Last month, I got an e-mail from a rescue friend about a pregnant Beagle in a kill shelter. You know the kind – NEEDS OUT TODAY, etc. The kind I (and probably many of you) receive regularly. It included a picture of a little Beagle who looked like she swallowed a tire.
Billy and I make all our dog decisions together. I never respond to these e-mails with an offer of assistance in the form of our home and even if I was considering doing that, I would talk to Billy first. He would of course, remind me of the many very good reasons why we could not possibly take on another dog at this time. (And then he’d probably beat me with a frying pan for even asking, lawl.) Whatever the reason – blame it on the full moon, or the half-moon, or maybe a moon pie – I saw this sausage dog’s picture and read the plea and immediately hit ‘reply’ to say I would take her. What made me do it? It’s a mystery of science!
At any rate, the kind volunteers at this shelter immediately set out – and found – a local foster for her so she could have her litter. With the help of another compassionate and generous volunteer, the li’l piggy was checked out at the vet’s office (she’s about 7 years old and light positive on heartworm but otherwise A-OK). Mama whelped 9 pups about a week ago – all fat and sassy.
The foster owner has been sending me short vid clips which are fun to watch and sort of give me the feeling of being there. Today she sent me this photo. Foster mom has been calling her “Big Mama” which of course is a fitting description at present but she will need an actual name in future. So the floor is open for suggestions!
I love Big Mamma! I also love that name, he-he… And once she is safe and happy with you, you can tell people that you live in Big Mamma’s house!
ha – it would make me feel like I have to run everything by her.
“I need to check with Big Mama first.”
“We’ll see what Big Mama says.”
My husband has been trying to get me to name one of our adopted hounds, Pickles. So he told me to send that request in….
There is a commercial on TV currently that has a dog named Pickles in it. Every time it comes on, I always say “Pickles!” I like it.
Willie Mae. ‘Twas Big Mamma Thornton’s real name.
hmm – I could call her Willie Mae and then start calling Billy ‘Billie Mae’
*ideas*
@Eucritta: We have a wonderful Boxer/Amer. Bulldog mix we named after Big mama Thornton, thanks for her real name!
Sometimes you just know an animal is meant for you. I wasn’t looking for another cat either when i got an email from a shelter highlighting some of their new cats and kittens. I saw the kitten and was smitten. We went to the shelter to see her and when we asked to hold her the lady we were talking to reached in to grab her. The kitten responded by hissing, growling and running. We were told ‘She needs to be fostered first”. I go to look at the other cats and when i came back she is in my spouse’s arms looking very self satisfied and purring like crazy. Apparently my spouse just reached and and the kitten behaved herself. I had no choice but to get the carrier from the car so we could take her home.
Not sure about names for her – how about Penelope? Penny for short.
Wait – your spouse FACILITATED the adoption? You’re saying you did NOT get beaten with a frying pan? See, I knew Billy was just making that up about the beatings being standard fare!
I did have to promise to do the laundry from now on but I think it was a good trade! ;-)
My husband facilitated our last adoption too – he’d been looking at the same sad little disabled kitty on-line, it turned out, and even though that one had been adopted by the time we phoned, another was available … yeah, we all know how that goes.
So, no, skillet lickings are not standard.
LOL cracking me on checking with Big Mamma on everything first. I so love you for loving and rescuing Beagles, especially this one. You did mention Fat and Sassy. How about sassy as a name? Kinda fits her.
How about Rhea?
http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanisRhea.html
“RHEA was the Titanis mother of the gods, and a goddess of female fertility, motherhood, and generation. Her name means “flow” and “ease.” As the wife of Kronos (Time), she represented the eternal flow of time and generations ; as the great Mother (Meter Megale), the “flow” was menstrual blood, birth waters, and milk. She was also a goddess of comfort and ease, a blessing reflected in the common Homeric phrase “the gods who live at their ease (rhea).”
I’m kind of with mikken and fertility. Also, I like names with a “meaning” behind them and in particular Hebrew names. My suggestion is Abra, which means “mother of many.” Though as a transplant NYer, Willie Mae makes me chuckle.
I once rescued a 10 year old beagle girl named Grace and she was the most stubborn and ornery dog ever. I loved her very much and was happy to spend with her the last 3 years of her life.
I the name Pickles too! It must be “Find A Pregnant Beagle!” month because one walked up to my local dog warden at a gas station in another county on her day off. She ended up taking the fat momma home for the stray holding period (a couple of days) and the momma went to a rescue and had her puppies there.
Can’t help much. I have a rescue cat who was very sick and when I took her to the vet and had to give her a name – I picked Foster (because she’s my foster catgirl). So I will defer to the more creative, but glad that, whatever her name, she will have a good home!
There is an excellent book called Ellen Foster (about a foster kid). She changes her last name to Foster because that is what she is.
I had a beagle named Snoopy when I was little. My baby brother tortured her, she bit him and my parents got rid of her.
Must be surprise pet year. On May 4th I found a kitten at my produce stand. Well, they found her and put her in a milk crate with water and lunch meat. They said she was there when they arrived to open. Go figure, the no kill shelter is less than a mile away on the same road. I couldn’t leave her, and fearing the frying pan, I took her home anyway. She motor skills tested at 4-5 weeks. Her name was going to be Sophia (wisdom) but the wise part did not work out, so I call her Fia the Fearless. I haven’t had a kitten in over 20 years and I had forgotten what 3D creatures they are.
Start a list on the fridge. You can have it narrowed down in the 8 weeks it will take her to raise them. Who knows, she may have something else in mind and tell you when she gets there.
She’s been a very busy bagel. You could name her Hot Momma, provided you get out of the frying pan, you’ll find yourself in the fire!
Thanks all for the suggestions. I’ll keep them in mind for when we finally get to meet her. In the meantime, I might refer to her as “Kitten in a milk crate with lunchmeat” – just b/c I really like that name.
I am so happy she is getting to live and her puppies will find homes.
How about Tina Sparkle? I bet you can’t guess where I got that from!
If you’re looking for a name for the Beagle, call her Sooner, because sooner or later she’ll finally come home. Better Sooner than later! : )