10 little puppies

Mama sent me an SMS the other day, among others, she told me that our Labrador, Ika, gave birth to seven black puppies. I took that as a cue as a plea for help since my brother is not around. And they may not be able to attend to the needs of Ika (who is a first-time mother) and her young.

The school days are over; and the concern over the time I’ll lose if I decide to go home is beyond me. And so, I asked permission to visit home.

After planting a kiss on papa’s cheek, I rushed immediately to our stock room. It is true that mother-dogs are protective of their litter, and somehow, I was anxious that she might drive me away. But when I opened the door, the black puppies that littered the small room and the mother’s endless wagging of tail greeted me. That consoled me since I felt welcomed.

I heard from papa that she has not stood up since Friday in order to feed her pups. I could hear some gasps of air from her. It must have exhausted her really especially because it was her first time. But she’s doing well in her job as a mom. In fact, I heard that she was all by herself when she gave birth and there were no casualties. When Pushy, our pit bull, gave birth, I had to be there in order to remove the sacs from her puppies. But Ika is different. She’s like a seasoned mom.

Mama and papa have been supportive as well as I saw some baby vitamins, milk formulas, feeding bottles, and some sacks of dog food littered our house. Doting grandparents.