FEBRUARY 11, 2021
The nursery is bustlin’ tonight as we welcome Mama and her five 2-day-old puppies to Crazy Town!
She wouldn’t touch the food for dogs, so naturally I cooked her up some salmon and rice. No one has ever snubbed salmon and rice! She has been an attentive mom so far, despite being somewhat unsure of everything else. I am being respectful, but I don’t think it’ll take much salmon for her to figure out I’m her ally.
We are starting with extra good vibes as I have a “right hand young man” who helped me get all this set up (including using the drill!) and who created and hung motivational artwork, as well as hand-selected all the toys that should adorn the whelping box!
Welcome, sweet family. You are loved beyond words.
FEBRUARY 11, 2021
I sort of had this weird gut feeling when I brought Mama and the babies home last night. Despite wanting to give Mama some quiet time to adjust, I felt that it was crucial that I evaluated the babies sooner rather than later. One of them just didn’t look good to me.
Lo and behold, this little girl was struggling. She is significantly smaller than her littermates, was dehydrated, and wouldn’t suckle or swallow at all.
In honor of Pearl’s brother whom I couldn’t save, this time I was equipped with tube feeding supplies and all the fluid administration equipment I could ever need.
She made it through the night and appears to be getting stronger. I’m hoping to keep her in the ICU until she’s ready to suckle and then give her back to Mama, who, by the way, is amazing.
Tiny girl has a lot of fight in her. She’s in the same little bed that Pearl laid in at her size. It’s where fighters are made.
FEBRUARY 11, 2021
After 24 hours, things are looking up.
We are off the tubes and have graduated to the bottle as of this evening! The story of how we got here is pretty cute.
Thankfully, I had the assistance of my right hand man today; he’s 10. He’s got a heart for animals as I do, and he is a top-notch fellow. He even donated some of his own money to buy extra special treats for Mama Dog!
Anyway, I THOUGHT we both understood the reason we had to use a tube as we set out to gently fill a tiny tummy with food, and after asking a few pertinent questions related to neonatal feces, Cam held our little baby while I reheated her warming disc and fixed up her bed.
With my view of the snugglers blocked by the refrigerator door, I hear Cam begin to speak with a tone of amusement that did not at all prepare me for the bomb he was about to drop, “heh-heh, she’s sucking on my finger.”
“She’s WHAT???!!!”
What a way to find out she’s ready to eat on her own! She’ll stay with me all night and then I’ll put her back in with Mama if she’s still doing well in the morning.
We named her Hope. 
FEBRUARY 12, 2021
It was approximately 3:30 this morning when Hope screamed for a bottle. With the house being so quiet in the middle of the night, her screams woke and worried a previously snoring Mama.
She cried upstairs, and her baby cried downstairs. I decided it was precisely the time for their reunion.
While Mama Dog chowed down on some chicken and kibble in the bathroom, I quickly and covertly retrieved Hope from her ICU carrier and placed her back in the whelping box with her littermates.
She did everything a healthy puppy is supposed to do, and Mama cleaned her first thing after dining. When I left, my girl was nursing peacefully. I’m watching her like a hawk today, though!
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
Hope is chugging along. Here she is next to her rotund sister for comparison.
Having had a shaky start, our girl is significantly smaller than her littermates. I’ve been monitoring her closely since her discharge from my NICU. She isn’t getting enough calories on her own, so Mama Dog and I have decided to team up. I help the fat puppies rotate out of way so Hope gets a turn and supply supplemental feedings throughout the day; Mama does the rest, including NIGHT SHIFT.
My current diagnosis is that Hope just sucks at finding nipples and is so much smaller than the others that she is getting pushed out and/or can’t push her way in despite Mama Dog having more functional teats than she has puppies.
Happy Valentine’s Day at the last hour! to you all!
FEBRUARY 17, 2021
FEBRUARY 18, 2021
Mama Beatrice is not so sure about other dogs, but she finds Rio oddly enchanting!
(Although he is technically standing, that is terrible foot placement and can not possibly be comfortable. 
)
FEBRUARY 20, 2021
It didn’t take me long to fall in love with Mama Bea. She was a little intense when she first arrived, and I, a stranger, had just transported her and her five 2-day-old puppies from one unfamiliar location to another. Dogs, especially new mama dogs with uncertain pasts, don’t just get here, drop their bags and *poof* take to Crazy Town or me.
Her toenails upon arrival were detestably long, curled, and bent sideways — it pains me to see nails that long. She’s been an angel — far better than Frick and Frack– about letting me work on them. I’ve been digging all the gunk out of her ears too. I believe she understands I’m helping her in some way, and she‘s agreeable to all the pampering.
Bea, as it turns out, is a people person. She wants to please me, so I always praise her for being a good mom and being the best girl in general. She loves going for walks and getting to come down for “mom breaks,” and today, she got her first foster mom lap nap in the big bed!
FEBRUARY 20, 2021
Hope has been holding her own, gaining weight without my assistance the last few days. Her eyes are opening!
I will be introducing the rest of the litter by name very soon!
Mama Beatrice takes to Rio’s bed to show off one of her many talents!
This girl is an absolute star.
FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Mama Bea’s snuggle rating: 
She is exquisite.
FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Introducing Mama Bea’s babies: 4 little old ladies and 1 little old man, none of whom are ever willing to cooperate for pictures.
Another week or so and they’ll be at my favorite (and more photogenic) stage of life!!
FEBRUARY 23, 2021
We’re starting to look like mini dogs and less like wiggle worms.
Gertrude
FEBRUARY 24, 2021
Mama Bea has been a stellar study companion tonight. She left, presumably to check on her babies, and returned with one of their tiny unicorn toys. She’s been so sweet to it.
Mama Bea! 
FEBRUARY 26, 2021
Dueling sucklers! Hope is above and Fat Franny is below.
https://fb.watch/nTRdeLUpyu/
FEBRUARY 26, 2021
Special day today.
Mama Bea has settled into life here, and she has been saying she’s ready to meet the rest of the pack. This morning, we did the formal pack-unifying procedures, and Ellen has decided that Mama Bea definitely outranks her and shows her the utmost respect. Bea has gently set boundaries about her babies, which Lenny and Ellen are respecting. Neither resident dog has been out of line all day. Thanks, Mama!!
Here is a video of treat time after Bea and I returned from a grocery pick-up mission this evening. It seemed fitting that the two moms would do Wegmans together. We enjoyed the peace.
FEBRUARY 27, 2021
The moms took a nap this afternoon. One fell asleep sooner than the other.
MARCH 1, 2021
Bea has proven herself to be both an outstanding mother and extraordinary dog. I let her decide where she should sleep, and she’s sure she belongs with the pack, only leaving to tend to her babies and then promptly returning.
It’s no problem also to be Lenny’s footrest; Mama Bea’s love knows no bounds.
MARCH 8, 2021
We are 4 weeks old today, and everyone wants to say hello!
Sorry I haven’t been posting much. Been buried in the books, but doing great in my class and learning a ton!
MARCH 14, 2021
Uncle Rio introduced the babies to the outdoors this afternoon!
As you can see, Rio is dedicated to his work here in Crazy Town.
MARCH 18, 2021
A human makes a choice, and that’s how dogs end up in rescue.
On my end, as the foster mom, I’ve met dogs whose humans have made some abysmal choices, and the dog ends up paying the price. I see it, I feel it, and in Crazy Town, we overcome it. My job is to right the wrong and change the dog’s trajectory.
So when “Mama Bea” came home, and we became acquainted with one another, I was puzzled. This girl showed no signs of being beaten or abused, or neglected. She came potty trained with tricks and skills and manners, and she took to me as her leader immediately. I can communicate in hand signals with her because she is looking to me for direction. She’s smart as a whip and has so much love in her heart that it didn’t add up: Why would anyone give up a perfect dog?!
As it turns out, and to my fragile soul’s relief, Mama Bea’s family didn’t ever intend to say goodbye to her. Still, the choice was made for them when our girl and her canine sibling were stolen out of their yard and dumped in a town some 4 hours away from Fredericksburg, where Bea ended up.
Her mom deserves a badge for her detective work and a prize for her perseverance because she started searching and didn’t give up until our rescue received her email some two months later.
As both of us were eager to speak to the other, we quickly arranged a FaceTime. Bea’s name is actually Princess (I was so close with Beatrice! 
), and she has both big humans and little humans that were dying to see her face. On the call, I learned that they saved our sweet girl from being involved in fighting, where no dog belongs, and instead, they loved her and spoiled her and took her for adventures.
The two moms have become fast friends, texting daily with updates and getting to know each other. I’ve found a kindred soul in Princess Mama Bea’s mom. As her town is not awash with animal rescue organizations, she’s a bit of an unofficial rescuer herself, taking in all sorts of sick animals and nursing them back to health. And she knows dogs, which is evident by the girl who slept between my legs all night last night, who looks to me for direction and requires at least three layers of dog beds piled on the futon to be adequately comfortable if she must sleep there.
This is probably the only time that a dog’s trajectory will make a U shape right back to her former owners because you better believe they’re adopting her back when it’s the time!
A few pictures of one of the greatest girls I have ever known in her former and future life.
(Her mom is here on the page and gave me permission to use these cute photos.)
MARCH 22, 2021
We are 6 weeks old today! And so is Gertrude, who couldn’t be bothered to stop playing long enough to join the cuddle puddle and give me a complete picture. 
MARCH 26, 2021
Franny and Rio doing snuggles on this pretty day!
MARCH 27, 2021
The story of our Hope!
Please share if you are so inclined. She is looking for her furever hoomans!
https://youtu.be/Nadv637xRO8?si=_hGl9nXQxReyVPcl
MARCH 28, 2021
Formal picture day!
Thanks to my sweet aunt Pam for making these giant bows! She and my uncle drove up and delivered them today, and got some big snuggles in return!
APRIL 3, 2021
The babies and Rio collectively decided they’re moving in together, but Rio thinks the bed is the wrong size!
APRIL 4, 2021
Happy Easter from Lloyd the pimp and his harem! That is Gertrude batting her eyes for the camera.
APRIL 12, 2021
I have been an empty (foster) nester for one day.
Hope left first; she was adopted Friday by my buddy Cam’s family, and I am overjoyed about it.
Cam, you might recall, was part of this foster from the outset. We decorated the whelping box with homemade art and adorned it with hand-selected toys before we ever met Mama and her babies. Cam and his whole family streamed the video feed, and we all welcomed home the exquisite Mama Bea and her tiny newborn puppies that first night. Soon after the joyful reception, I discovered that one puppy was fading. She was smaller than all the rest and was barely moving. I knew that if I didn’t intervene, she definitely wouldn’t make it, but my track record with critical puppies up to that point wasn’t great. Still, she deserved a chance, and because of some medical equipment and educational upgrades, I was able to perform more interventions than I ever have. This time the near-dead puppy came back…and Cam discovered it when she started suckling on his finger.
Cam named her Hope, and since that day, approximately nine weeks ago, he has been referring to her as the dog he saved.
Appropos that first on her furever agenda was being the star of his 11th birthday party.
APRIL 14, 2021
Lloyd and Franny were snatched up at an event. When the next adopters arrived at Crazy Town, and their vehicle was SAFELY parked in the driveway, I released Mama from the house so she (closely followed by Arlene and Gertrude) could welcome them without limits. They greeted each other organically, the way they always have, the way they did before Mama ever came here, back when she was Princess.
Mama Bea didn’t hesitate to make up for lost time. She didn’t question where her family had been or rob herself of present joy by allowing recollections of how she wound up here to invade her positive headspace. And when the humans from whom she was stolen in January opened their door to retrieve some items, our girl jumped right in the car as though she knew it was her ride home and it was time to get the hell out of this nuthouse.
Of course, her adoption wasn’t even official yet, and at this point, Princess Mama Beatrice was also not aware that baby Arlene would be tagging along for good.
I learned a great many lessons from my sweet Mama Bea, and I will remember her for as long as I am lucid. Her mom, Laura, showed me grace and love and friendship while I, formerly a stranger, possessed a dog she had no intention of ever giving up and who She desperately missed. When some people might have been unkind in this situation, she chose to go the way of the dog, doing what was in the pack’s best interest. She befriended me, checked on and supported all of us, and included “my” chapter in Princess’s story, thus blending two packs.
I am pretty sure she’ll be sending me updates, (we text just about every day) and I look forward to sharing those with you, but what I’m really excited about is that we’ll get to watch Arlene grow up…from the sidelines!
APRIL 20, 2021
Gertrude was last to go, and that suited Rio just fine. He longed to have a sleepover with the puppies, but there was never enough room for him.
On her last night in Crazy Town, Gertie and Rio bunked up together, and there’s a middle-of-the-night video of their slumber party in the comments.
Gertrude was adopted by the family of a long-term friend and a great source of inspiration to me personally. She has loving parents and a brother named Elroy who needed a playmate, and based on the updates, I think the two canines have hit it off.
Gertie Gertie, Gertie G, The Gert is off doing big things and, quite clearly, is living her best life!
MAY 9, 2021
Since Princess Mama Bea and Arlene departed Crazy Town, they’ve gained human siblings and whittle goat siblings, and they are living on a farm where they get to run a lot. I received a video of Arlene hopping through the field, herded by a joyful and attentive Mama Bea carrying a tree limb in her jaw. Life is good!
Laura has been keeping me in the loop about the pieces of my heart that live with her, and she’s been updating me on her animal saving mission as well. She currently has at least three orphaned neonatal bunnies that she’s syringe feeding. These bunnies would have otherwise died, but she wants to give them a fighting chance. I think I know how that might feel. 
Laura texted the other day and told me she was going to pick up a puppy whose littermates had beaten it up. She sent pictures of a cowering, dinged-up, terrified little girl pup who desperately needed love and care and rescue from her abysmal situation.
When she brought the poor puppy home, all-star Mama Bea knew she was hurt and checked her over, licked all her scabby wounds, and cared for her without hesitation. This does not surprise me at all, but it sure does hit me in my feelings. Arlene demonstrated how the puppy thing is supposed to work, and I found myself with teary eyes gazing at a picture of Arlene and the wounded puppy curled up In a blanket together. The ever devoted mama Bea rested on the opposing side of the couch, sure to maintain her comfort while watching over the formerly unloved puppy and its antithesis, Crazy Town Alumnus Arlene.
Princess Mama Bea now lives four hours away from my Crazy Town and me, and on this day of the mothers, I feel a sense of closeness and gratitude to her that I can’t put into words. I am thankful to Laura for saving the hurt puppy because she was the perfect person to do so as she has an enormous heart and runs a loving and nurturing household where all its beings help the broken and the sick. I have a sense of pride in a story in which I was just a link in the chain; it’s like a family stopped in and waited out the storm and then went back to where they were meant to be. Mama Bea continues to inspire and show me the way from her home so far away, and so does the woman who loved her first.
Happy Mother’s Day to anyone who has ever “licked a wound.” May we all know and share a love as pure as Mama Bea’s.
