They are ours!

Momma and the three pups now officially belong to Green Dogs. This was part of a seizure worked by the Humane Society of the United States together with local law enforcement in North Carolina back in May of this year. It was a backyard breeder operation, on a large and deplorable scale. Over 100 dogs were seized from the property, some living inside and others outside. As I understand it, the owner refused to surrender the dogs voluntarily and it wasn't until he failed to come up with the money that has been expended for their rescue and care that the court finally entered an order of forfeiture. 

The momma dog I've got, Starfish, didn't have puppies at the time of the seizure but they were born to her on or about June 9th of this year. The dogs were being held at an HSUS holding facility in Maryland, but when she had puppies they placed her in foster care but couldn't officially transfer the dogs until now. The folks at HSUS gave them all fish-themed names, which were awful but they were really reaching to come up with names for over 100 dogs and pups. We have changed the names but stuck with the fish theme. The momma dog is Starfish. There are two male pups, Pike and Mackerel, and one girl, Angelfish. They all look the same even now and they all appear to be spitting images of their mother.

I got them on June 12th, and today is exactly one month later. I've been taking pictures but not sharing them, until now.

WEEK ONE

Starfish had a good appetite. I was feeding her puppy food, a good amount of is several times a day.

I fed her and she fed the puppies.

In the beginning the female was the largest of the three. One of the males soon surpassed her

but the other male is still the smallest of the litter.

Their eyes were still closed this first week of course.

The only way I've been able to track their individual weights is by the colored collars.

WEEK TWO

Momma let me handle the pups from the beginning. She only got concerned when one of them started screaming as I was weighing him. She still wasn't really warming up to me, however. She would get up whenever I entered and move away from me although she would allow me to approach and pet her.

She had no interest in canned food or even my Satin Balls, which are basically raw meat. She ate hotdogs and cheese cubes for a few days but then stopped. She did like cottage cheese.

These pups started climbing out of the wading pool the second week. At first I thought she was getting them out herself but I finally saw one go over the edge.

I kept putting them back in the pool but she didn't seem to like laying in there much and they wanted to be wherever she was, of course.

WEEK THREE

I would see her nursing from this position, or standing, more often than laying down.

She had zero interest in going outside. I had to force her to do so.

She poops and pees on puppy pads inside.

They were beginning to show interest in mom's dry food. They couldn't really eat it but would pick up pieces from her bowl and carry them around. It was time to introduce them to puppy mush.

WEEK FOUR 

Because mom uses the pads, the pups have learned to do so too. 

They are actually really good about it.

Beginning to show interest in toys.

Starfish went to the vet because I was seeing some blood in her urine. That seems to have cleared up quickly.

I pulverize some of the dry puppy food in a blender and then add hot water. They lap it up. I put Starfish outside while they eat. Mom cleans up whatever is left. She is finally going out the door on her own when I open it and coming back in with just a little encouragement.

This is probably the best family portrait I've gotten of this group to date.

That brings us up to today, one month since they arrived here. They've been a pretty easy bunch. Mom had plenty of milk and she cleaned up and cared for them. They mobilized earlier than some litters I think and they've gotten really well trained to use the puppy pads, thanks again to mom's example.