Foster Freddy Wants a Family

Christina J Donato’s Foster Freddy Wants a Family is the heartfelt true story of a comically mismatched beagle-basset stray who spends nearly three years navigating foster care before finding his forever home. Author Christina J. Donato brings Freddy into her life as her first foster dog, expecting an easy companion and instead receiving a headstrong, medically fragile “bagel” with a dislocated knee, Cushing’s disease, recurrent mast cell tumors, and a penchant for territorial growling, indoor marking, and garbage raids. Through Donato’s devoted but exhausting care, behaviorist interventions, and stints with subsequent foster trainers Mandy and Donna, Freddy finally lands with Walter, a beagle-savvy adopter who sees past the scars and medical bills to cherish him as a “well-loved, happy boy” until his final days.

Christina J Donato’s first-person narrative is refreshingly candid, using wry humor as she confesses her initial disappointment at Freddy’s lopsided looks, her fear of his sudden snarls, and the burnout of managing his illnesses while maintaining peace with her own dog, Grady. The book delivers a bold, unflinching honesty about the emotional and physical toll of animal rescue. But it never loses sight of Freddy’s irrepressible joy—his “can-do” attitude, his hammy love of cameras, and his stamina during toy chases. The tenderest moments pierce the chaos: the morning wiggly belly rubs in bed, the breathless admission of love with, “Oh, Freddy, I love you” after a chase, and the bittersweet transport day when Freddy stoically faces forward without looking back while his foster mom weeps. The most moving lesson arrives with Walter’s final words: that among eight beloved beagles, Freddy was his favorite. Foster Freddy Wants a Family reminds us that family is not about perfection, but about showing up—messily, patiently, and with an open heart—for a soul who wants to belong. A heartwarming book for canine lovers.