Chris is outside, watering the garden. I'm sleepily fixing my tea and getting breakfast ready for the pups. The four chihuahua puppies are running around the living room intent on eviscerating a small stuffed Winnie the Pooh.
They've come a long way since I brought home those tiny creatures that looked more like baby chipmunks than anything resembling a dog and moved like seals through the blankets in their laundry basket. They're around 11-12 weeks old now and, earlier this week, went through their neutering operation. We're supposed to keep them quiet. Right.
Okay, now they've given up on Winnie the Pooh and have cooperatively figured out how all four of them can chew on my good leather shoes at the same time. One also missed the "pee" pad by about two inches. As I pick up his offering (which was not pee), he looks up at me, waiting for praise. I can't help myself. I give him a belly rub and tell him what a good boy he was for, at least, getting in the vicinity.
Soon the puppies will go to their new forever homes, all except one. Bennie has already found his forever home. We've filled out the form to officially adopt him. One other has been approved for adoption. Photos will be up on the Life is Better Rescue website soon. We've had any number of people ask about them. These are such sweet little boys, I'm sure the other two will find homes quickly.
Some people have the strange idea that adopting from a rescue organization should be easy and cheap. One couple checked out the website and adoption forms and declared they would never have anything to do with this group. Okay, if they feel that way, the group probably doesn't want to have anything to do with them, either.
Why do they have so many questions on their adoption forms?
Adding an animal to your family isn't something to do on a whim. The questions are there, not to eliminate people from adopting, but to make us think. What would we do if we suddenly had to move and couldn't take a dog with us? Have we thought about the expense of feeding a dog and keeping him healthy? What will we do when we go out for an afternoon and can't take the puppy along? Where will the puppy stay when he's alone? Do you know how to take care of a dog or cat? If you're renting, is your landlord okay with pets? And so on. If you're not willing to consider all these questions, then you might not be ready for a pet.
Why can't you adopt a dog for $20 or $30? After all, you're taking the dog off their hands. (Yes, I've heard this.)
Rescue organizations not only take in dogs and cats (and often other animals), they also have these animals spayed or neutered, microchipped, and the animals will be up to date on their vaccinations. All of this costs. They buy formula for orphaned puppies and kittens. Sometimes they need to give fluid injections to these little orphans. It even costs the rescue organizations to pull the animals out of death row in an animal shelter. Sometimes there are health care issues, too, for which the organization pays vet fees. When you add everything up, you find you're really getting quite a bargain.
Outside, for a little while, the chihuahuas have attempted to kill a stuffed raccoon. They ate their lunch, did their business - outside this time - and now it's time for afternoon nap. If I get them to bed soon, they can watch the rest of Antiques Roadshow on TV. After a good rest, they'll be ready to go again.
Can I keep them quiet? Probably not. They've been trying to dig a hole to China on our front porch, right through the concrete.
