Glynis Burgdorff
Forty nine and counting; that’s the number of lives Glynis Burgdorff, one of St. Hubert’s dedicated and hardworking fosters, has saved since she started fostering last November. “I’m the woman who can’t say no to puppies,” she laughs. (A few of them are pictured below.)
An experienced foster already when she began volunteering for St. Hubert’s, Glynis quickly became indispensable. Not all fosters are able or willing to handle the demands of momma dogs and puppies, but Glynis told St. Hubert’s foster coordinator, Kat Thorpe, at the outset, “Do not hesitate to call me.” Kat, who gets requests almost daily from overwhelmed partner shelters in the south to take pregnant and nursing dogs, took Glynis at her word.
Glynis has fostered litters of 5, 8, 10 puppies. She’s cared for a tiny one struggling with giardia and kennel cough, kept her hydrated, nourished and swaddled her round-the-clock and didn't leave her side until she was on the mend. (“Glynis literally saved her life,” says Kat.) She has sat with a dog through a long labor; the mom finally began delivering with her head in Glynis’ lap. Glynis has slept in the room with newborn puppies, sometimes waking up to a small nose nuzzling her.
Warm and gregarious, this mother of five grown children has always relished the caregiver role. Glynis grew up with horses, goats, cats and dogs, and she and her husband, Peter, currently have two rescue dogs, a black lab mix and a Border collie mix.
Fostering is a family affair for the Burgdorffs. Glynis and Peter have a room dedicated to their foster pups, and baby monitors are placed strategically around the house. Peter takes the morning shift, letting Glynis catch up on sleep and gear up for afternoon and night duties. Her kids will pitch in when they’re around, and her two young grandchildren are, not surprisingly, always excited to come over. “A house filled with puppies encourages your children to come home to visit!” says Glynis.
When asked her favorite thing about fostering, Glynis responds, “everything!” Among the highlights: “The joy of giving innocent puppies and their mommies a chance to have the happy life all animals deserve… knowing the blessing the puppies and their moms will bring to the forever families who adopt them… and, having a house filled with puppy breath!”
Glynis appreciates greatly the support she gets from St. Hubert’s and Kat. “When I have concerns, it takes Kat about three minutes to call me back, and she is incredibly patient.” About Glynis, Kat says simply, “St. Hubert’s is incredibly lucky to have her.”
