Meatball is getting plenty of attention from seniors at the Washington Veterans Home – Retsil. The white pit-mix pooch, who carries a splash of brown across her face, is the inaugural dog in a new foster program started at the Port Orchard nursing home.

The adoption project transfers the pooch out of the Kitsap Humane Society shelter into foster care with veteran seniors until the pup is placed in her forever home. The undertaking appears to be a win-win-win situation – seniors enjoy caring for the foster, the arrangement eases shelter overcrowding, and Meatball can move from the shelter to a homey atmosphere where she gets plenty of love and attention.

“Everyone has already fallen in love with her,” said Matt Lysobey, supervisor of Restil. “She loves belly rubs, stuffy toys and blankets – she is always under a blanket. Meatball is so sweet and snuggly. She’s just a lover.”

The sturdy dog does have some challenges when it comes to getting her connected to the right home. She is 10 years old, takes medication and is deaf. “She’s not the easiest dog to get adopted but she’s still got a lot of life and a lot of love to give to the right person,” Lysobey said.

Retsil residents were the driving force behind formation of the new foster program, Lysobey explained.

“This is a 100% resident-run program. They’re in wheelchairs, had strokes and different challenges. They are not letting any of that stop them. They feed the dog, walk her, scoop the poop and give her medications. They are on a mission,” he said.

The mission is to foster one dog at a time until that animal finds a permanent home. Nursing home residents, all veterans, decided to focus on older dogs that often can take longer to place.

Sixteen veterans participate in the program. All signed up as foster dog volunteers at the Kitsap Humane Society and went through training to foster dogs. Each has specific tasks to care for Meatball.

For example, Lou White, who served 29 years in the Marine Corps infantry and Army Ordnance Corps, oversees the foster program. The 89-year-old feeds Meatball and gives the pup medication. “This gives me something to do. I had four dogs. I like animals.”

Glenn Baker, 83, gets up at 5:30 am to walk Meatball from his electric wheelchair. When Baker approaches the dog’s sleeping area just off reception every morning the pup stands up and wags her tail to let him know she is ready to go. “It’s fun. I’ve trained her to walk right beside me and never pull on the leash,” reports Baker, a retired Army doctor who served in Korea and Vietnam.

Baker is teaching the deaf pup to read lips and understand hand signals. “She’s doing very good,” he said. In the past, Baker trained approximately 100 dogs in Port Townsend for its humane society. “I like spending time with her. She likes me. When she’s real happy, she licks me on the cheek.”

Inquiries about adopting Meatball go to Marian Bolstad, a 79-year-old resident who was a top-secret crypto operator for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Bolstad arranges visits for potential new owners to meet the foster dog (her adoption hotline number is 360-552-1133). She enjoys stopping by to see Meatball during the day.

Kitsap Humane Society staff are wagging their preverbal tails over the foster program at Retsil.

“It’s an exciting program,” said Chris Russell, community resources and behavior manager at the shelter. That Retsil veterans want to focus on fostering older dogs, that often have medical conditions, is appreciated by shelter staff.

“Being able to get any dog in foster care helps open up kennel space, especially a dog that is older with medical needs and is going to potentially be a slower placement. Being able to get them into foster helps us be able to move more dogs through that we might not have been able to support,” Russell said.

Moving an elderly dog into foster care benefits the animal, Russell explained. “The shelter environment is a very stressful environment for dogs. There’s a bunch of other dogs around, some are loud and rude. Older dogs can be more sensitive to that stress. Being in a foster home is a quieter environment. They have more access to creature comforts, like getting outside to go on walks, having the opportunity to snuggle with some of the veterans and be spoiled.”

While the foster animal receives benefits so do the residents who care for the dog. “One of the challenges of living in a nursing home is you feel like no one needs you. These people have served their country and want to continue to serve the community. People need a reason to get out of bed in the morning. When you have an older dog depending on you, that’s a good reason,” Lysobey said.

The foster program has started out on the right paw. “I’m excited about what the veterans are doing,” Lysobey said. “They want to still be active participants and add value to their community. You can feel the energy and passion that they have for this program. They’re excited and proud, and rightfully should be.”

Lou White takes Meatball for a walk inside the halls of the nursing home for veterans.

An exterior shot of the veterans home in Port Orchard.