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Mona

MONA

Mona's Story

Mona was found as a stray and taken to Animal Control, so there is little history available.
What we do know is that Mona shared a kennel with another stray Border Collie, named Ollie. Both were intact. When asked why the shelter staff would place an un-neutered male with an un-spayed female, the reply was, "because they're both Border Collies". (A phrase which could be added to the list of things that make you go "hmm"). It seemed a logical question to ask "Why were they separated?" The answer, "because they got stuck". So, with this information, we knew there was a possibility of Mona's pregnancy.

Both, Mona and Ollie were taken into foster care. Both were extremely thin, yet not clinically emaciated. Both are young, friendly, happy, adaptable dogs looking for loving attention, affection, and a chance to romp and play. Ollie was neutered immediately after coming into foster care and has found his forever home.

 

Mona's spay was postponed, until we could determine if she was pregnant. This was not an easy task. She gained weight, mostly because she was so underweight in the beginning. The gestation period for canines is 63 days. Knowing that Ollie and Mona were together, at the shelter, since mid July and came into foster care on Aug. 31, it seems obvious that Ollie is the sire. On Oct. 6th, Mona's belly dropped. It was then that we realized she was, in fact, pregnant. Three days later, she gave birth to four tiny puppies.

Mothers do much more than nurse their young; they provide socialization skills no human can teach as well. A puppy that is properly socialized in the first 10-12 weeks will have a better foundation to interact comfortably with humans, other dogs, and situations s/he will encounter later in life. This is why it is so important to keep the pups with their mom. The pups were born on Oct. 9, 2004. They will be 10 weeks old on Dec.18, which is when they will be available to leave Mama Mona.

The puppies are named according to their birth order. Each puppy's name begins with a letter of their mom's name, except the “M” is reserved for Mona, and the second “O” name is chosen to honor their father, Ollie.

Odin - Neeley - Asti - Oriana

Mona can be sly, too!

For more information on Mona or her pups, contact Sheila at sheila1111@juno.com