alive!
That’s why Maddie Adelsperger is a DPA Pawsome Person! Learn more about her below.
How did you get involved with Fostering with DPA?
I adopted my puppy, Juggy, from DPA. At our meet and greet his awesome foster mom, Christine Sablone, talked to me about fostering and ways my boarding facility, Lucky Paws Pet Lodge, could partner with DPA. By the end of that week I had Juggy, two fosters, and two temps at Lucky Paws.
Tell us about a few of your fosters.
The first foster to steal my heart(besides my baby Chico) was Kyber, a nine month old miniature schnauzer that Jey Lehew and so many members of the DPA went above and beyond to save. I can’t thank them enough for that. He was an external intake, who’s family surrendered him at the vet after he ate plastic, leather, hair, and fabric, which required surgery. I wasn’t looking to have another foster, but how could I say no when Jey showed me his little face and said he needed an urgent foster? I picked him up straight from his surgery, expecting a lethargic dog to be carried out. Instead he flew out of the back, bounced around the room in circles with excitement, then ran to smother me in kisses. It didn’t take long to fall in love with such an exceptionally happy-go-lucky dog. He could play all day or would spend all day passed out in a bed with you if you let him. Now he is living the life with his new mama. They both hit the jackpot.
She was my temp foster, but I need to make a special mention to Sadie Vida, since she is the dog of the month, and also one of my favorite DPA dogs. Sadie is one of a kind, with her unique look, adorable cartoon eyes, and positive outlook on life. She is always happy and full of love, whether she’s giving out her amazing cuddles, going for a walk, playing, or just hanging out. She just left me a few days ago and I already miss her so much. And her adoption fee is 50% off?! Whoever adopts her is going to be getting a real catch.
What is your favorite animal adoption story?
Maybe I’m a little biased, but favorite would have to be the story of Chico, my foster fail. Chico was the longest stay at DAS, but when I picked him up he was still covered in ticks and extremely skinny. Not long after, I took him to his first adoption event at truckyard. He did incredible for a stray just out of the shelter, but he would not look at or acknowledge any dogs or humans that were there. Nobody had any interest in the antisocial, black pit mix. The exception was this couple and their dog that he immediately loved and kept trying to follow. It turned out that they had been just as instantly drawn to him and were completely sure that they wanted to adopt. I could not get over how amazing it was to see them choose each other out of huge crowd, especially since he is not considered a desirable dog to most. It had to be meant to be. But at the meet and greet, it fell through when we figured out he could not be with cats. I was super discouraged, because it wasn’t the perfect “they chose each other” story that I thought it was. Soon after that, Chico and my puppy became attached at the hip and I had deeply bonded with Chico. I ended up adopting him, restoring my faith in meant to be. It can be discouraging to see your fosters not work out with the “perfect family,” but if the adoption falls through, then they were never the perfect family for them to begin with. Every foster dog at DPA gets their own perfect love story in the end.
What do you love most about fostering with Dallas Pets Alive?
The amount of passion, dedication, and work that everyone at Dallas Pets Alive puts into saving these dogs lives is unbelievable. Being able to witness that and be a part if it is what I love most about fostering. I’ll never feel like I’m doing enough, but when I look at my fosters in their new homes and think of the alternative, I realize the impact I am making is larger than I think. And the impact the organization is making as a whole is huge.
What would be some words of wisdom to new DPA Fosters?
A lot of new fosters don’t realize a lot of foster dogs come with a unique set of challenges and special needs, even if they have a perfect evaluation. Be patient with the dogs and be aware of the possibility that catering to these challenges may involve life changes for you. Since we have temporary fosters come through Lucky Paws, I get to see a lot of the dogs who’s fosters have requested a transfer and want them out of their house immediately. Sometimes it’s understandable, but typically their reasons for the transfer are either exaggerated or something that could be mediated with a little extra work. As much as you want to save a life, make sure you are prepared for every part of fostering. That being said, it is so beyond worth it.
Give us a fun fact about you!
My passion outside of dogs is rock climbing!
Want to be PAWSOME like Maddie? Apply to be a Dallas Pets Alive! foster today!
