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BY PAUL MCKIBBEN | COMMUNITY RECORDER STAFF WRITER HEBRON - A foster family is making life a little easier for Willie, a border collie mix with three legs. For about a month now, Willie has been under the foster care of David Hale, a veterinarian at Hebron Animal Hospital, and his wife at their home with their other dog and two cats. Hale amputated Willie's left rear leg because of an infected gunshot wound. He was found loose Feb. 27 in the Beaver Road area.  David Hale, a veterinarian with Hebron Animal Hospital, and his wife are fostering Willie. But Hale said the dog is doing real well and the Hales hope to keep Willie. "You try sometimes in a foster situation, try to have like a professional detachment from it, not to maybe get as close as you would if you knew it was your own pet. But that lasts all of about 30 minutes," Hale said. Boone County has several volunteers at the shelter whom officials are comfortable with that provide foster care, according to Beckey Reiter, director of Boone County Animal Care and Control. Most often the care is for a pregnant dog or cat. "We generally don't foster with just an individual who comes in off the street because we're not familiar with them," Reiter said. "We don't know about their abilities or if they even have the means of providing for secure and ongoing care for the animal until it's readied to be returned." Reiter said there are animals with special needs such as ones that have had an injury or a minor illness "and a home environment would be more conducive to healing." She said the shelter's environment is not real conducive to lower stress levels that are critical for healing. More people are needed to participate but they would need to go through the shelter's basic volunteer orientation and training period and become familiar with the facility, Reiter said.
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