We discovered these guys as 8-day-old pups being carried around (rather roughly) by a group of kids on the streets of Antananarivo. In broken Malagasy, we learned that they had been orphaned when their mom was killed by a car and had little chance of survival. They were still helpless and their eyes were closed but we bottle fed them and looked after them the best we could, and somehow they all managed not only to survive, but to thrive! The locals can’t believe they are “Malagasy street dogs” because they are plump and fluffy and very socialized, unlike many street dogs – and probaby more social than most dogs, period, given their history.
They have all been checked out by the vet, have been dewormed, and have started their vaccinations. We estimate they were born around March 10 so we hope to get as many adopted by May 10 when they will be 8 weeks old and we head back to the States for 3 weeks.
All of them are friendly and playful and quite affectionate and attached to humans. They still need a little help to be fully potty-trained but they are getting the idea. They are free to a good home as long as you ensure they are sterilized when the time comes (around mid-July) because there are already too many unwanted strays on the streets.
If they are like the typical Madagascar street dog, they will end up to be around 30 pounds or so, and stand about knee-high at the shoulder. The names we have given them below are just so we can tell them apart – you can name them whatever you want! They are all male.
Oh, and if you live on the West Coast, we’ll be happy to bring you one in mid-May, special delivery!
Ren (above) and Stimpy (below) are both lovable little guys, playful and friendly. Their markings are so similar we couldn’t really tell them apart for most of the time but you can tell them apart by the markings on their foreheads.
Mr. Tubbs, below, has found a “forever home.” Yay!
“Two-tone” is medium-sized compared to the others – he used to be beige in front and slightly darker from his shoulders backward, but now he has sort of become all gthe same color. Very expressive eyes, and he knows how to use them to get what he wants!
“Weezer” (below) likes to roughhouse and growl at the other pups. We think he will be more protective than the others and he likes to roughhouse with other dogs but he loves to be petted by humans and sit on your lap. Weezer has tiger like markings and the bluest eyes – we tried our best to capture them – but in the light his eyes are pretty spectacular.
Oh and if you’re wondering why we only shared photos of 5 but have been talking about 6 all along, it’s because we’ve decided to keep one of them ourselves. Having raised them from such a young age by hand, we have gotten quite attached, but they all need their own special forever homes with humans who will continue to love them and look after them.