Bella | from the Adoptable Pets photo pool

I got a call from my "boss" at Charlotte/Mecklenburg Animal Control. They had 7 puppies with kennel cough and no place to keep them. all the sick kennels were full and the puppies could not go in with the healthy dogs and spread the illness. Fosters had stepped up for 5 of the puppies but there were two left. If a foster family couldn't be found, the puppies would be put down. Well, of course I could not let that happen!

Friday morning I went in to the shelter and picked up my new charges. They both have kennel cough and will be with me from 2 - 3 weeks until they are healthy. I give them their medicine twice a day with their food. My 3 boys are vaccinated for Bordatella but so far I am keeping the foster girls separate from my boys.

ABOUT BELLA:
This pretty girl is about 16 weeks old. She has had a difficult start and is very timid. In the 24 plus hours we've had her she is already becomming more confident and playful. It is a joy to see. She loves to play with Brinna and is learning to be a puppy by following her example. She was afraid to come out of her crate at first and was difficult to coax out. She is still tentative, but comes out with encouragement (or food or a chance to play with Brinna). This puppy has some small scares on her face. When I picked her up, she was covered in flea excrement and had very dirty and possibly infected ears. Her eyes are a bit weepy as well. She had a warm bath today and a good ear cleaning. She is noticably underweight. I am hopeful that being here for a few weeks with Brinna and my family will help her build confidence and begin to enjoy her puppyhood. She is a gentle, sweet girl.
P.S. - These pups are keeping me VERY busy so I am getting a bit behind on my comments. Bare with me!