Little Ella

Last week Friday, my family and I began our search for a new four-legged family member. We began on the Friday afternoon at a dog shelter in Woodmead by our home. We had heard about a litter of basset hound crosses, and two little staffie cross boys. Alas we were searching for a girl to add to our family. We kept that shelter in mind and then moved our search along to the Saturday and the greater areas of Johannesburg and it's "surrounds". I say "surrounds", as we traveled far and wide, from Krugersdorp to Roodepoort, Sandton to Booysens. We saw all the SPCA's, Animal Anti-Cruelty Leagues and other animal shelters we could fit in to the strict 9-12 time frame. It was a saddening process. We needed a girl, we wanted a puppy. We looked at those faces, we wanted them all. Love is not even an issue. We came home empty handed, our hearts a little sadder. I don't think I was ready for a new baby in the home, as the loss of my baby, Sabrina, was still so raw. So I left the choice of adoption up to my sister and my dad. I knew this was not about me, it was about Caesar. Our 10 year old Alsatian mix. He needed a companion and play partner.


On Saturday afternoon my dad told me that he had phoned the Woodmead shelter about fostering one of the basset puppies for the weekend. To see how they would fit in. The car came down the drive way.


She ran in.


She bumbled, she fumbled, she fitted in. From fostered to family in an hour.


Little Ella is a firm member of our family in just 8 days. She has put on 1kg in weight in a week. I am happy to say that she is a little princess with the jaws of a shark. I love her. I cannot wait to see the beauty she grows into. What a blessing. What a soul.