The View from the Other Side

I guess we know what it's like to be trail angels, now. I know some of you have been following along with our doggy drama on Facebook today, and we really appreciate the support. For those who don't know, we had puppies today. The hound we rescued yesterday went into labor this morning. To be more accurate, Pancho looked down and saw a puppy on the floor and it was on. From about 8 AM until around 2 PM, she was delivering, ending up with 10 adorable little babies. Yes, 10. We hit double figures. Yikes. Fortunately, all 10 seem healthy. Mama seems (understandably) tired, but otherwise OK. She looks super thin now, though apparently, aside from being undernourished, she is in good health.

We've taken lots of pictures, but we don't have the camera download cord. We'll post them all later, so stay tuned--they are ridiculously cute. Pancho took this one with the phone when there were only 7 pups. I've been told it looks like either a soccer ball or a stuffed cow. It's really just a pile of cuteness.

Tomorrow afternoon, a local rescue shelter will be picking up mom and babies and taking them to a foster home. We'll end up missing 2 days of hiking this week. We still plan to summit Springer on Saturday, though we'll have to make up about 30 miles after the fact. An unexpected complication, which happens all too often on the trail, but worth it to know that mom and babies are safe.

If you or anyone you know would like to adopt either a puppy or mom, please contact Castaway Critters in Blairsville, GA. Their website is www.castaway-critters.org and phone number is (706) 781-3992.