In the meantime the mum dog had re-appeared with five puppies. She hadn't gone far but had just retreated into the undergrowth for a few days and taken her family with her. This must have been a litter of eight but one of the puppies was very shy and impossible to get close to.
Five homes to find, and a new poster to make for my daughter's school. My advertising had got a bit more desperate by this time. I think that a bit of truth bending is perfectly acceptable if it gets a puppy a home... I could only get pictures of four of the puppies and didn't even know if the fifth was a boy or girl. But I thought it important to get the puppies pictures out there, so went with the four we could catch. This was a good looking litter and I was optimistic.
https://teakdoor.com/members/mendip-a...mmyposter1.jpg
https://teakdoor.com/members/mendip-a...mmyposter2.jpg
Almost straight way the white and brown boys were offered a home together so I brought them in and cleaned them up. Tommy was reunited with two of his brothers for a night and loved it. Here he is playing with them - Tommy is the brown pup with no tail (his brother had a proper tail).
https://teakdoor.com/members/mendip-a...153-tommy9.jpg
A few days later we found a home for the white girl with a black head. She was beautiful and I would have liked to keep this one. She came in for a night to be cleaned up and Tommy was again briefly reunited with one of his siblings.
https://teakdoor.com/members/mendip-a...54-tommy10.jpg
That left two brown girls. One (in the advert) was very friendly but her sister was very difficult to get close to. I had to spend a lot of time lying in the undergrowth to get her confidence. The mum had accepted me by this point so that helped reassure the puppy. I was getting concerned as the puppies were getting older and getting increasingly mobile. This is the most dangerous time for them and it was only a matter of time until they ended up on the road.
Then success! Someone offered them both a home together. I brought them in and cleaned them up. Tommy was made up to meet his two sisters again!
https://teakdoor.com/members/mendip-a...56-tommy12.jpg
But the Hong Thong box wasn't big enough for the three of them... so after a night all crammed together in the box, off they had to go to their new home.
https://teakdoor.com/members/mendip-a...58-tommy14.jpg
I was chuffed to bits, another litter of eight with homes!