How do you spell happiness?

P-U-P-P-I-E-S!!! When I arrived in Lilongwe a few weeks ago, I volunteered to be a foster home for the Lilongwe Society for the Protection of Animals. They have many dogs and few facilities, so they look for temporary homes until they can place dogs and cats with families. Of course, this is just perfect for me since I am not, I repeat NOT, going to adopt a dog while I am here. Don’t worry Red Dog, I still love you most of all. But, if I can’t have the best, I might as well take some temporary substitutes. I’ll be fostering 2-3 dogs for periods of two weeks or more – sometimes, I hear, much more.

My first shipment arrived today: meet Tomato and Sapato (Chichewa/Portuguese for shoes). I prepped my house with papers, dog bowls, and some tied up some old cloths to make some makeshift toys. I also bought them blankets and dog beds made from local grasses (don’t worry Red: I already ordered one for you for Hanukah!). They arrived around noon, I fed them some Likuni Phala porridge (a malnutrition food for children) and gave them baths. It is quiet downstairs now, so I will hope that they are sleeping and not silently munching on the couch.

Strangely, I guess puppies cannot survive on porridge alone, so tomorrow they will eat some meat. I told Jon that I would never cook meat for him, and I won’t cook for these mutts either. But the housekeeper fell in love with them today and will take care of their noon-time meaty meals. I am sure they will be fed and cared for better than many of their human counterparts in the city. If the housekeeper likes Jon too, I am sure she will make chicken and beef for him as well.


Update: who knew how much puppies pee and poop? I have a stack of papers, but that might not be enough to keep cleaning the house. That's the down side, I guess. Small by comparison!