Common Ground

Okay, Jasper and I have found some hobbies we have in common.

We both love to nap.

We both love to beg for food.

We both love to ask Mama to open the door to let us out and in...

...and out and in.

Mama says Jasper is getting healthier, although he still coughs a lot. He finished up his cough medicine, so now he is just trying to get out all those nasty heartworms. He only has to wait two more weeks before he can get the last treatment. Sadly, he will not be healthy enough for our first big event of the year, the Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo, but spring is coming soon and Jasper will be able to get out to some smaller events.

Happy Spay/Neuter Day!

Thanks to Indy for pointing out that today is Spay Neuter Day and to Army of Four for finding these awesome graphics. I am adding this one to my sidebar as a year-round reminder to talk to your humans about this procedure for your health. We at MaPaw, like all animal rescuers, hope that ultimately there will be no need for rescues or shelters because there will be enough homes for every pet.

Chena Heads Home

Hi puppies, Chena here with great news. I have a new family! My new brother and I ran and ran around my new big back yard.
At my foster home I was the fastest dog, but Kenai outruns me with no trouble. If we keep up all this running I'll catch up to him eventually.
When I first got there, I discovered Kenai had left his unfinished breakfast on the floor, so I quickly finished it off for him. Then I wandered around in his huge crate. He didn't mind sharing at all as long as I played with him, and I was thrilled to do that.

We took a break in between play sessions to practice a little training. My new mommy discovered that I know sit, but not stay, so we practiced a little. I'm anxious to please my new mommy and daddy, so I will work hard and learn quickly. I also went inside to beg my new daddy for something he was cooking that smelled really tasty. He didn't give me a taste, but he did give me lots of pets. Then it was back to play! By the end of the day Kenai and I were both exhausted. I am so happy to be home.

Chena and Kenai

Hi Puppies, it's me, Chena. I've been quietly hanging out in my foster home and letting Mommy and The Scary Man take care of Jasper since he's having a hard time. On Jasper's good days he likes to help me follow Mommy around the house. When she does laundry, we all pile into the laundry room. When she cooks, we all crowd into the corner by the stove. When she goes upstairs to change out of her work clothes, we all follow her upstairs and get under her feet. Sometimes she puts up a gate so we can't follow her. That is not playing nicely.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you about a family I met this weekend. There's a couple living in Delaware with an Alaskan Husky named Kenai (pronounced KEY-nigh.) This couple used to live in Alaska just like I did. They even have a picture of the two of them in their wedding clothes standing by the Chena River. While they were there, they got an Alaskan Husky puppy who they named after the Kenai Peninsula. Now Kenai is two-years-old and full of Husky energy. Kenai's mom said she started looking for a sibling for him online. She saw my name on MaPaw's website with the words "Alaskan Miracle." There was no picture or description yet because that was shortly after my last Mommy died and I wasn't ready to find another family yet. Even so, Kenai's mom was excited to have found an Alaskan Husky in Pennsylvania and she thought I might me the perfect addition to their family, so she applied and waited until I was ready.

Last weekend I travelled to a park between my foster home and Kenai's home to meet him and his parents for the first time. I noticed Kenai is tall and slender like I am. He and I both have long legs with big paws for gripping and running in snow and ice. He seemed friendly, although a little overwhelming at times. I'm sure I could get used to his boisterous personality. Of course the humans all insisted we stay on our leashes, which made it difficult to play. After we got tangled a couple times, we went for a nice walk and I spent a little time meeting Kenai's mom and dad. They seemed like really nice people. They have a fenced yard where Kenai and I could have a good game of chase. I'm anxious and excited. I hope they liked me and want to adopt me. I loved the first mommy who adopted me, and I love my foster Mommy and The Scary Man, but I would really love to have a family of my own again.

Last night, in preparation for my possible new home, my foster Mommy tested me on something that used to be a real challenge. Since I like to follow foster Mommy around the house, I used to panic when I couldn't be near her. If she left the house or even just took a shower with the door closed, I would be so frightened about being alone I would knock over the trash, pee on the floor, and eat things I shouldn't eat. It's embarrassing to admit, but I can talk about it now because I'm so much better. My first Mommy really helped me learn that no one is going to abandon me. So foster Mommy went to the grocery store without making me go to my crate. She tricked me by leaving a few times and coming back in after a minute or two. Then I thought she was just taking out the trash, but she was gone 45 minutes and had groceries when she finally came back. I was a little nervous, but my foster siblings all seemed relaxed (sound asleep) so I held in there and waited quietly. I passed! I was a good girl the whole time. Foster Mommy says if I can last 45 minutes, I can probably last any amount of time, but she's still going to advise my new family to leave me in a crate when I have to be alone. That's okay with me because I feel safe in my crate. Anyway, cross your paws for me that Kenai and his family like me and adopt me.

Jasper Update

Hi Puppies, Magnum here to update you all on Jasper's progress. After two weeks and several cheeseburgers Jasper gained three pounds, bringing him up to 40 pounds, which is enough to begin heartworm treatment. He spent Thursday night at the vet's office and has been very sick since then. The vet also found intestinal worms and began treatment for those so Jasper should not have so much trouble gaining weight now. Mama said he is not getting any more cheeseburgers now, just kibble, chicken, and rice. I got some chicken and rice in my kibble too, so I am a pretty happy boy. As you can see, Jasper and I have warmed up to each other. Mama says when he was fussy with me it was just because he was sick and scared about living in a new pack, so I am trying to be understanding. Since the vet visit Jasper spends all his time sleeping. He is taking some medicine to help him cough less and we are running a humidifier in the kitchen where he spends most of his time. His fur, which was very crunchy when he first arrived, is getting a little softer now. He needs a lot of rest now, but we are all hoping he begins to feel better soon.

Love Story

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi Puppies, today is a great day to give extra fuzzy hugs to your people and your siblings. Also, claw them and sleep on their heads to fulfill Doodles dream of honoring our leader Queen Meeshka. Today I will post about some people and puppies who recently found love.

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A wonderful family who lives in Pittsburgh, PA had some extra love to share and decided to find some puppies who really needed extra love. They knew they were Siberian Husky people, so they called and visited rescues and shelters, trying to find Sibes who were looking for a new family. First, they found Gabi, who was a little frightened by all the new surroundings. The family was gentle and patient with their timid, little girl. They were thrilled to have her, but thought she needed a boisterous sibling to help her be more social, so they continued their search.

Meanwhile a very handsome young Sibe named Cosmos was waiting in his foster home in MaPaw. Cosmos had a very sensitive tummy, so his foster parents tried and tried to find the right food for him so that he would not have an upset tummy. He enjoyed playing with his foster siblings and telling long, woooowoooowoooing tales to his foster family and everyone in his training class. Although he was friendly and playful, other people passed by him without a second glance. One person showed an interest but then met him and, upon seeing his beautiful rust tone, said he was not red enough. Humph! Cosmos had learned excellent manners at class and found a food that agreed with him. All he needed was a family.

The family from Pittsburgh came across Cosmos in their search and wanted to meet him. They drove several hours across the state to introduce Gabi and Cosmos in his foster home. Cosmos could barely contain his excitement and greeted Gabi with many wooowooowooooos. At first she was unsure, but Cosmos' exuberance soon overcame her shyness and she ventured out to meet the new people and puppies. Her family said they had never seen Gabi be so social. Cosmos seemed to know it was his big day and gave hugs to his new family. After Gabi and Cosmos had some play time, they all piled in the car to go home.

Pity Cheeseburgers

Well, puppies, Jasper and I are still not the best of friends, but that only inspires me to help him get healthy so he can get out of my house. I have not shown him how to blog because everytime I try to have a conversation with him he says, "COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!" He also says cough at bedtime and when he wakes up. Have I mentioned I am not a morning puppy? I need my fuzzy beauty rest and Jasper is hacking away at 5:30 am. Sometimes he tries to play with one of us, but we generally ignore him because we know in a minute he will be coughing. Chena is still the only one who really has patience for him. She is a very patient puppy.



That reminds me, a few puppies commented that Chena and Jasper look alike.



That is just not true.

Chena	Jasper
slight	scrawny
curls in a Husky ball on the couch	curls in a Husky ball on the floor
brown-eyed	bi-eyed (one brown, one missing)

See? They are terribly different. Do not beat yourselves up about it, though, I am sure it was just a problem with your monitors.

Anyway, I commend Jasper on his ability to break Mama's will. Mama is very tough on not giving people food to puppies, even when the puppies are skinny like Jasper. She always says it is better to let them gain weight slowly through a helathy diet than shock their systems with junk food and teach them bad eating habits. She tried that with Jasper but he just kept on coughing and everytime he coughed Mama got this painful look on her face like she felt guilty that she could not make him better faster. So, Mama finally broke down and gave the green light to give Jasper cheeseburgers so he can gain enough weight to begin his heartworm treatment. Now Jasper gets a cheesburger and puppy kibble mixture at every meal. What do I get? Diet kibble. This arrangement does not improve my relationship with Jasper. I mean, I cannot blame the puppy for using his pathos to his advantage, but I am still quite jealous that he is getting treats while I am getting healthy stuff. I tried to look pathetic too and I even puked on the livingroom rug. Did that get me cheesburger? No. That got me tossed out in the yard a few minutes while Mama and Papa "cleaned it up," which I was pretty sure was code for "gave all our love and attention to Jasper." Bailey said he was inside the whole time and nothing like that happened, but I think he was sleeping instead of watching them.

Bye-Bye Puppies!

Hi Puppies, Magnum here. MaPaw had a big event last weekend. Volunteers gathered from various points in eastern Pennsylvania to pick up the puppies and transport them to their adoptive homes scattered throughout the area. The puppies were nervous about being apart from their littermates and meeting new dogs and people, but they will soon realize how much love and attention they will receive from their new families. I know I was nervous when I first came to live with Mama and Papa, but now I know they feed me, and I have fun with my brother and sister. Above Jasper checks on Willow and reassures her that her new home will be wonderful. I have to admit, I saw a nurturing side of Jasper for the first time while this little puppy spent a two-hour layover at my house. Maybe he is not as bad as I thought. We will see. Below Moose (now Apollo) gives his new big brother, Rocky, a respectful, if somewhat formal, bow on their first encounter. I guess his foster siblings let him know how to get off on the right paw with the older pack members. That is a smart puppy. I am sure all the puppies will settle in and feel like a part of the new pack in no time.