Halle and her Pups!
On June 21, 2024, little 10 lb. (undersized for a Sheltie) MSR named Halle came into Maine Sheltie Rescue (MSR) with three other Shelties from an Amish farm in Missouri. As with any puppy-mill female dogs, there is always a possibility of pregnancy. So, on the following Tuesday MSR had her vetted and were told she had two puppies that would make an appearance within the next two weeks. And sure enough, on June 30, she delivered 2 sweet Sheltie girls.
As it turned out her foster parents were out that evening, and when they got home, Halle looked up at them as if to say, Look what I did! She had given birth all on her own to two precious puppies that MSR named Dixie and Piper. Seeing the need, Halle’s foster parents turn their guest room into a puppy room, removed the bed, and let Halle 
take over with her two little girls. That meant among
other things, covering the floor, making a potty spot for the pups, and hauling in a large kennel.
Yup, Mama and puppies took over their foster parent’s lives. Mama Halle had no vocabulary when she arrived, so along with her puppy duties, we needed to teach her to at least recognize her name and to come, stay and sit. As for the puppies, they started out as mouse sized, and quickly became guinea pig sized. Before being adopted, they became almost as big as their mama.
Both pups were adopted in late September 2024. Piper (now Ripple) was adopted to a wonderful home in northern Maine. Her mama works for a veterinary and is into dog training. Ripple has an older Sheltie-sibling, Tosh, who is grudging making room for his baby sister. Dixie (now Izzy) was adopted to a lovely home in Portland. Izzy at adoption time was working on ‘potty training’ and comes (mostly) when called. Happily, Izzy is quite at home with her new parents who also volunteers with MSR. Izzy has an older Sheltie sister, Bella. Again, Bella is adjusting slowly to having this sweet puppy around.
Halle was spayed in early September and then adopted in early October to a family in Southern NH. Her new sister, Annabelle is a 6 yr old toy AussiDoodle, who has a similar temperament to Halle. They are slowly becoming fast friends.
Halle’s foster family say
that they have fostered most of 20 Shelties since 2015 including Halle and her pups. It is hard to let them go, but we have met some really beautiful families who have loved our fosters. These families become our friends too! It is very satisfying to see these beautiful dogs go to wonderful homes!
