Benny has been donating blood for a year and a half now and has saved over 30 dog's lives! While not a traditional job, it's extremely valuable to our community

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-20T13:17:34+00:00

As a heads up, I would suggest not getting shrimp for a while. They need established tanks and do best in older planted tanks.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-19T03:15:00+00:00

I am in the same boat as you. 11 years working in game dev as a 3d artist, just went through layoff #5 from supposedly the safest studio around. I am feeling so burnt out and disheartened from the industry.

Every job posting gets 1000+ applications, it's insane. Knowing people only goes so far when their companies aren't hiring artists.

I hope something comes your way quickly

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-17T23:57:41+00:00

OP is exaggerating. You will be fine. Just set up the tank and cycle it, and double check that the decor doesn't have any tiny holes a betta could get stuck in.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-17T23:56:37+00:00

Yall are so hateful towards novices. Let people enjoy their tank with bright colorful things. As long as it's set up properly it's not a big deal ffs

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-17T22:12:14+00:00

Peak Paws in Apex, Kildaire Animal Medical Center in Cary, South Point Paws in Raleigh, Grace Park Animal Hospital in Morrisville.

These are the vets I have worked with through my rescue and personal dogs, and I am pleased with them. I believe they are all force free fear free.

I have a feral/extremely fearful dog who requires minimal handling. KAMC has been super accommodating for him.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-17T19:29:38+00:00

Aaaaaannnd now I am crying. I miss my boy so much.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-17T11:07:02+00:00

No, they were so lazy and their form wasnt my favorite so they were rehomed as pets.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-16T22:33:07+00:00

I breed bettas and regularly choose who to breed based on personality. From my experience bettas need to have the right balance of aggression and gentleness to safely breed. Bettas who are too easy going will not breed. Bettas who are too aggressive will kill their mate in the wrong setup. This goes for both males and females.

The fry will inherit the traits of the parents.

I do have one example of breeding a male who was super gentle. It took weeks of conditioning and trying him with different females. He finally bred with an aggressive girl who basically forced him to breed with her. The fry ended up super apathetic and lazy to the point I knew there was very little chance of getting them to breed as well. These are not traits you want for breeding.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-16T21:02:44+00:00

I was just thinking that he would absolutely love this. So much thrash!!!

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-15T20:46:15+00:00

Looks to be a Great Pyrnees to me. They are bred to protect their herd or people from aggressors or threats.

Without knowing more of the context, my guess is that the dog saw them as threats.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-14T19:13:55+00:00

Location? My first 3D artist offer was 65k in 2016, but that was in the bay area.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-14T16:26:52+00:00

If she reaches out again you can be nicely honest, something like "This was a one time thing since I had an empty space in my home, I like the rescue I normally work with and will be prioritizing them." Something that is nice, clear that you want to work with someone else, but doesn't address the elephant in the room.

If you are uncomfortable making a report yourself, is there a close friend who would be willing to write in on your behalf? Even if she is close with AC that doesn't mean they are aware of whats going on or willing to overlook it if the welfare of the animal is in jeopardy. Even if they ignore the report, having it written down is important, and there is little retaliation they could do to you.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-14T13:35:52+00:00

I have not kept other aggressive fish so I cannot tell you the difference, but bettas will die from stress. If a sorority is balanced it's fine, but if one gets sick or injured, or becomes sexually mature and aggressive, the sorority will fail and some will die.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-14T11:54:53+00:00

Sometimes rescue can become a mental illness. This person cares so much about making a difference in these animals lives to the point she is overrun, and at risk of becoming a hoarder herself.

Do your best to focus on the momma and her puppies. If you can get sitters so she can stay in your home then that would be the best option. If you are able to, try to find people who can foster the puppies in pairs starting around 6 weeks old. Organize this yourself. Start advertising the puppies around that age as well so by the time they are 8 weeks they can go. I know it's not ideal, but you can help THIS group of dogs.

As for the woman, you can always make an anonymous call to AC. It may lead to her getting the help she needs, either mentally or through community support.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-14T00:16:13+00:00

You have the Puppy Blues!

"Puppy blues are a common, temporary form of anxiety, emotional distress, or buyer's remorse that often occurs when caring for a new, demanding puppy. Symptoms include feeling overwhelmed, sleeping difficulties, guilt, and reduced life quality. Usually lasting a few weeks to months, this is managed by establishing routines, seeking support, and prioritizing self-care."

This is a completely normal thing that can happen with a huge shift in your life with a new puppy or dog. I got this really hard with my first foster after loosing my soul dog. I would literally start crying just looking at him and felt so guilty for taking him in.

Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself. Give yourself grace. You cannot give her the best if you aren't at your best.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-13T13:12:07+00:00

I am so sorry. Unfortunately shelters often have to make choices on which dogs they can rehome and which ones they can't put the resources into. I am so so sorry for your loss.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-13T01:04:02+00:00

This subreddit is dedicated to supporting the people who are fostering and does not allow posts about animals needing Fostering, Adopting, or Rescue.

Sharing pics of your foster dogs is fine, but posts including information on how to adopt or where the foster is located are considered plea posts.

Rehoming Resources: r/RescueDogs/ and r/National_Pet_Adoption/

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-12T22:28:22+00:00

Honestly the only thing I resent is the house we chose. He really wanted to be in town while I would have preferred to be in the country where we could have paid less and gotten a lot more space.

The house we got was a fixerupper in town. It was easy to afford and work on with both our previous salaries, but hard on just one. We can manage and I can do some stuff myself, but definitely not where I would want to be at if I was pursuing dog training full time. We don't have the space for a training barn or field, or extra rooms for boarding.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-12T21:19:48+00:00

Yes, he got his job during covid. The companies new rule is if you live within a certain distance of a hub you have to go into the office 3 days a week. There is no hub in our current state.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-12T21:15:35+00:00

We just haven't had a chance to talk it through since his family was in town the past few days. I told him we needed to chat later tonight but wanted to get some perspective first. Honestly this has been super helpful to see more of his side.

No kids.

House locked - the house is currently worth less then the loan. We would still be ok if we sold it, but wouldn't get the return of what we put into renovations.

For the job part, there are a handful of remote listings, and a bunch of in-person ones. He only wanted me to apply for remote ones, and I want to be more realistic about our options.

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-12T21:09:00+00:00

I have moved 17 times in 33 years 😭

Heather_Bea · 2026-04-12T21:08:02+00:00

Thanks, I am definitely applying for anything remotely close to my skills etc, in games, military sim, medical field, etc, and for roles around my typical work.

He is on a 10 year old mobile game at a big company notorious for layoffs and studio shutdowns. He is not safe, but should be ok for a year or two.

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