Oscars first weeks
How I grew a pup with no experience.....
When Oscar first came into my care, I was a very new foster carer. I had never looked after a puppy before, let alone one so incredibly young and with such complex, special needs.
To say I felt overwhelmed would be an understatement.
Oscar’s first few weeks with me were critical to his future. Every moment felt significant. Every decision carried weight.
He was born with only two legs, and the reality of that sat heavily on my heart.
Would he survive?
Was it the right thing to keep him alive?
Was I truly equipped to give him what he needed?
These questions stayed with me—especially during the quiet, uncertain hours of the night. At 2 a.m., while the rest of the world slept, I found myself feeding him and wondering what his future might look like.
The Routine That Held Us Together
In those early days, structure became our anchor.
Oscar was on a strict feeding schedule every four hours. During the night, he was fed puppy milk, and throughout the day, I introduced a blend of milk and Prime Roll to support his growth.
It was exhausting—but it was necessary.
Each feed, each small moment of care, felt like a step towards giving him a chance.
The first week was definitely the hardest for both of us.
Before he reached me, Oscar had already experienced so much disruption. He had been taken from his breeder, transported hours away to a rescue group, spent a few nights with another carer, and then finally arrived in my home.
That’s a lot for any puppy, but especially for one so vulnerable.
I could see it in his big brown eyes.
The uncertainty.
The fear.
He didn’t know what was coming next, and truthfully, neither did I.
A Promise That Changed Everything
One night, as I held him close, something shifted.
I wrapped him gently in a blanket, held him against me, and made him a promise.
He was safe now.
He was loved.
And from that moment on, he was my fur son.
I promised him that I would protect him with everything I had, that no matter what challenges lay ahead, he wouldn’t face them alone.
Slowly, things began to change.
Oscar started to settle.
He began to recognise my voice.
He leant into my touch instead of shrinking away.
Trust doesn’t happen overnight, especially for a puppy who has already experienced so much upheaval, but little by little, he let me in.
And in doing so, he changed me too.
From Foster Carer to Forever Mum
What started as uncertainty grew into something far deeper.
Oscar didn’t just survive, he began to thrive.
And somewhere along the way, without even realising it, I stopped being “just” his foster carer.
I became his mum.
His safe place.
His constant.
His home.
Oscar’s story is still unfolding, but those early days shaped everything that followed.
They taught me resilience.
They taught me patience.
And most of all, they taught me that sometimes the most uncertain beginnings can lead to the most extraordinary bonds.
Fostering isn’t always easy, especially when you’re new, unsure, and faced with challenges you’ve never encountered before.
But sometimes, saying yes, even when you’re scared, can change a life.
In my case, it changed two.
