It’s often referred to as a foster failure when a dog is adopted by his foster, but Meaghan and Casper‘s tale is a truly inspiring success story. Some things seem as if they were meant to be and when 1.5-year-old Casper arrived at Safe Harbor and then made his way to Meaghan’s house, this very frightened boy found exactly what he needed. Meaghan writes:“Casper (formerly Zach) came to me as a foster and initially could’ve been described as almost feral. He was found as a stray in Kansas, was underweight with old injuries, and likely never socialized. He was terrified of people, objects, and any kind of movement. I remember after picking him up from the animal hospital and bringing him home I sat on my driveway with the car door open for ten minutes before he decided he would venture out of the car. He lived as the adorable monster under my bed for about the next week, only emerging to eat and use the bathroom. However, after giving him a few weeks to decompress, beginning an anxiety medication, and slow desensitization to just about everything, he now takes up half of my bed and likes to sleep in later than I do. I was not sure what to expect when bringing such a fearful dog home. It was a huge challenge, even with a degree in animal behavior and a good general understanding of dog behavior. However, I see Casper be more and more himself and spending less time stuck in “survival mode.” He is a snuggly, goofy dog who is much too smart for his own good. He enjoys playing with his canine friends and is desperately trying to win over my less-than-impressed cats. He has a ridiculous howl-whine combo that I’m greeted with whenever I’m gone for more than an hour and groans dramatically when he stretches in his sleep. He is wonderful, and I am so happy that SHLR brought him into my life.” Thank you to Meaghan for fostering Casper and showing him how good life can be!