Meet Booker, the foster library puppy

While students passed through the library working on final projects and preparing for the end of the year, 1-week-old Booker sat in a back office last week, going through a much different ordeal.

Jill McLaney, a library assistant, took in the puppy as a volunteer for the Troy Animal Rescue Project (T.A.R.P.).

From a litter with six other puppies, Booker needed a foster home after their mother was killed by a car days after giving birth.

Being so young, Booker had to be bottle-fed every three hours. This required McLaney to take him to work with her every day last week.

“The dean of library services, Dean (Chris) Shaffer, was very kind to let me do that,” McLaney said. “But he said I couldn’t turn my office into a puppy nursery.”

Now turning 3 weeks old on Monday, Booker can go four hours between feedings, allowing him to be left at home for the remainder of his time with McLaney.

“It’s very time-consuming — you have to take care of all of his needs,” said McLaney of fostering animals for adoption. “But it’s so rewarding, and that’s why I do it.”

A Labrador and American Bulldog mix, Booker got his name as homage to his time spent in the library.

“When he is old enough to find his forever home, he will be put up for adoption,” said McLaney. “I would love to be able to keep him, but I already have one rescue dog and a very spoiled Yorkie.”

“When somebody thinks about getting a dog, they should think about rescuing a dog,” she said. “There’s hundreds of great dogs in the pound in Troy, and if people would rescue them instead of buying puppies, that would be great.”

“It’s going to be hard for me to give him up; that’s why I want him to have a fantastic forever home,” she said.

Booker will be adopted out through T.A.R.P. in about three or four weeks, according to McLaney, when he is old enough.

The nonprofit organi­zation has a Facebook page, “Troy Animal Rescue Project,” and can be contacted by phone at 334-508-2367 about adoptions.