The season of Holly

We said farewell to Holly today. Clay drove her to the vet where she was spayed and she was picked up from there by her adopters. I'm not sure what to say but here's something of a Holly retrospective. She's a great dog and it was a pleasure to help her through the delivery and raising of her seven lovely puppies. She made it easy on me because she did virtually everything herself, I just played the role of supportive human. 

Holly was a great mother and when she was away from the pups we got to know her well enough to know that she's a great dog in her own right. She had an adopter chosen before any of the puppies and for that I'm very grateful. She is going to a wonderful home and we wish her a wonderful life. 

Holly came here on December 1st. We named her Holly for the Christmas season. Her pups were born a week later, on December 8th. We named them after characters from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the Isle of Misfit Toys, apropos of the season and of their being in our corner of the rescue world. It seems fitting that today, on the day Holly moved on, we had our first daffodils in bloom. The season of Holly as a mother is over, but she is just beginning her new life.

Holly with most of her kids.