It is with pleasure I announce that Lena and her "future pups" will be coming to stay with Ann and I. She is about 45 days out of 63 into the pregnancy, so that means whelping is not far away. We always love puppies here and are anxiously awaiting Lena's arrival. It seems we may be able to pick her up sometime Friday, around noon in Ashland, Va. In any case, I just wanted to let everyone know who and where the new intakes will be when they whelp. I liked Danielle's suggestion of Scandinavian names like...Lars, Johan, Sven, Illia, Helga..... you know.

We returned a few hours ago, from picking up Lena finding her to be just so sweet and SO VERY pregnant. She's doing well but is stressed, trembling a bit and appears to be very tired. I'm sure this long ride was hard on her and began to remember how it felt to hit EVERY bump in the road while riding as a expecting Mom. She is peeing all the time, actually going through the motions but not peeing much fluid....a small drop or two and it takes so long for this to appear. We're watching her closely and will make sure she's well. Her temp is at 99.6 tonight, we'll check it again in the morning to make sure she's doing alright. Lena ate a good dinner and is getting along with the dogs just fine, still seeking me out and asking for attention. We're so glad she's here and doing well, knowing this will be a great little lady to foster, already.

Lena had to be examined when she got her health certificate to travel across state lines and she was fine then, so it's something that's occurred recently....we're also looking at she is SO PREGNANT that there's not much room for her bladder. We'll keep a look out for her and see what she does. We've planned on going to the vet, maybe Monday, to check her out as to how she is doing, since we didn't receive any prior medicals, (not out of the normal for most puppy mills) and to see how many pups she actually has. With a temp of 99.6 tonight and if it stays down...... I'd say we're about 4 days away, or less. If it dips below 99 and stays....less than 24 hrs. I'll try to document the birth as it happens, but you know how that can be during the birth process, I may not have time, but I'll try. I just love puppies....

We took Lena's temp. this morning and it was 99.3 ........ still going down and still below 100. She still acts as though she has a UTI so we called Dr. W to see what he thought and he told Ann to bring her right in and he'll look at her. So,.... Ann's off to the vet and I will leave shortly to meet Monica to transport Ella back here to be transported by Peters new family to Maureen in New Jersey. I'm sure Ann will write about the vet visit, and what Dr. W 's thoughts are about Lena. More later.........

I just heard from Ann........Lena has a huge bladder stone blocking her ability to urinate. Now the problem is.... do we remove the stone this close to term on her pregnancy? Dr W hasn't made that determination as yet and is taking another x-ray and checking her calcium levels. Let's all say a little prayer this morning for Lena and hope we can treat the bladder stones with the pregnancy without compromising the puppies. I'm getting ready to leave right now to meet Monica who will be the first to know about Dr. W's decision about how to proceed with Lena. He agrees with me, we're close to her giving birth, within days. Ann said also they saw 5 heads in the x-rays. WoooHooooo!!!!!

Quick update before I leave, Ann just called. They are going to operate on Lena, NOW.....take the bladder stones and the puppies which appear to be full term and headed for the canal, then spay her. She has low calcium and Dr. W thinks she would not have been able to deliver the puppies because of the stones and low calcium levels so he is going in to retrieve the puppies now and take the stones. Let's all cross our fingers on this one and send good thoughts. I'm outa here for another 3 1/2 hours as I make this trip to see Monica, so this is my last post for now.

Hey Everyone:

Great News!!
Lena is out of surgery and all five puppies are alive and breathing now on their own!! Hooray!!

Lena did great going though the C-Section and then having a bladder stone the size of a quarter removed.

Ann was there with her the whole time, and was able to help with the puppies, one is very, very small - so although they are not out of the woods yet - they are really off to a great start.

Ann aka *SuperMom* will be taking everyone home with her tonight just to keep an eye on momma and the kids, and will most likely have to feed the little ones, as Lena will have an IV and a catheter still in. Is Ann the best or what?? :)

So please join me in saying a big "Rock On", to Ann & Wayne who saved lives today.

And Kuddos to the intakes team who got Lena out before it was to late.

This was not quite the Saturday I had planned as I never expected to be coming home from the vets with 5 pups, but here we are with 5 kids who are "holding their own" and a very exhausted Mom, Lena. It was decided this morning that she would probably not give birth naturally to these pups since her calcium level was low (which aids is her uterus doing it's job in contractions for the pups' birth) and the added problem of her bladder stone, shut down the function of her peeing and blocked the way for these kids to be born. All the pups were in place to move toward the birthing canal, so it was decided these pups may be full term and ready to be born since Lena was already dilated and had been quickly panting since last night. I was given the privilege of being a part of the birthing as well as witnessing the other surgery that was done on Lena today, and was AWED at the miracle of medicine and a good vet. He first removed the pups, then the uterus, and moved on to the bladder stone. After removing that and sewing the bladder up, Dr. W moved up to her mouth. Lena was still sedated and he chose to scrape the teeth a bit since he noticed all her lower front teeth were missing and her back teeth were green. As he scraped, one tooth after another just fell out and after the fifth tooth he found a back molar with an exposed root (causing much pain) and realized it was abscessed, knowing it had to be removed. After MUCH effort, the tooth came out and poor Lena suddenly came to life! It was so cool to see Lena come around and hear her pups squealing with 'please' for Mom. I warmed my truck and we carefully loaded the pups (in a cardboard box) and Lena tightly wrapped in many towels and blankets into the truck, and started home in the snow which was now beginning to fall. By the time I arrived home with Lena and the pups, Wayne arrived with Ella and we introduced them all to find everyone gets along great and Ella is one ball of energy, fitting in nicely with the youngsters at my home. Lena is doing well, very inactive now and still wearing a catheter (in case we have problems within the next 24 hours) as Dr. W is on call for us

This clinic was awesome today...they stayed open late and a Tech was called in to assist with the surgery. At one time, we had everyone in the building, working on a pup to revive and stimulate it. This was truly a moment I will never forget. Much of the pups first breaths and the surgery, was recorded either by video or pictures, and I was promised a CD after there was time to produce them. I truly hated taken them to an emergency clinic knowing they would be seen by strangers and Dr. W will be caring for them all while we have them. We are all tired, very grateful for the good help we had today, and thankful for all the prayers sent for Lena and her pups....it was really a close call with the 1st born as we almost called it quits on him. God was surely with this girl and her pups today and I shall be forever grateful and humbled by the miracles that do happen. Tomorrow morning, one of us takes Peter to his new family and sends Ella on her way to Maureen H to be fostered. What a sweet heart she is getting! Thank you Col. Potter, for being there when needed and for saving this girl's life, as well as her pups.

Thank you Monika, Aly and Valerie, for all the personal support you gave me just prior or after the events of the day. Knowing you were sending prayers, gave me such comfort.

I missed a lot of details about them since I was at the vet's most of the day...then trying to quickly figure out where to put everybody for safe keeping, warmth, and safety. We have 11 adults here now and 5 pups.....(Peter and Ella leave this morning) so things will calm a bit since Ella is one little fun pup and full of energy (Peter too).

We have 2 males and 3 females. The 1st born we almost lost and was a very tiny male (the runt). All still are doing well and eating a little more each feeding. Lena was standing and waiting to be let out of her pen this morning, seemingly feeling much better other than limping from the catheter in her leg, and being a bit shaky. We're hoping she will get her strength back soon and try to feed these babies....they really need her more than us. So far, so good, but good thoughts would still be nice...all have a long ways to go.

Lena was anxious to get out of the X-pen this morning so we let her out to move about. It seemed to give her much pleasure although she is limping from the discomfort of a catheter still in her front right leg in case of any problems over the week-end.

Until this afternoon, she has shown no interest or concern over the pups and has been so uncomfortable "all over" that we haven't pushed her....just gave her the night off and fed the pups ourselves. I placed her in the whelping box with the pups this morning and she went to sleep, so isolating all the other dogs from her, we left for a short time to take Peter and Ella to the motel where the couple from NJ were waiting and upon our return home, we were elated to find the pups suckling Lena with must gusto. They appear to be nursing, but we still aren't sure she is actually giving them milk, so we will supplement their feeding with a bottle every few hours, just to make sure they are actually eating and don't regress (these pups are still only 24 hours old and not safe from danger yet). She has been very protective and attentive to them since, but I felt the need to introduce her to them this morning since she was "totally out of it" yesterday during their birth and very sedated the rest of the night.

It occurred to me that she didn't KNOW they were her babies.... and the look on her face (when I first put one in front of her) told me she was very confused. She is being such a good Mom and staying with them now voluntarily, and we are so hoping that she is actually giving them milk or at least the this will stimulate her into producing milk for them. Lena is taking Simplicef once a day, getting a touch of Nutrical, and all the yogurt and cottage cheese she will eat. She's having a hard time eating anything except very soft food (we know she has lost a total of 11 teeth now and her mouth is very sore. She's still very slow and getting around poorly, but after what this lady went through yesterday along with her age....I don't doubt she is exhausted, sore, and totally hating us for putting her through so much.

We are encouraged that she is spending time with them, and acting like a "Mom" now, and just hoping her body will "kick in" and help her out, so the pups will get HER milk...which is what they need. They are all doing well tonight, and we will be calling Dr. W tomorrow to give him an update on how she's doing to see if he feels she is responding correctly or needs to be seen again.

This little lady is SO sweet and just starving for affection. All you have to do is look at her from another room, and her tail wags and those ears go back, as if she's begging for someone to take notice of her....quietly and lovingly. She's breaking my heart with her present physical state and all the sudden changes that have taken place in her life over the past 4 days. This girl is to be admired for all she has had done and the joyful attitude she still has for life. We are spending as much time with her as possible and giving her breaks now to be herself and move about the house. Continued prayers for Lena and her pups would be appreciated, as they all have a long way to go before we are sure they are going to make it and Lena's body has been taxed so much more than it should ever have been...it will take some time for her to gain her strength and feel good again, but we aren't rushing her and are giving her SO much attention, hoping to make her life easier even now.

There have been many improvements yesterday and again today with Lena and her kids. I introduced Lena to her kids yesterday morning (as she didn't seem to understand why I was encouraging her to stay with them or where they came from) but stayed in the box with them upon my request and eventually a couple of the pups found their way to her. She let them nurse (or at least go through the motions most of the day) and by late last night we began to see her milk come in. She has begun to take on the roll of being "mom" for these kids and even though she doesn't know it, this will be her last litter. She is a caring and gentle Mom who is truly enjoying the assistance with her new family and the attention she is getting. Lena's staples look fine and she pees a "river" now every time.

The calcium supplement Lena is getting seems to be helping and she has the appetite of a horse, so we feed her all she wants :-) She's eating soft foods (rice, boiled chicken, cottage cheese) and loving eating without struggling to chew. We'll offer her dry food eventually but we KNOW she has lost 11 teeth so far and I haven't had the heart to try and count the ones left. I removed the catheter in her leg today so she's walking without a limp now and seeming to feel much better and moving about more. Lena goes outside for a while each day, but at the first sound of a puppy squeal....she's running to check on them :-) This is relieving us of having to feed them as they eat every 3 hours and we are truly welcome this change, but are making sure all are really getting plenty.

We are watching the family and if you notice in the pictures, one pup is always off to himself while the others are tucked safely away under Lena. This is the first born..."little runt" pup and I always fear when they are left out this way so please say an extra blessing for him that he's strong enough to make it and Lena helps him. He seems to be eating well and looks fine although he much smaller than the rest, and we almost lost him at birth. We haven't seen Lena roll him away from the group....he just always seems to be out there.

We have names for them and will introduce them within the next day or so. Thanks for your patience.

It is with sadness that I write this morning and tell you all that the "runt" of Lena's litter was just not strong enough to survive.

He had a hard start in life and was a question mark from the beginning. We had noticed that he was always off to the side from the start, even after we continued to put him back with the rest of the litter and made sure he was always on a teat at feeding times. Lena has started to care and feed the pups full time now and every time we came back to her to check on things, this one male was always off to the side. I even stated last night to Ann that "our Raven did the very same thing once, pushing her baby aside as if she knew something was wrong." She did.... and so did Lena. Bitch's have an instinct that makes them not spend time and energy on a pup they don't think will survive.....they push it away. A few times, we may be able to revive a pup like this or even "make it survive" through medicine, but most of the time the mother is always right, something was wrong with the puppy from the beginning and it wouldn't have survived on it's own in the long run. That's why Lena pushed this little one aside.... she knew it wasn't going to make it.

As a breeder, I don't like having puppies die on me, but realize this type of natural selection goes on and just do the best I can. As a breeder, I'm thankful for the survival of the rest of the litter 3 Females / 1 Male, who all are larger and more healthy. We will keep monitoring the rest of the litter, but think they will all be OK. The remaining 4 are together, fatter, and larger. We will be naming the litter tonight and taking some single pictures and a group picture to show the puppies better. Please light a candle, if you haven't already got one lit, to show this little one to the other side of the Rainbow bridge.

Sorry to start the morning off on such a bad note.

As you all know, Lena lost one of her pups yesterday...her 1st born, the smallest, and the one who struggled most to live. It broke our hearts to lose the little man...he tried so hard to do all the things his siblings were doing, but was weak and very small. He was so very tiny (there was such excitement during the emergency circumstances, that the weights were not taken at birth) but he was considerably smaller than all the rest and we feel weighed about 2 ounces. He also required much more stimulation and removal of fluids from his nose and throat upon birth to get him to breathe. The Tech announced him as "he's not going to make it" to the vet when he called out to see how everyone was doing (while still working on Lena) when this pup suddenly squealed and started moving....giving such a feeling of triumph and happiness to the few of us who had all been working on these pups as they were handed out (including the receptionist who almost didn't make it without getting sick). It was late (after hours) with limited staff and one Tech was called in just to assist in the surgery being done on Lena. This was a moment I shall never forget, feeling such a part of what was taking place by witnessing this little guy's joyous birth (along with the rest) while seeing all that was being done for Lena. I thank Lena, the pups, Dr. W and Col. Potter for giving me that experience which I shall never forever.

Wayne and I decided to name this little memory, Lief which is a Swedish name meaning "Dearly Loved"...prior to his leaving us. I did feel attached to him considering I was the first person he was handed to by the Tech from the surgical room, and I worked on him until I became uncomfortable with the fact that he wasn't responding. He opened his mouth and curled his tongue for me...my first sign he was coming around yet I had NO idea he was the smallest at the time. Shortly after, I asked the Tech to swap pups and help him, knowing she would be better than myself at this and wanting badly for him to respond. He finally came around and continued to show progress for 2 days while eating and moving about just as the rest....still being very tiny and noticeably different. but then seemed to be so much weaker than the others. We moved him to Mom all the time and she was receptive to him, yet every time we checked, he was alone. Lief seemed to be going his own way....away from his brother and sisters, his Mom, and us. I truly believe Lena knew something was wrong with him.... and yes, so do I, but I wanted so for him to have a chance at life. He had 2 days of love, compassion, and human tenderness, which I can only hope showed him that all people aren't bad. His life was short but sweet, and he will always be in our memory and hearts.

In the group picture, Lief was 2nd on the bottom from the left, seemingly fitting in just fine. He led the way for his siblings, to a free life one with love, warmth, food and kindness. Lief will always be special to me and came so close to being normal and having a chance at that "free life", but God wanted him to be at the Rainbow Bridge more. We can only trust that there was a reason for his leaving yet we'll miss him terribly and hope he is peacefully waiting for one of us, at the Rainbow Bridge....and I hope it's me.

This is little Gerda, she's a typical girl...behaving nicely hoping to get spoiled. She has a white diamond on her chest which is kind of cute.

These little toys are 4" tall and about 1.5" wide to give you an idea of their size. Monika sent the toys :-)

This is Hjalmer "yalmer" Lena's only boy and a very brisk scooter for someone who doesn't even have his eyes open yet. He a bit whiney when he doesn't get his way....but that's a guy for you. Hjalmer is going to the vet tomorrow and doing very well. We should have weights on everyone also.

Here's Ms Helga, who has such a pretty coat and seems to be the golden girl. She also is doing well and eating/sleeping all the time.

Lastly here's Petra meaning "Stone"...just liked the sound of the name. She is equally sweet, has very nice "puppy Breath" and is the same size as all the others.

We should have weights and updates tomorrow both kids and Mom. Continued good thoughts for health would be much appreciated though each day gives us a better feeling abut them all. They are all only days old, a little hard to talk about since all they do is eat, sleep and squeal, but still very amusing and fun to be with.

I just got back from Dr. W's from having Lena's pups dew claws removed. While we were there, I told them we needed weights on the little ones. The weights are as follows:

• Hjalmer (blue)------5.28 oz.
• Helga (gold)---------5.6 oz.
• Petra (red)----------5-6 oz.
• Gerda (silver)-------5.9 oz.

Now at first glance you would think "these are good weights" for puppies.....and for the most part you are right, only these weights here, are the average weights of newborn cairns, not 5 day old cairns. Puppies usually double their weight in the first 2-3 days. What this tells me is, these pups were somewhere around 2.5 - 3.0 oz. at birth and Leif was even smaller. Being a "premy" litter, these pups were just about a week early it seems, and we are glad they are doing as well as they are right now, with no other apparent problems. I think we have past the critical stages with them living or dying, and now just have to keep them fed and watch them grow. As they get older and start to move around more, we'll be taking many pictures and keeping everyone updated on their progress. Thanks again Col. Potter for letting Ann and I whelp and care for a CPCRN litter. We just love puppies and everything that comes with them 8-) .

Lena is doing so well and goes back to the vet in 10 days to have her staples removed. the pups are all gaining weight, very active, and giving me much hope that they will continue to grow and prosper. Lena is eating well and has even tried a few pieces of hard food which she ate slowly. She is getting breaks of socializing with the others and doesn't seem to care for Sweetpea very much, she feels some sort of threat from her, so Sweetpea keeps her distance and stays glued to Wayne or myself when Lena is loose. The entire family is thriving and being well cared...getting bigger every day. We are surrounded by "puppy breath" and living it.

Lena is doing very well, spending more time with us humans and starving for this new found feeling of affection and attention. It's not enough for her to just sit on your lap, she wants to get up in your face and give you kisses. She hugs your neck and tries to press her body softly into yours as though this gives her much comfort. Lena's seemingly very happy, still protective of her babies and doing a great job of caring for them. She has her moments of excitement but for the most part is still very shaky and weak. Lena looks as if she's trembling all the time, even with that smile on her face. I feel though as she gains weight and builds muscle, she'll begin to be more steady. She's been through an awful lot in a very short time, at an ripe age of 8 yrs, so I'm not alarmed about this just yet. Lena is also starting to spot pee again, often and with a small amount so we are calling Dr. W tomorrow to make sure this is not a problem. She's taking antibiotics, but still this concerns us. Good thoughts here for Lena would be nice.

All four pups have the same color coat (some light ones) and are growing like little weeds. Tomorrow they will be a week old and it's amazing how much they have grown in that short time. Each one is about equal in size with the male (Hjalmer) being the smallest and Gerda being the larger of the girls. They are starting to scoot about a lot and make such a racket when they discover Mom is gone or they get lost. All 4 kids seem healthy and Lena has plenty of milk for them which seems to keep them content. We still are humbled by their being with us today, knowing they are all miracle babies :-) and are still in awe of this lady Lena who is bouncing back pretty well for her age. She's discovered the doggie door and doesn't hesitate using it now and we've seen a pattern with her peeing on anything that is white (like puppy pads) so let's hope the new owners don't have white carpet :-). Lena will be going back in 8 days to have the staples removed (which look very good) and maybe her DHLPP, if strong enough to get it.

Lena and her family all seem to be doing fine and are living a safe happy life now, getting the care they need and all the love we can spare. Lena is a tough lady and a true cairn who needed help in the worst way and got it. She is going to make someone SO very happy in return and what better rewards can all of us get than that.... added to the fact that WE saved her life?

We're trying to clean Lena up a bit and she did very well yesterday when we pulled on her head coat. She's very sweet and seems to trust us, knowing we are taking care of her and making her life good. Lena's quite a dog, and one I'll never forget since she has this will of iron and such a strong desire to live a happy life. Thank you Col. Potter, for saving Lena and her babies, they are SO worth it and are bringing such pleasure into our lives and our home. We'll try to get some new pics in today and are having a ball with this little family.

Lena is doing well today and feeding her pups whenever they need attention. She has been peeing a lot today so Lena will most likely go to the vets tomorrow to be checked for this only, and everything else will be put on hold until she is no longer feeding the pups. They all seem to be thriving, growing, and happy. We have painted Petra's toenails red, Gerda is the only other female who isn't marked, and Hjalmer...well he is already marked. We're enjoying watching these guys move about so quickly knowing they can't see and wondering what they will be like when they can. Lena is becoming so loving and the pups are doing just fine, this has been a pleasurable week-end, spending time with them all and watching them grow.

Lena is getting as much to eat as she likes, but still stays thin. She has a great appetite and is being given a variety of foods starting with breakfast which consists of dry kibble with either yogurt, cottage cheese or canned pears. She has been having some hard stools so we have substituted pumpkin for the yogurt in the morning and a few days she has had canned food with dry food, but it has to sit for a while prior to her eating as she still is having a hard time eating hard foods (not a lot of teeth). She gets Nutri-cal with every feeding and dinner is dry kibble with shredded chicken breast, grated carrot and chicken broth. During the moments in between regular feedings, we give her a half can of dog food (I hate canned dog foods!) and dry kibble, but it's soft, filling, and has nourishment. She gets her pills (antibiotics) inside pieces of hot dogs or cheese, and enjoys a few pieces of apple now and then (for a treat) or an occasional milk bone. This has been her routine so far. I'm not fond of giving a lot of pills and vitamins, unless directed to do so by the vet or the board instead feed her until she is full, as often as it takes, and make sure her food is fresh and soft.

Lena is now taking the antibiotic Baytril in hopes of ridding her of whatever bacteria or infection may be left in her bladder. I was told this is not unusual after a bladder stone so we're not worrying just yet, but would like to see this clear up. Lena will be getting this medicine twice daily and if not improved by Thursday, should be taken in to be checked. Otherwise she is doing fine and taking very good care of her babies. She's really good at taking meds and acts as though she's getting something special! The vet was not overly worried, so I take that as a good sign, but we'll be watching her closely the next few days, to see if she improves. It's cold outside but all are warm, fed, and comfortably sleeping together in the whelping box now, making us all feel so happy and blessed, just to have them with us. What a happy little family!

Lena has been doing very well since taking a stronger antibiotic and is starting to pee less often and a great deal more each time. She seems to be feeling very good and just hates Sweetpea, chasing her every chance she gets. Sweetpea is very submissive and runs quickly at the first sign of a fight, so Lena is always picked up and placed back inside the X-pen with her kids, when she does this...is scares the bageebers out of Sweetpea! Lena has a great appetite and I received several cases of Merrick's dog food for Lena as well as the pups, from CPCRN. Lena loves it and is eating so well now, I believe she may have put on a couple of pounds, which she truly needed. Lena has really taken to Wayne and seems to prefer his company to mine sometimes, but he's with her more and she's really fond of him. The pups are still growing like little weeds and we check daily to see if any eyes are opening, so far none....but they were probably premature so this is not concerning. These kids are very active and scoot all over the whelping box, so excited when they sense Mom is with them and they are all so nice looking, with a really pretty colored coat. We'll be glad to see Lena have her staples removed and the puppies open their eyes to see the world for the first time. Life is so fun with puppies!

We received a box this week, with 5 beautiful quilts inside for Lena and her 4 pups. They are all alike and so stunning, it makes me jealous of people this kind of talent :-) Thanks, they will all enjoy them so much and each has something special to take with them.

Lena is obviously feeling so much better (still a little shaky at times) overall just happier.

I come into their room early in the mornings, to find her sitting there watching for me with all her front teeth showing (she does have some top front teeth) and her tail wagging. She's smiles so prettily and also does this when I come in from work. She's usually in the X-pen with the pups and knows it takes me a while to make my way to her, so she stands there smiling and patiently waiting for her acknowledgement and a good chance to get out of the X-pen. She has also discovered balls (or pieces of balls) which she bats around, having the best time ever all by herself. Her playful time is first thing in the morning as she really shows herself in the morning. She's coming out of that shell and we're beginning to see a personality of curiosity, starvation for affection, loyalty and just excited about having choices in her life and the comforts of being inside and getting help with her pups when she needs it.

Lena and the pups will all be returning to the vet's tomorrow, perhaps Lena will have her staples removed and the pup's little feet will be checked from their dew claw removal. All the pups are growing big and strong, but we're getting concerned that their eyes still haven't opened, even considering their being premature, we're hoping for a "don't get upset yet" comment from their vet.

Lena is more stable now, still very protective of her kids, and has a good bit of spunk...she sure knows how to hold her own ground....even when we know she can do no harm as she doesn't have enough teeth to :-) Now that Sweetpea (the one she didn't like) is gone to her forever home, there is a sense of peace with her and she's venturing into area that are new to her. We're having a ball watching her blossom, loving the pups, and watching for the "firsts". We'll let you know how things go tomorrow and fingers crossed, the pups check out good.

Just got back from the Vet, "Dr. W." with Lena and the pups. Everything is just great. Their weights are up dramatically since the last visit 10 days ago. Three weighed in at .9 lb or 14.4 oz. up from the 5-5.9 oz weight last time and one came back at 1 lb even...that's Gerda.

Also, the stone analysis came back. It was 27 mm long by about 20 mm high ovoid in shape, egg like. The stone itself was 100% Magnesium Ammonium PO4 6H20 (Struvite), while the shell was 30% Calcium Phosphate (Apatite), the rest Magnesium Ammonium. We could change her diet to help with the "nonformation" of any more crystals, but Dr. W would like to observe her for a while and monitor her urine from time to time if we keep her for any length of time. He said, sometimes, these type stones form because of an infection, he's seen it both ways. That's why he wants to just watch her while we have her. If she needs a dietary change he will do that later. The picture of the stone is amazing. The last one we saw was "Lane's" which was smooth like a river rock, mulitiple stones, that fit together like a puzzle. This one is rough and a single stone....looks like a meteor. He asked if Lena had any apps. I told him I thought she was already spoken for, just waiting for us to wean the pups and get her back on her feet so she can spend some time with the pups where she doesn't have to nurse them and can start teaching them. Ann and I think this "teaching time" is very important to the social skills of the pups to other animals and people. Their eyes are beginning to open today.... thank goodness. We will be taking more pictures tonight with those who have them open. I have attached the picture of the stone.

Let me first start off by saying that we will never, NEVER, rid the world of puppy mills and anyone who thinks otherwise is silly. If your really concerned about the dogs welfare, then the little bit of monies we spend on the puppy mill dogs in their acquisition versus their freedom is worth every penny. If we hadn't gotten Lena.....her pups would not be here, nor her. They deserved a chance. The happiness of 5 families in the future, when they recieve Lena and her pups, is worth every penny. We can't save every cairn terrier out there...we'd like to..... but it's just impossible..... but for the ones we do.....it makes a hell of a lot of difference in their lives. If we don't try to save everyone we can.....what are we doing?

Ann and I are going to stay at CPCRN and foster, and transport, and do all we can to help each and every cairn we can. That's just what we want to do. You have to be a part of something to make change. Ann and I will hopefully help make a change by doing our part by remaining a part of this group of volunteers. Without you ALL........none of these pictures and none of the future happiness for families and dogs, could or would have happened.

This rescue.....is the exception.....is the standard other rescues wished they could be, even with our faults. I would dare say we are one of the most, if not, the most, active rescue of any in the world. I respect others opinions on whether or not we need to "buy" cairns from millers, help line their pockets, etc..... but if we CAN help those cairns whose fate would be that of the little black dog at the last of the HBO Special "Dealing Dogs", SHOT...SHOT by A++ holes,..... then why can't we help save these cairns?. We're here for the dogs. We're here for the puppies.

Sorry about the ranting and hope you enjoy the photos.

Wayne took Lena and her kids to the vet's today and everyone in the office had a wonderful time playing with them.

Lena weighs 14.4 lbs now and is in pretty good shape considering all she's been through. She received her last shot today (DHLPP) and we had a lump checked that suddenly appeared on her rump, next to her tail. Wayne didn't write down the name (plasma carcinoma ?) of the diagnosis and it's not in the paperwork, but basically is has gotten a little larger in the last few days and we are treating it with Panalog. The vet feels it could just "go away" but wants to see her again before she goes home with Amy, just to look for changes changes. Wayne will check back with the vet tomorrow to get the correct name of the diagnosis. It is possible this is something that might need to removed at a later time, or at least watched regularly. He also palpated her rear legs finding she has a grad 2-3 of luxating patella in her right rear leg which means the knee will come out of the socket, but easily goes back in....not just coming out on it's own... so this is good. She is doing great, a little tired tonight from the excitement, but happy and full of love and life.

Hjalmer weighed in at 3.4 lbs being one of the 2 smallest pups. He's healthy, has a good bite, and is full of energy. This little guy had his 1st puppy shot today, so he's a little quieter than usual....but then all of them are. Both his ears are up!!

Helga weighs 3.7 lbs now being the largest of the kids. This could change as they have growth spurts, but she's healthy and just beautiful. This lady looks like a Teddy Bear and only the tips of her ears have to stand up. She's very agreeable with the other dogs and has the sweetest temperament.

Gerda weighed 3.5 lbs and also checked out well. She's very curious and ready to play whenever you are, but finds moments now to look for a quiet place to "hide away" and relax by herself. She's just adorable and her expression makes me smile. She has one ear up and one down....but hoping the other will follow soon.

Petra is very small also weighing in at 3.4 lbs. She is different looking from the others by having a very tight coat which makes her looks so small. She has conjunctivitis in both eyes so we are treating them twice daily with Neobacimyx ophth. ointment to clear this up while she takes doses of Clavamox to assist in the healing. She also has a small sore in her chin (near her lip) which looked raw and could be a bacteria infection, but for now we are just watching it and letting the antibiotic help heal this also, figuring she was overtaken by her siblings at some time and this is a result of the play. Her ears are still down but look like they want to stand up any day now.

All these kids are great and they all completely emptied themselves in the vet's office. Wayne said everyone was wiping floors and behinds :-) We are very happy to have them begin their trip to good health and being a "big dog". These little kids just love roaming about the rooms with our dogs, learning who to avoid and who will play. They are just such fun and still have that elusive "puppy breath".

Wayne took Lena and her 4 kids to Dr. W's today and they all got their 2nd puppy shot (including Petra). Dr. W tends to think she had something other than Parvo that caused the high fever...perhaps the gastrointestinal infection, so he gave her the shot and we're to watch her closely for a few days...just in case. The minute Wayne walked in with them, everyone took the pups and Lena from him....feeling very bonded with this group (especially Lena) after all she went through and their participation of the birthing, etc. This group will always be special to them, they adore Lena and one of the women almost snuck out of the building with her :-) (We got her Amy...don't worry :-) Helga weighed in at 5.2, Gerda was 4.9, Hjalmer weighed 4.7 and little Petra weighed in at 4.2, yet all are seemingly healthy and had a wonderful time being kissed, loved, and passed around this nice crowd of people. Petra still has antibiotics to take, but otherwise she's as spunky as the rest. Petra is eating everything in sight (still on a bland diet) and has more energy than we've ever seen, so I'd say she's mending very well.

Helga and Gerda have mastered climbing our 24" high X-pen and surprised us during the night by escaping and rolling a bone down the hall towards our bedroom, really frightening us as we settled in for the night last night, hearing this loud "clunk" against the walls and not expecting THEM to be the culprit. These two are something else. Hjalmer and Petra whined as they just couldn't stand being left behind. We're enjoying them all we can, knowing our time with them is limited and we really hate seeing them leave, but I know they are all getting wonderful homes and just hope for updates and pictures to put my heart to rest that they are happy and getting the life they deserve. All is well here and we are busy readying them to leave, what a busy week-end this will be for them all. Thanks for the prayers for Petra, I'm sure they helped and we feel so much better about her now.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day and everyone seemed to just adore their new families.

Lena took to Brian and Amy immediately and decided she'd like to go home with them (they felt the same way) and she was much more relaxed than I expected... acting as if she'd known them for a long time.

Patty immediately began to get kisses from Helga who was at her best but wanted to sleep once she cooled in the motel room. Piper was so accomodating to her and everyone else, so I can't imagine her not accepting this little girl with open arms. Piper quickly learned to make Helga into a "pillow" :-)

It was very hard leaving Lena, but she acted as if she didn't care much, she was very pleased with those who had her and it made my walking away much easier.

Three hours later we picked up Gerda's Mom and found her a motel room, ate dinner and seetled them in. Gerda also showered her new Mom with kisses and was a good girl all night. Her Mom is a very gentle young lady so this girl with have a wonderfully patient start in her new life. It was a long day but I felt so happy for everyone involved, the parent's were all so pleased and the kids....well they are all living in "high cotton" and they know it.

Amy promised to let me know when they arrive home today, and Gerda and her Mom are flying back to Canada as I write, also agreeing to let me know of their arrival home.

This is what rescuing is all about and I wish you all could have been with us yesterday. We lost a lot of our pictures as the setting was wrong, but Amy and Patty took many and promised to share. Our home seemed much quieter last night and again today....we miss them all terribly and can't wait to hear they are all home safely and happily.

All I can say is Ann and Wayne have given this baby girl the most perfect start to a life of forever. She will forever be on permanent “vacation” here at Calliope. No more cage (just the occasional crate), no more labor and delivery, no more sometimes food, sometimes water, sometimes not. No more filth, no more lack of love. Ann and Wayne put this girl thru the rigors of training on how to accept love, she accepts it and gives it back 100 fold. Considering she’s a dog that probably was petted twice in her 8 years and kissed never; she accepts all the kisses we have, and we have lots. She waits her turn. (I just looked over my shoulder to see where she was and OH MY…she’s in the chair Sophie usually sleeps in while I’m on the computer…that’s interesting; and she is sleeping).

I had one major concern and that was stairs. Ann and Wayne's house has no stairs to speak of. At our house there are stairs to get in, stairs to get out, stairs to the doggy door. Guess what? We showed her once, took her twice, and now…the stairs are just stairs. She’s AWESOME!

After mastering the stairs, the next order of business was (on HER schedule) the toy box. She pulled something out of it, moved it across the floor (we have hardwood and it slides if a toy gets stuck in it), and proceeded to empty it as far as she could reach, then she got IN it.

She has to be coaxed to eat, so I’m doing that until she feels comfy just chowing down, which she does, slower than the rest, but just fine. After eating and whenever we say “go out” she hits the doggy door and does her “toiletries” as expected. She found ALL the water dishes, and all the doggy beds. She doesn’t sleep in them, just goes in them, digs two or three swipes, then comes out an onto the next thing. She is the same size as our little Ginger, but a bit thinner, and although we are having a little “marking” issue, we’ll work thru that as well (that’s why you will see the crate in the living room, and it is where she is sleeping until we can trust her full access of the house when we are sleeping). I walk around with a roll of Bounty and a bottle of “best in show”. She’s learning, which is easy for her as she’s as smart as a whip. Smart enough that she LOVES the front yard and Brian had to go get her, because she became Cairn Deaf on the first visit out there. And she is already responding to just MIRI. Which is something I just can’t even believe at this point.

Introducing her to the pack was, well, uneventful. The others are a bit put out, but they’ll get over it, as they always do. It’s a very dark and dank and cold day here, not what we would have wanted for her first day, but we’re adjusting. She kind of likes the extra “getting toweled dry” attention I think. They were all out in the yard together when we got home, and all were carrying on (yes EVEN Miri) like they had something cornered under a small stack of stone in the corner. They tag teamed a mouse! She had been here, what 20 minutes? Betty killed it and handed it over to Sophie before Brian got it, but she was right in there with them, digging at the area. I’m not sure if it was true instinct or just cause everyone else was doing it. That was later (see paragraph above) when she was in the front yard, she was on her own and she was hunting, no question about it (lots of chippie scents out there boy oh boy).

She would just not settle down last night and take a rest, she had toys to play with and rooms to explore, and of course, there is that marking thing. But we forced her to just sit with us on the sofa and within two minutes, her eyes were “dime slits” and she was asleep. Today, she is sleeping (napping I guess) voluntarily, and I hope it won’t be too long for her to realize that she is here forever, she doesn’t need to do anything but be sweet, sweet Miri Lace.

Mom (LOL) came back over later last evening (she kid sat for us whilest we were gone) when we got home and Miri gave her a greeting like she’d known her forever. Mom said, “she looks so much like Ginger” a bit later. I said “that IS Ginger”…so see, she fits right in!

Also considering that this was her first complete separation from her puppies, as we came all the way home yesterday with Zoe Lane (Helga), she did fine and is not looking for them. She looks more for Brian when he leaves the room than anything else.

Zoe is one of the most gorgeous puppies I’ve seen. And neither Brian nor I have ever seen a more well adjusted set of puppies (we met Gerta too), EVER. Of course, she’s living with Patty, not us, so we may be contradicted here!!!! And Patty. We were stuck in a car for 10+ hours, crammed into a hotel room with three dogs for the night, and it was wonderful. She is a gem and we are so proud to call her family!

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