Puppy Pics

Puppies did great their first night, but I under estimated the amount of puppy formula I need, so back to Petsmart today. They sure are cute, but what a handful! I had a lovely 1:30am wake up...not fun!

Puppies first meal at my place

These are the two Leclii & her family will be adopting. I think they're planning on naming them Sampson and Delilah. Mr Sampson is one of the biggest in the bunch and afraid of nothing!

Eight?!

I headed to the farm house after lunch, with my friend Leclii as my 'lifeline' on the other end of my cell phone. Two guys working on the SUV in front of the farm house and another person underneath. I explain again how the Momma dog had been seen hauling the puppies across the creek to their property and they said go ahead and look around. Armed with Leclii in my pocket on speaker-phone, a box and a flashlight...I find a few old buildings and abandoned cars by the creek. One building had fallen flat, one was ready to and the other was standing with the door wide open. As soon as I stepped in, I heard a bark and knew I had found 'em!

It looked like a tobacco or smoke house maybe with low rafters for hanging things, but was filled with stacks of pallets and farm junk. Momma must have slipped out one of the holes in the wall, but I managed to climb, crawl, and pull myself thru the cobwebs to the puppies. Stashed four of them in my box, climbed out, and headed back to my car. Suprisingly, the 3rd person working on their SUV was a girl...she came to see the puppies and helped me snag the others and put in a small crate I'd brought. I was pretty suprised when we went back for the rest of the pups...I'd thought she had 7 puppies when I counted heads and tails, but turns out it was EIGHT!!!! My gosh...what have I gotten myself into!?

Luckily for me, my friend Jenny shows up to help me out for the weekend. We gotta bathe these stinky pups and get them into a feeding routine. So, I have all 8 pups in a huge crate with tons of blankets (better than the red clay bed they've had), two poodles that live with me and two Dobermans that came with Jenny. Should make for an interesting (read that: hectic and hairpulling) weekend.

Check back for photos...maybe I'll manage to get them up tonite between feedings!

Permission to Trespass

I posted a note Friday morning on the mailbox of the farmhouse where I think the Momma dog has moved her puppies. After work, I see the note is still there so I decide to drive down their long driveway & ask permission to search for the puppies. I call my sister on my cell phone, give her the address and put her on speaker phone...this is my safety net. If I hang up, she'll try calling back, if I don't answer and say I'm okay...then she'll call 911. Drive up and there's a car up on a jack in the front yard, an old school bus painted in flames, various old abandoned cars and a sign for selling pitt bull puppies. I know I shouldn't stereotype, but this place makes me a bit uncomfortable...crack house? pitt bull fighting ring? All this and nobody is home...though I hear a dog barking inside when I knock.

I try the house up the road...long driveway, beautiful huge home with pool in the back yard, horses in manicured pastures. Looks like a postcard. Nope, don't feel worried walking up to this house, but have sis on the phone just the same. Lady (looked like a typical soccer Mom) is nice enough to let me search her property, but found nothing. After wasting an hour of my sister's time making her hang out on the phone, I was losing daylight and stopped for the night.

Saturday morning...I managed to get brave enough to try the old farmhouse again. And again, I made my poor sister sit on the phone to keep me company. House looked the same, except several bags of trash joined the 'stuff' sitting on the front porch. I knock, dog barks, and sleepy looking man comes to the door. It was obvious I'd woke him up (10am!), he was rubbing his eyes, looking sleepy or stoned (both?), piercings thru various parts of his face, tattoos on arms, pitt bull by his side. After explaining a couple of times that I'd like to search his property for some puppies that the Momma dog hauled there...he said yes and I left. I know, I really shouldn't judge people by their looks or the way they keep house....but, after watching way too much evening news...rarely have I seen a Soccer Mom serial killer or rapist, they tend to look more like the dude in the farmhouse. (play theme from the movie Psycho now)

Check back to see if I live thru the weekend!

Trackin' Dawgs

Sighting of Momma: Stopped to drop off the evening food for the strays, this time I carried a hammer to help peel up the tin roof on the rubble. I'm also dressed in hiking boots and jeans rather than my usual work clothes. My plan...see if there are puppies under there - dead or alive! But, I could see there was no way to peel up the tin even with a hammer, so went back to the truck for my flashlight so I could crawl under....and there she was!! Standing yards away from my truck, zipping by me and right to the dog food bowl. (laughing at me as she went, I know I heard that!) So I toss in some Alpo and head off to squeeze under the rubble. I finally found the spot where the puppies had been. So, at least I know she moved them and they didn't die under that pile of junk. But moved to where?

Trackin' Momma Dawg: After she eats, she just stands there looking at me. I see a path through the weeds to the east and decide to follow that. No luck, nothing that way. Head back west and she's gone. Brat! Didn't get a chance to follow her. So, I head west, around a drainage pond and see Dog Tracks! Lots of 'em in the mud! So, feeling a faint trace of Indian blood in me, I start trackin' dawgs. Made it to a cul-de-sac in the new construction area, only a single house on it and there were cars in the driveway. I tracked back to my car, drove up to this house and asked the owner if he'd seen a black and rust smallish dog who was obviously feeding a litter. What luck! He'd not only seen her, he'd seen her make 3 trips with puppies in her mouth (so she has at least three left), and showed me where she crossed behind his house. There was a creek back there and on the other side some old buildings behind an old farm house. He gave me permission to cross his property if I need to track her down.

Trespasser: Drove by the farm house and stopped at the next driveway where a house had recently been torn down. I trespassed onto that property to see if she'd stashed the pups in the still standing out-buildings. No such luck.

New Plan: That's it for tonight. So, at least I know she moved the puppies. Possibly because the heavy rains allowed water under the rubble. Don't know if all the puppies survived. My next plan is to write a note to leave on the mailbox at that farm house explaining the puppy situation and leaving my phone number. I know someone lives there, seen the cars...but don't wanna go waltzing in there alone. Hey, this is rural North Carolina....they might shoot me! I'm hoping they'll call and be more than happy to rid themselves of a pile of stray pups. I'll have my partner in crime, Jenny, visiting this weekend to help me.

Not looking good

After work yesterday, I stopped by to see if I could find the puppies. I flashed the light under every pile of rubble around, banged on the old tin roofing, crawled around in my work clothes, climbed behind the rubble and never a peep. Messed up my nice work slacks and got myself a 3 inch scratch on my leg for all my efforts...but no puppies. I'm pretty certain she's either (1) moved the puppies to some new location or (2) the puppies have died and she's abandoned this location...except to stop by and eat the canned food I leave. Let's hope it's possibility #1.

Drove around trying to find any other possible places she might stash the pups...nadda. Drove around the new neighborhoods and construction sites where I've seen her scrounging for food...no sighting of her.

This morning I called for her and put more canned food out, but haven't seen her or the Huntin' dog since before the Christmas weekend. They devoured the bag of kibble I left for the weekend, but they aren't so interested in the other dry food I'm leaving now (different brand). Picky strays?!

After Christmas

I'm back from a Christmas weekend out of town and no sign this morning of the Momma dog. Flashed the light back where I'd heard the puppies before, but no noises. I know it rained hard this weekend, so it's possible she moved them if water was getting into their den. It was kinda dark this morning and I was in my clothes for work, so didn't wanna stumble around there too much...will try again to see Momma or the puppies this afternoon.

Chuck Wagon

Dropped off a whole bag of food for the strays to munch on while I'm away for Christmas weekend. I have a dog bowl near the Momma dog's den, and put canned food in it twice a day. This morning I poured in two cans full since I'll be out of town...she'll have to get by on the dry food the rest of the weekend. She was nowhere in site, so I took a flashlight and tried to peek way back under the rubble to see the puppies. Couldn't see them, but heard a few puppy grunts when I flashed the light...so sounds like all's well. Was a little concerned that I didn't see Momma dog at last night's feeding and same for this morning. When I was returning to my car after dropping the bag of kibble off, I looked up and saw her high-tailing it toward me. She must have been across the street at the construction site, shmoozing food, and saw the "Chuck Wagon" (my SUV) making a delivery. Was happy to see me, but went right for the food rather than let me pet her.

Tracking the Moves

Shows how Momma dog moved the puppies farther back, trying to keep 'em away from me I suppose. But, if you can make it out in the photo...that last flap of roofing tin is loose and easy to pull up. So, unless she moves them under some other roofing junk, this is a great spot to snag them when the time comes.

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12/17/06 Update: Went by before work to leave some food, and found she'd moved the darned pups again. The collapsed building left a load of debris, so no telling where they are under all that stuff...and no time to look. Stopped again after work to leave food and found her coming out of the dark hole waaaay in the back of this pile of junk. I took a peek....it goes way back and I couldn't see the puppies at all. I can only hope she'll move them again to a place easier to reach.

Trappin' Dawgs

Saturday, first day of trapping (I can only hope it won't take more than one day)

11:30am - Took the humane trap out of the box and went about putting it together. Mild claustraphboia hits when I had to crawl inside the trap to complete setup.

12:30am - Darned trap weighs a bit by itself, wondering how I'll get dog & trap into my SUV by myself. Figure that out when the time comes. Setup the trap, chained and locked to a tree near the puppies. Put in some stinky cat food and bowl of chicken liver. Pups all sleeping, but saw Momma dog roaming the neighborhood streets.

2:00pm - Check trap...nadda. Momma dog was in nursing the pups, and seemed happy to see me. Dumped more canned dog food into the trap to make it even more stinky. As I drove off, she was sniffing around near the trap. Keeping my fingers crossed!

4:00pm - Nope, she must not be hungry enough. Figured my bait wasn't tempting enough: chicken liver, canned cat & dog food, maybe she prefers fast food, eh? She followed me out of the woods and just sat in the weeds while I drove off to KFC. Returning with popcorn chicken (minus the few I ate), I find she's nowhere in site. Wench probably has other people feeding her. Closed up the trap for the night, can't take a chance she gets trapped and leaves the pups cold for the night. Noticed earlier that she'd moved the pups even farther back under the roofing. Silly girl, she did me a favor...they're now just under a piece of tin that is easy to lift up and pluck the pups!

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Day 2 - Sunday

9:00am - Heated up the KFC popcorn chicken and headed out to bait the trap. Something funny as I back out, and afraid I know what it is...yup, flat tire! Call GEICO for my roadside assistance and wait. Big ole shiny new screw in my tire...probably from driving around the construction site looking for the Momma dog.

10:30am - Beautiful sunny day here. Tire all patched, reheated chicken again and baited the trap. Momma dog nowhere in site, though did see Daddy off in the weeds. Pups all piled up and sleeping.

1:30pm - Checked trap, nuttin' in it. Snapped some pics of the pups, disturbed Momma dog and she sat off to the side while I peeked at her pups. Added some canned dog food to the trap, saw her sniff the trap as I pulled away. Then she sat in the field and watched me leave. Over 70 outside, took the poodles for a walk in the park while wearing my Doberman T-shirt...bet folks got a laugh outta that, eh?

3:30pm - Nothing in the trap, will have to give up 'till my next day off (can't trap while I work or Momma would be away from the pups for 8 hours or more, not safe). Went back to my truck to get the key to the lock (where I chained the trap to a tree), and there was Momma dog running up to say hi. The little wench even let me pet her and rolled over for belly rubs!! Then she dashed off like it's one big game. A day late and dollar short, I snagged my slip leash and then she wouldn't come within 5 feet. Ugh. Put the trap back in my truck, snapped more pics of the poopers and gave Momma all the food I had in the trap, and even tossed out a pile of kibble for Huntin' dawg.

5:00pm - Having a glass of "Fat Bastard" Shiraz while I ponder my failure at trapping.

Pupper Update - 2 weeks old!

Foggy and dark this morning, so didn't get a good peek at the pups, but the Momma dog came right out to greet me...wagging her whole body. She even got close enough to sniff my finger and then back away waiting for the yummie canned food.

I'm going to estimate the puppy's birthday to be December 1st. I saw the Momma dog had whelped by Dec 3rd, so that's as close a guess as I'm gonna get. That'd make them 2 weeks old today.

UPS Tracking shows my humane trap arrived today, so with any luck I'll be able to snag her and the pups this weekend and get them settled into my back yard.

I have some great friends! One has been seriously thinking about getting a dog, and when she heard about these little goobers she decided she'd take two! That got me down to five. Then another friend said she'd be happy to help foster one or two (I'm voting for two!) and find them (indoor) homes up in Virginia. That'd take me down to only three to find homes for myself...plus Momma dog. I'll keep the puppy updates coming & include photos once I get them to my house!

Puppies!

Yes, Puppies! From a previous post you can see I'd been attempting to capture and rehome the strays in my neighborhood. I've been having no luck with the last two, and sure enough...the girly came up pregnant. I tried feeding her some really yummie canned food and slipping a leash loop over her head, but she just backed out and left me in the dust. She was big 'n round when I saw her just before Thanksgiving. I left a huge bag of dog food and made a nice spot for her to have her puppies while I was out of town.

I saw her again on December 3rd, she'd had the puppies...which were nowhere in site. So I managed a week later to follow the trail of tramped down weeds that led to the woods...and there I found the pups. Could she have had them in the nice warm, dry, sheltered place I'd put the bedding? Noooo, she dug a hole under the remains of an old collapsed building and had her puppies in the trash littered dirt!

I did my best to count heads without bothering them, and it looks like there are SEVEN of them! Three or four are dark like her, and the others white with spots. From the number of white with spots on 'em pups, I'm pretty sure the Huntin' dog (see previous post) is the Daddy. She managed to keep them all healthy thru the recent cold snap...19 degree low a couple of nights! And moved the little buggers farther back under the roofing tin, so that'll make it hard for me to pull 'em out later. I'm waiting to get the puppies until I can trap the Mom...so I'm waiting delivery of a humane dog trap and hope it works! Watch for puppy updates! I'm already working on happy homes for these little goobers too!