All Adopted

Caille and Jack actually were returned from their first adoption foray, for reason related to the inability of their adoptive parents to take proper care of them and not to anything they did. However, Caille and Jack were adopted again, and went with Georgia to 3 different members of one family (adult children and parents), so the puppies will be able to see one another occasionally. Their adoptive families all have dog experience, so they should be in good hands. Sandy (now called Sadie) went to another family with 2 children who seem to be thrilled with her. So, the puppies have all gone to good homes with people who love them.

Another adoption

Caille got adopted today, so that just leaves Georgia and Sandy to find homes.

On other news, a friend's two small dogs (mini dachshund and dachshund/beagle mix) are staying with Dixie and me for awhile. Dixie is learning to play and she plays really rough. Good thing Chocolate enjoys rough-housing. Peanut and my cat Gwen just stay out of the way.

New Homes

I just heard that Jack was adopted today. Several people are coming to look at the other puppies, so maybe they will all find wonderful homes before the end of the year.

puppy update

I just heard from the puppies' foster mom who has descriptions of them posted on her website. Apparently 2 of the puppies already have some people coming out to take a closer look.

Some new pictures of the puppies are also posted on the website. The link is http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/SC321.html

To the foster home...

I took the puppies up to SC yesterday to be fostered by a wonderful animal rescue coordinator who assured me she would have no problem finding good and loving homes for them. Since she checks out the new homes and does follow up visits to be sure the new pet is getting good care and proper vet visits, I feel sure that the puppies are in good hands. There were a number of other dogs and cats in the house, some living there and some looking for or getting ready to go to new homes. There was even an old female Boston terrier who is in charge. As I left, Caille was enjoying being held and petted by her new foster mom; Sandy was jumping about, excited by all the new smells; Jack was settling down for a nap in the daughter's lap; and Georgia was looking about, a bit apprehensively, and wondering what in the world was going on now. I got an email from their new foster mom bit later telling me that the puppies were all doing fine and settling in.

Vet visit

Dixie got spayed today and the puppies got a checkup, wormed (again), and their first vaccinations. They had all gained weight and are healthy. So, it is off to the foster home for the puppies before I get more attached to them.

puppies everywhere

The puppies, at least the 3 bigger ones, are growing like weeds. The little one is also growing but she will likely always be smaller than the others. They are definitely outgrowing the space I have available, and it is virtually impossible to get pictures as they never stop moving. Dixie, the momma, is pretty much done with the puppies as they have teeth and chew on her when they try to nurse. Time to take the puppies to the foster home. They are just about ready to get forever homes of their own.

more puppies

These puppies are very cute, but I am really not going to be able to deal with all their needs and train them and their momma, so I am working with a rescuer/dog foster group to find the puppies good homes where they will get lots of love and care.

Dixie's chicks

Thursday November 12th, as I was leaving to go to the airport, I saw a skinny Boston terrier standing by the side of the road near my house, who looked like she was nursing puppies. I was late so I couldn’t stop but wanted to find the dog and at least give her food. I didn’t see her again that day, but the next day when my brother and sister-in-law, and I went for a walk, we saw the dog again and she came to us. She was obviously starving and exhausted, and had no milk, so we figured her puppies had died. We took her home and fed her, then went to buy dog food and a crate, and other necessities.

Friday we spent awhile trying to find her puppies, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. With feeding, she was producing milk and was very uncomfortable. She also was unreliably housebroken, making me happy I was already saving up money to get the rugs taken out and wood floors put in.

Then the story gets more complicated. The dog, who we call Dixie, got loose Saturday night and ran off down the road to a house on the next road up from us. My sister-in-law and I followed her and caught her eating food scraps that had obviously been left out for her. We took her back home but decided we had best take her to the house the next day to see what they knew. We took her to the house this morning and knocked but no one answered. Then we heard puppies. They were under the shed behind the house. I pulled them out from under the shed - there were 4 - and they were big, healthy, and hungry. A man came out of the house right about then and said he had found the dog by the road in Monticello, where he works. The house was his Mom's, who was moving. He was living with her and helping her move. He said the dog had pups 2 days after he brought her home - she had 5 but one died - but she wouldn't stay with them and kept wandering. Of course, she was starving! He wasn't feeding her enough or the right kind of food. He said he couldn't care for her (no kidding) so we took her and the four puppies back home.

Since then the traveling vet has come out to check everyone over, and except for a bad case of intestinal worms, all were healthy.