… with Arleen Mugford from St. Anthony
Arleen, how does it come that you have three shitsou dogs of the same litter?
The first puppy we got was Sunny when it was two weeks old. The lady who owned the dogs was my husband`s aunt. Her dog had three puppies but she died.
All photos Arleen Mugford
Why did she die?
We are not sure. She may have had some infection. Three days after she had given birth she stopped nursing her puppies. On the sixth day, she died.
What happened to the puppies?
The aunt and her daughter fed them every two hours. The puppies didn`t even have their eyes open at that point. The aunt said there was no guarantee they would survive. The vet said the same.
What did you do?
I took the one who I thought was the liveliest (she still is). I thought she would have the highest chance of survival.
How did you help Sunny to survive?
The vet gave me a recipe for the formula that I fed to the puppy. It was a mixture of evaporated milk, plain yoghurt, one egg and corn syrup. The puppies loved the formula! I could refrigerate it for up to a week.
How did you nurse Sunny?
I bought a pacifier, a baby bottle and a blanket for her. She would suck on the pacifier for a couple of hours until she went to sleep.
But that was not the end to it, was it?
No. Two weeks after Sunny, we got a male from the litter, Marley. We did not want Sunny to be alone. We got the third dog three weeks after that! That was my husband`s decision. The aunt had difficulty to keep the third dog, Rocky. As soon as I saw him, I could not say no. I am not a bit sorry for making the decision.
So how did you cope with three puppies?
First we thought it would be three times the work. But really, it is not. They keep each other company. They play with each other. Now I try to get them used to walking on a leash. They are like family. I would not want to part with either one. Two weeks ago, we had all puppies fixed. They are now 9 months old.
How does Sam, your cat, react to three new dogs?
Sam is relatively mild-mannered. Sunny and the cat got really close because the puppy was missing its mother. She was looking to be nursed.
Sam will sit with the dogs. The only time he is a bit bothered by them is when he takes a nap. When the puppies lick Sam`s face, he will try to get away.
At bed time, the cat sleeps with the dogs. He will snuggle up with them. It is quite a picture!
