Minnie 2

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The story of Mercy and her eight pups from Tennessee could read like a country western classic sung by any artist from the Country Music Hall of Fame except that, unlike many country ballads, this song has a happy ending with Mercy and her little ones becoming MAESSR dogs! It almost did not end that way. When a MAESSR volunteer went to the shelter to get them and move them to a vet to be boarded, Mercy had just been adopted to a couple and the staff was getting ready to euthanize the puppies! Our volunteer quickly went out and talked to the couple and they returned Mercy so MAESSR could find loving forever homes for both her and the eight puppies.

So, just as Nashville has its Country Music Hall of Fame so MAESSR has its own Springer stars from Tennessee! They include mom Mercy and her boys Cash (Johnny) and Tex (Ritter) and her six girls Presley (Elvis), Marty (Robbins), EmmyLou (Harris), Minnie (Pearl), Patsy (Cline), and Tammy (Wynette). These newest MAESSR Hall of Famers are now happily in their foster homes and soon will be beloved members of their forever families.

Minnie may be small, but she is definitely mighty! She has become the spokeswoman for her sister Emmy as well as herself, making sure everyone knows when it is meal time. Once fed, she and Emmy begin their busy puppy day. The girls get loaded into their crate each morning and off they go to spend the day romping and playing with all the dogs and employees at their foster mom’s dog grooming business. They are very quiet on the car ride and are usually asleep on the short ride home in the evenings. The girls have met all the resident dogs and just want to play with them; however, the only one who will give them any attention is the other MAESSR foster dog Jared, who has taken to mothering them.

Besides loving their playtime, Minnie loves to chew and to eat. If she starts chewing on something inappropriate, Minnie can easily be redirected to a toy and then she will entertain herself for hours. Although both girls are chow hounds, Minnie becomes “mighty dog,” standing in the middle of the bowl and pushing her sister Emmy out of the food! They are now being fed in different areas so they hopefully can learn to slow down.

Real progress is being made on the housetraining front. Minnie immediately relieves herself when placed outside and, after dinner, she barks until the gate is opened so she can go into the backyard to take care of business. Minnie and Emmy also use puppy wee-wee pads, going over to the pads to do their duty– for the most part!

In the evening after being fed dinner, Minnie and Emmy play some more and chew a bit before everyone sacks out for the night. Minnie is usually the last to succumb to sleep, but once out, she is in dreamland, sleeping soundly as only a tired puppy can.

Minnie will make a wonderful addition to a family with other dogs, cats, and children that are puppy savvy. She cannot wait to say, “How-w-w-DEE-E-E-E”to her new family!