Doggy Dynamics and Kitty Chaos

Watching the dynamics around here is interesting, with each day, each week, each month that Lucy is with us bringing changes in both Lucy's personality and in her relationship with the other critters.

Yesterday I made another one day trip to the mainland to see how mom is doing in her new place (very well! she loves it!), and Lucy spent the day at Gail's. My neighbour, Mary, came over to let Sadie and Charley out, feed them and take them for a walk. When I brought Lucy home thirteen hours later, she went into the same over-the-top OMG-I'm-so-glad-to-be-home zoomies, bouncies, and kissies as she did the last trip. What was different this time, compared to just ten days ago, was Sadie and Charley's reaction to her - they both wanted to play with her, with their ears up and tails wagging and happy, happy faces. Now, that I did NOT expect - especially from Charley who gets incredibly upset when Lucy hogs all the attention around here, and surely would prefer that Lucy just stay away.

There's been a few other changes, too, in the past few weeks. Lucy now routinely chases the cat and tries to play with her. That's not as bad as it sounds - don't forget, Allie is a tortie cat, full of mischief herself. Allie taunts Lucy, sitting on the edge of a piece of furniture, hunched over like a vulture, ready to swat Lucy as she walks by. I have seen Allie strut up to where Lucy is sleeping and meow right in her face. And Lucy never hurts Allie, and I've never seen Allie hiss or swat at Lucy even though she has done so at other dogs (and people) we've had here. So it's all in fun.

The problem with Lucy's and Allie's fun is that it becomes messy, destructive fun. Allie tears around the house, flying from furniture to furniture. Lucy is close behind, bouncing up and down on her invisible pogo stick, trying to see the tops of the furniture to track Allie's movements. And anything loose on the top of the furniture either goes flying with Allie or gets knocked off by Lucy. Of course, once it is on the floor, it is fair game - a dog toy!

And so in the hour I spent away from the house today, they managed to drag the cover off the sofabed (again), knock the placemats off the table (again), and bring a tiny foot-high live Christmas tree to its knees. The tree was a gift from my friend Else, and came decorated with styrofoam snowballs and a comical black and white styrofoam penguin. It was placed in the very centre of the dining room table. The tree survived, the snowballs and penguin did not.

Fortunately, Lucy didn't eat the styrofoam. She just decided to scatter the little white pieces everywhere and leave the evidence for me to clean up. She and Allie also rearranged the furniture somewhat - lightweight furniture apparently slides easily on laminate flooring, and tips over where flooring meets carpet - with the help of a cat and a fifty pound pogo-sticking dog.

I finally brought in an extra crate so the serious crate training can begin. Lucy does use Charley's big crate sometimes (with the door open), but Lucy has already taken over Charley's raised bed (as well as Sadie's couch and my chair), so I decided it wouldn't be fair to Charley to lock Lucy up in Charley's crate when I'm out. From now on, all treats and meals will be fed to Lucy in what used to be Oliver's crate, and she shall learn to comfortably spend increasing lengths of time in the crate with the door shut. She did very well at dinner tonight - not a whine or a peep when she was done. She just sat at the crate door and sent me a look that clearly said "Okay, that was good, let me out now". And I did. At which she and the cat resumed their little game of indoor tag.

Lucy really needs a home of her own. Any takers out there?

(Lucy is being fostered for the Cowichan and District SPCA. She really is a wonderful dog - a cuddlebug extraordinaire, who listens well, walks nicely on leash, loves being brushed, holds up her paws to have her nails done, and is the most loyal companion imaginable. She will eventually outgrow her youthful exuberance, and no doubt if I stuck with my own motto of "A tired dog is a good dog" there would be a bit less chaos around here.)

Pupdates!!!!

All Lucy's puppies are now with their new families, and I've started receiving updates from some of them. Hubbard's health checked out just fine and his family is absolutely in love with him. May he enjoy many years of hiking with them! Nugget, now called Fitz, is loving his new home and his big brother. His new dad is going to send me some pictures soon.

And Zuke is enjoying life with three young boys. Here (with permission) is part of an email I received from Zuke's new mom:

I thought I would let you know that Zuke is in his new forever home in Cowichan Bay. We are the family that is going to be driven to distraction, perhaps we were already there. We have three boys, and so far Zuke has been the best behaved. He slept through the night last night, which I did not expect. My two year old did not. Perhaps you can give me some tips. This little tornado has been getting worn out. He is a great cuddler, the boys want him in their beds.... Maybe he will be big like Clifford the Dog. We live in a tiny two bedroom rancher, it keeps getting smaller. Cozy, chaotic, crazy, spacious compared to our boat where we will spend most of the summer. Hope Zuke likes water... As you can imagine, we spend most of our time outside. We have an acreage that stretches down to the beach where we look for buried treasure.

Karen tells me that all the pups went to absolutely wonderful families. There is already talk of a Butternut Squash Kids' reunion sometime down the road. How I would love to see what the pups look like six months from now!

Lucy is still looking for her forever home. Until then, she is safe with me and enjoying life to the fullest. She now goes many places in the van with me, and she has toured Chemainus, Crofton, and parts of Duncan. She wears her SPCA "Adopt Me" bandana when we go out, and has written her own handout so visitors to the SPCA can learn more about her and be tempted to meet her. She's become a party girl who loves toys, wrestling with other like-minded dogs, and sleeping wherever Charley, Sadie, Allie or I would like to be. She is becoming much more confident on walks and is still the escape artist she always was.

What d'ya mean, the back of the couch is the cat's snoozing spot?

Morning Reflections on Perfect Solutions

I stand in my back yard, hands encircling my hot cup of coffee, and watch the sun rise over Saltspring Island, turning the waters of Osborne Bay a golden yellow. It is a crisp, frosty morning, the harbinger of the winter mornings to come. The clear sky overhead belies the snow in last night’s weather forecast.

The puppies have been fed and their nighttime mess cleaned up, and the three big dogs are enjoying the sunrise with me. Lucy has the zoomies, tearing around and around the yard like a whippet chasing a lure. Occasionally, she pauses to playbow in front of Sadie who humours her with a game of kissyface or some happy, growly jump-and-bump.

This is the last full day at my home for five of the puppies. Tomorrow, they will make the next step toward finding their families. And a day or two after that, the remaining five will move on, too.

They are truly lucky little pups. Instead of going to the shelter, all ten are moving to Karen’s and Norm’s Puppy Prep School. Okay, I made that name up – but it suits the situation. (Regular readers will know Karen from the Wednesday Walks, and be familiar with her many dogs, especially the passing of Pearl and the loss of Luger). Karen and Norm have fostered literally dozens of pups, and have recently renovated their detached garage into a comfy sitting room/dog room/puppy training room.

There, where Karen and Norm spend much of their time, the puppies will have a cosy place with a dedicated puppy yard, and they will learn to go outside to do their business. They will also receive their first shots, be cared for after their spays/neuters, and be available to meet with approved applicants for adoption. It is a perfect solution which keeps the pups in a home environment and continues with their socialization. Thank you, Karen and Norm, for providing them safe haven.

As I return to the house from my morning reverie, Lucy charges through the door ahead of me and tears off after the cat. The honeymoon is over – Lucy is a two or three year old dog with all the exuberance of youth, the cat is pissed off, and my old girls are not sure what to make of this new, young, joyful dog. Charley opts to stay outside – like me, she enjoys her morning hour of quiet reflection – and Sadie dodges left and right to avoid Lucy’s joyous jumps and playful nudges as we negotiate the hallway back to the kitchen to refill my coffee cup. Allie, the cat, retreats to the top of the fridge, safe from bouncing butternut squashes named Lucy.

Though the pups are leaving, Ms. Lucy will stay with me for a bit longer. Her milk has nearly dried up, and once that is complete she will be spayed. Applications for her adoption will be reviewed, potential adopters will meet her, a homecheck will be done, and the transfer to her forever home arranged - all done with Lucy’s needs at the forefront. She, too, will be kept in a home environment rather than returned to shelter life. Another perfect solution. Well, perfect for Lucy - though I think Allie, Charley and Sadie would disagree.

One creature's perfect solution may be another's challenge. But we've made it this far, and together we'll see Lucy and the pups the rest of the way to their forever homes.


If you, or someone you know, wishes to adopt a pup or to adopt Lucy, can make the 15-20 year commitment required to give a dog a home forever, and can provide excellent training, healthy food, appropriate vet care, and a safe and loving environment for this new family member, please apply to the Cowichan and District SPCA. Lucy and the Butternut Squash Kids will be ready for adoption once they have been spayed/neutered.

Acorn

Acorn

Acorn is a small pup with his mom's short stumpy legs. He has a perpetually worried look, and whether due to real wrinkles or the impact of a fair bit of grey in his brindle, he reminds me of a little old man when he sleeps. He has white tufts of fur on one of his back paws, and distinctive brindle stripes on his belly and sides.

As the quietest and most sedate of the pups, he’s been a bit hard to get to know. At times he comes over to me and whimpers to be lifted up, but mostly he keeps his own counsel and blends in with the pack. He sometimes initiates play with one of his siblings, but when the others rush over to join in, he bows out. He's easily overwhelmed with the mob scene and has the sense to quietly slip away.

He isn’t too sure what toys are for, but he proudly parades around the pen, head held high, waving large sheets of newspaper grasped tightly in his mouth.

For his photoshoot, he sat quietly in the basket without attempting to climb out or explore, and outside he had to be coaxed to move. But after I talked to him in an excited highpitched voice and ran around like a crazed woman, Acorn did engage in some running and chasing and seemed to be having fun.

Acorn would like his future family to know that he will try to be a good boy no matter who adopts him, but he would really like some quiet gentle people to nurture him and teach him life skills – noisy, rambunctious kids might be a bit much for this lad. He does like to have a little company, and he thinks he might be happy with another canine or feline sibling around as long as they were mannerly. And like the polite little guy that he is, he thanks you for your consideration.

Iz a scary world!

Wait! Where you goin'?

I'm comin'! I'm comin'!

I likes peace an' quiet

May I go back to my pen now, please?

(Acorn is one of ten pups I am fostering for the Cowichan and District SPCA. Each is featured in a separate blog entry. The pups and their mama, Lucy, will be available for adoption shortly. All applications should go to the Cowichan and District SPCA. More information on Lucy and the pups can be found by reading the past two months' blog entries - starting September 11/2010 for Lucy, and October 1/2010 for the pups. If you are considering adopting Lucy, feel free to email me with any questions you have about her personality and behaviour, using the link on the side of this blog).

Deli

Deli

Deli (Delicata) is a beautiful brindle girl. At almost seven weeks, she weighs in at 10 pounds 13 ounces - but she is not chubby at all. She is tall, slender, lanky, and active. This past week, her long legs have become even longer and she is now as tall as (or maybe taller than) her brother Zuke. With the exception of her black muzzle, she is all brindle - no white anywhere, and glossy brindle smooth, short fur everywhere. Her long tail rides straight up in the air behind her - all it needs is a little orange flag! Or maybe hot pink to match her collar.

Deli has two speeds: fast forward and stop. She plays hard - loves tossing her toys up in the air, loves to pounce around catching shadows, curious about everything in her world, and a very speedy runner. Deli is full of spunk and courage - she chases me around the yard and doesn't hesitate to climb stairs and ramps or check out plastic tunnels. She might well enjoy participating in a dog sport like agility or rally, activities which will help channel her energy and exercise her bright, inquisitive mind.

Once she has her zoomies out, she likes nothing more than to sit nicely in my lap and be cuddled. She is an all-round good pup, a quick learner, and will make a very nice companion for an active person who likes bigger dogs.

I'm watchin' you!

Whazzat over der?

I can sit!!

An' I can run!

And I can point!

Or maybes I be a trackin' dog!

Bo

Bo

Bo (Bohemian squash) is quite a character. Though he often looks like a quiet, serious pup, he is actually quite lively when taken out of the pen. He is the only one of all the pups to be unwilling to pose for a picture in the basket - he kept clambering out (though eventually I managed a shot or two). Outside, he happily trotted after me when I called him, but also was interested in exploring the new surroundings. He likes to pounce and bounce around the yard, chasing imaginary grasshoppers. Placed on the adirondack chair, he immediately jumped down.

Bo often asks to be picked up (with a VERY loud, high pitched voice!), but wiggles when you do so. While occasionally submitting to cuddles, he is more of a "play with me!" type of dog, merely using a human as a mode of transport to more fun places. I suspect he will quickly learn to like games of fetch - if he doesn't get too distracted to bring the ball back. His human may be the one doing most of the fetching.

Bo is one of the larger pups, weighing in at 9 pounds 6 ounces just after his six-week birthday. That puts him about third or fourth in size, and his paws suggest he will be quite a large dog. He has somewhat fluffy fur, a black muzzle, light brown markings just above his eyes, and a generous amount of black peppered throughout his brown fur.

He doesn't think much of collars. He quickly outgrew a nice red bejewelled one, and repeatedly managed to remove the plain red one he was given instead. He now goes nekid, identified only by size and colour and a lack of a collar. He says he'll wear one when I find something more suitable than kitty cat collars. That's okay, Bo - at the rate you pups are growing, you'll soon all need new collars.

I follows you anywhere!

Whazzat in fwonta yer face?

I don't wanna sit in de basket!

You got sumthin fer me to eat?

Is dis how ya want me to pose???

(Bo is one of ten pups I am fostering for the Cowichan and District SPCA. Each is being featured in a separate blog entry. The pups and their mama, Lucy, will be available for adoption shortly. All applications should go to the Cowichan and District SPCA. More information on Lucy and the pups can be found by reading the past two months' blog entries - starting September 11/2010 for Lucy, and October 1/2010 for the pups. If you are considering adopting Lucy, feel free to email me with any questions you have about her personality and behaviour, using the link on the side of this blog.)

Patty

Little white-chinned Patty

Patty (pattypan squash) is another wee girl, just six ounces bigger than Summer. She has her mama's short stubby legs - the shortest legs of all the pups. She sports white tips on both back paws, a few white hairs on her chest, and - her distinguishing features - a white goatee and white eyebrows. Her brindle colouring makes the goatee stand out, giving rather a comical effect for this little girl pup.

Patty may be small, but she is big on activity. She pounces and runs and plays at superspeed. And she is fearless. Most of the pups, when first taken outside, crouch in the grass afraid to move. Not our Patty - she immediately bounced around on all fours like a little wind-up toy dog, and her whole demeanor expressed pure joy.

And can she ever run!!! She races from one side of the yard to the other, as fast as any big dog could run. Trying to get a photo of her in the yard was next to impossible as she was sure we were playing a game of tag and she was IT. I ran to the other side of the yard to try to get a body shot and she came barrelling after me as fast as those little legs could go. Sometimes, just before racing toward me, she stands with all four feet firmly planted and her chest expanded, a little bull in doggy skin about to charge her toreador. But before I can focus the camera, the charge is on!

In the house, she is just the same - busy, busy, busy and always up for a game of tag or wrestling or touch football with her much bigger brothers. However, she also enjoys having one-on-one time with her two-legged caregivers, sitting nicely in a lap and appreciating strokes and bellyrubs. When returned to the pen, she often stands up at the gate crying for me to come back and pick her up again. But she is soon distracted by her siblings and off she goes for another round of play.

This social butterfly will likely do best with either an at-home caregiver or another animal for company. Patty, dressed in her pale pink collar, just wants to party, and everyone's invited.

Here I comes!

Short little legs

I kin take on de world!

Mah feets got wet in the grass!

Patty in the basket

Could you pick me up, pwease????

(Patty is one of ten pups I am fostering for the Cowichan and District SPCA. Each is being featured in a separate blog entry. The pups and their mama, Lucy, will be available for adoption shortly. All applications should go to the Cowichan and District SPCA. More information on Lucy and the pups can be found by reading the past two months' blog entries - starting September 11/2010 for Lucy, and October 1/2010 for the pups. If you are considering adopting Lucy, feel free to email me with any questions you have about her personality and behaviour, using the link on the side of this blog.)

Summer

Summer

What can I say about this sweet pup that the pictures don't show? She is my favourite (but don't tell the others I said that). She is a gentle, tiny girl with the most beautiful face in the world. I'm not good on colours, but Summer's head is a richer, deeper red-brown than any of the other brown/fawn dogs. Is that auburn? chestnut? mahogany? She does have a black muzzle, though the black does not extend as far across the face as her siblings' markings do.

The shape of her muzzle is a bit softer than the others, perhaps due to a bit of an overbite (or is that an underbite?) which shortens her chin and makes her face appear more round. Her eyes, too, are rounder and shine darker than her siblings. She has some black hairs down the centre of her back and on her tail, and like so many of her siblings, a flash of white on one back toe. She will likely have short little legs, though she is such a tiny girl it is hard to tell at this point.

Summer is the smallest of the pups, weighing just seven pounds this evening, their six-week birthday. That makes her more than five pound lighter than her biggest sibling. However, her size doesn't stop her from having fun - she plays rambunctiously with the other pups, and even initiates rough and tumble play with the big boys. She is a bit of a monkey, chewing anything she can get her teeth into and sometimes following her siblings around the potty area in hopes of a not-so-tasty treat (a habit of which I am trying to rid her!).

Most of all, Summer loves to be cuddled. She runs up to me and stretches up to be picked up. She will sit on my lap for hours, nuzzling the inside of my elbow, or licking my earlobe and showering me with kisses if given a chance.

I had a hard time picking Summer's name because none of the squash names seemed quite right for her. Sweet Dumpling came the closest, but she isn't a dumpling in the 'roly-poly' sense of the word, and a name with two words and three syllables was just too much of a handle for such a little pup. But summer squash - summer - summer describes this little girl.

She is sunshine and joy and warmth and beauty. She is something to look forward to when skies are grey, and to relax with when you are ready for some downtime. She is a child's laughter on a sandy beach, a bird's song amidst the apple blossoms, a flower's beautiful scent. Summertime and the livin' is easy, and this is a very easy dog to love.

Summer posing in her bed

Wee little girl

Oops - caught in the act!

Pensive Summer

High five!

(Summer is one of ten pups I am fostering for the Cowichan and District SPCA. Each is being featured in a separate blog entry. The pups and their mama, Lucy, will be available for adoption shortly. All applications should go to the Cowichan and District SPCA. More information on Lucy and the pups can be found by reading the past two months' blog entries - starting September 11/2010 for Lucy, and October 1/2010 for the pups. If you are considering adopting Lucy, feel free to email me with any questions you have about her personality and behaviour, using the link on the side of this blog.)

Zuke

Wanna play?

This is Zuke, for Zucchini. Like his namesake, there will be times when his family thinks they got too much of a good thing and would like to foist him off on the neighbours.

Of all the pups, he is the most energetic – a perpetual whirlwind, a cheeky, mouthy, rambunctious, never-slow-down pup. He is a chewer, a puller, a nipper, a jumper, a pouncer, a humper, a tugger-of-tails, a chomper-of-toes, a mischievous, devilish, smart-as-a-whip little pup.

Zuke may look black, but he is actually a reverse brindle (the black more prominent than the browns) or "seal" as it is sometimes called here in Canada. His brindle pattern shows well in the sunlight and is becoming more noticeable as he grows. One of his paws has a small white blaze, as does his chest, and he has a hint of a few white hairs on his chin.

Zuke's overall physique is quite different from the other pups. He is the most slender of the dogs and has long, long, long, legs. Did I mention he has long legs? Like an adolescent boy whose body has grown more quickly than his brain, he trips over his own feet and falls flat on his face a dozen times a day.

He also has a long whip-like tail. Once he is a bit bigger, he will happily keep your coffee table free of clutter with his tail, and no doubt those long legs will help him keep your counters free of food. He is already just over nine pounds, so will likely be a fairly big, tall dog. He is a beautiful, sleek, slim and leggy boy, who doesn’t stand still long enough for a photo to do him justice.

Zuke’s family will have to subscribe to the notion that “a tired dog is a good dog” -- unless they are prepared to give him lots and lots and lots of high-energy activity, this boy will drive them to distraction. At the same time, when he is finally worn out, he does like to cuddle,though not without nibbling and chewing on whatever part of your anatomy or clothing is within reach.

A beautiful dog for a very active family. Tornado might be a suitable non-squash name for him. Batten down the hatches, there's a storm heading your way.

I is NOT a tornado - see how nicely I'm sittin'?

I can play wiv mah kong now pwease?

I'z got long legs an' tail!

I be cute in de basket

Kin ah go now pwease?

Me an' mah mama

(Zuke is one of ten pups I am fostering for the Cowichan and District SPCA. Each is being featured in a seperate blog entry. The pups and their mama, Lucy, will be available for adoption shortly. All applications should go to the Cowichan and District SPCA. More information on Lucy and the pups can be found by reading the past two months' blog entries - starting September 11/2010 for Lucy, and October 1/2010 for the pups. If you are considering adopting Lucy, feel free to email me with any questions you have about her personality and behaviour, using the link on the side of this blog.)

A Dicshunary, by the Butternut Squash Kids

(Or: The world through the eyes of ten very young pups)

Bed: a box wiv blankies. Good fer peeing in, sleeping in, playing in, pooping in.....and eating.

Blankies: Things hoomans put in our beds to make us more comfy. Also good for dragging all over the pen, peeing on, playing on..... and eating.

Clothing: Stuff hoomans put on their skins cuz they don’tz have fur. Good fer hanging onto if you want yer hooman’s attenshun. Sometimes adorned with stuff that is very good for playing with, especially shoelaces, buttons, and hems of pants. Also good fer eating.

Hoomans: Two legged servants good fer cuddling an fer deliverin’ kibble. Every puppy needs to have at least one of these. Haz fingers, toes, ears, hair and chins good fer eating.

Kibble: Stuff to be walked in, tossed around, stepped on and eventually eaten.

Newspapers: Stuff that hoomans place on the floor. Fun to pick up, carry around, and shake. Can also be ripped, torn, shredded..... and eaten.

Pee: Liquid stuff we leak onto the newspapers, tarps, and bedding. Not much good fer eating by itself, but makes newspapers easier to shred and more palatable.

Poop: Stuff we push out our butts to make sure our hoomans gets their exercise picking it up. Also good for playing in, rolling in, walking in, decorating the pen and ourselves wiv, ..... and eating.

Tarp: a floor cover to be scratched, chewed, torn, shredded......and eaten.

Toys: Colourful things hoomans put in our pen fer us to play wiv. Sum are round and some are long and some are squeeky. All are good fer peeing on, pooping on, playing with.....and eating.

X-pen: metal wire around our space that prevents us from getting to and eating more interesting things like shoes, carpet, table legs, drapes and bookcovers. However, it can be climbed. Or jumped. Not much good fer eating, though it can be chewed.

The Clean Pen

Twenty minutes later

(The Butternut Squash Kids are ten pups I am fostering for the Cowichan and District SPCA, also known as the Duncan SPCA. The pups and their mama, Lucy, will be available for adoption shortly. All applications should go to the Cowichan and District SPCA. More information on Lucy and the pups can be found by reading the past two months' blog entries - starting September 11/2010 for Lucy and October 1/2010 for the pups. If you are considering adopting Lucy, feel free to email me with any questions you have about her personality and behaviour, using the link on the side of this blog. )

Nugget

Nugget in basket

As his name suggests, Nugget is a little gem, a cuddlebug extraordinaire who loves to be picked up, to be cuddled, to sit on my lap or be held in my arms while he licks my neck and nibbles my ears. He comes running when I enter the pen and grabs onto whatever part of me he can - a shoelace, the buttons on my sweater as I squat down to pick up poop, the hem of my pants as I try to walk about. But he's not obnoxious about it - he just wants to be acknowledged and petted and to climb up for a kiss.

Nugget is a light brown (fawn?), short-haired, average size pup with legs that appear to be proportionate to his body. He has absolutely the most adorable markings on his face - jet black muzzle and nose, teeny white tuft on the chin, dark mascara lining his eyes. He also managed to get mascara along the outer edge of his ears, and the underside of his ears have black fur. He has some black down the centre of his back and onto his tail, and he has one white toe on one back paw, plus some white hairs on his chest.

Today, at just over five and a half weeks, he weighs a surprising 8 pounds 9 ounces (though this was right after he inhaled his lunch). By comparison Hubbard and Pumpkin, the largest of the litter, are both 9 pounds 14 ounces after lunch today, and the smallest pup is 6 pounds five. Nugget's compact body, dressed in his sky blue collar, is heavier than it looks - he's a solid little guy.

Nugget is going to be a wonderful companion for someone. Like his mother, he will likely bond closely with his special person. While he is very people-oriented, he also plays well with all his siblings, both initiating play and responding when another pup initiates it. He is good at give and take - backing off when told to, but not fearful or shy. With the right training, food, and affection, he promises to be an outstanding friend.

Nugget

Ohhh, whazzat?

Nugget and Lucy

An armload of luvin'

Sweet face

(Nugget is one of ten pups I am fostering for the Cowichan and District SPCA, also known as the Duncan SPCA. Each is being featured in a seperate blog entry. The pups and their mama, Lucy, will be available for adoption shortly. All applications should go to the Cowichan and District SPCA. More information on Lucy and the pups can be found by reading the past two months' blog entries - starting September 11/2010 for Lucy and October 1/2010 for the pups. If you are considering adopting Lucy, feel free to email me with any questions you have about her personality and behaviour, using the link on the side of this blog. )