Manic Milk Monkeys

It's official. They are not puppies. They are instead Manic Milk Monkeys on a Mission. It's all about the milk and nothing but the milk. After more than two weeks of bottle feeding these orphaned pups, we have come to realize that we have created monsters. They can now see (eyes wide open!) and hear, and that means they are aware that the source of the milk has entered the room. And so they cry. And they run around on wobbly legs, and fall down and roll on the floor in the agony of anticipation. I close my eyes, and I can swear they are screaming "bottle, bottle, bottle!"

When one of us sits on the floor and pulls the first lucky puppy into a lap for his turn at the bottle, the others attack. They climb up pants legs and get stuck. They pull themselves into the human lap and try to dislodge the currently nursing puppy. They attempt to climb up the shirt of the human and push their noses into shirt sleeves.

The assault is relentless until each puppy has his or her turn at the milk bar and every belly is so full it appears dangerously close to popping. And then, finally, there is quiet. The only sound is the contented little grunts they make as  as they settle into their clean, dry blankets and sink deep into the land of milk coma.  And that's when they suck you back into believing they are adorable little helpless puppies, even though you know better. They are so cute and so sweet when sleeping that you buy into the puppy myth, even though you know for a fact that they are Manic Milk Monkeys on a Mission and the next outbreak is a mere 3 hours away.

Scrappy String Bean demonstrates the Milk Coma.

Full bellies and warm blankets equals sheer bliss.

Even in his sleep, he nurses an imaginary bottle.

Old Friends and Bottle Babies

Today began with the sad news of the passing of an LDCRF alum and really special former foster dog of ours named Ashby. She had a long life and was superbly lucky to be adopted into a tender and loving home at the age of 12. She had a beautiful soul and she will be missed.

So, my heart was heavy when I got "the call." An animal control officer in Spotsylvania County had just picked up eight puppies, so young their eyes were still closed and with no mother to feed them. My first thought was, "Oh no, not bottle babies! I don't have the time. The energy. The heart." My next thought was, "But who else can do it? What will happen to them if I don't help?"

The first bottle feeding for the puppies. 

So they are here. Of course they are here. I have the great privilege of having the flexibility, experience and support to tackle this project and to help these little ones on their journey, thus it is my responsibility to do so.

Funny thing is, as soon as I picked the first one up out of the cardboard box, it went from "should do" to "want to" in a flash. My heart lightened, my mood shifted and I felt grateful. There is so much to do to keep this rescue running- so many chores, emails, admin tasks, phone calls, vet appointments. It is easy to sometimes forget the simple joy of saving lives. Today, however, I got an awesome reminder of what's important in the form of eight little furry bodies looking for milk. I might forget a little in the sleep-deprived days to come, but I don't think so. Puppy breath awaits!

Puppies in a box at the shelter.

Godspeed to beautiful Ashby in her next life, and welcome to the world of safety little orphans! It has been quite a day.

The orphan puppies were discovered by a citizen last night in the Fredericksburg area and picked up today by animal control. Animal Control Officers continue to try and catch the mother, but they have been working on catching her for two years now with no luck. She is apparently quite smart, quite fast and quite strong.  They have known her to have several litters of puppies so far and the cycle will continue until she is caught and spayed. Fortunately, her newest babies are not out in the cold snow tonight.