Alfie’s been adopted for several weeks now. In fact, it took me a minute to remember who he is because he never really lived with us — went straight from relinquishment to foster, then to adoption (pretty quickly).

Tucker, too, has been adopted, easily five months ago (before Barbara’s surgeries started). We haven’t heard from them recently, but they love Tucker dearly.

Shelly’s a very large (not overweight) girl with pretty bad arthritis; even with anti-inflammatory meds, she hobbles around. She’s very much available for adoption, but will need a one-level home. She is incredibly sweet, but Barbara has to fight her for the couch Even with her arthritis, she insists on hopping up on one of our couches and lying there like the princess she is. We hope that she’s adopted by a senior couple or single senior man or woman, to whom she would provide plenty of love and affection.

Chuy’s not “ours” in the sense that we’ve formally adopted him, but he has such a short time to live (perhaps only a few weeks, perhaps a few months) that we’ve designated him a Hospice Care patient. His liver is failing, IIRC, but he remains the happiest guy you can imagine. Of course, he’s getting very protective of himself, and barks the other dogs away when they’re running around playing — he does not want to be stepped on. He also tries to keep the other dogs away from me, ’cause he wants me for himself

Olivia’s a senior with serious arthritis and other problems. She’s pretty small (maybe 13″ at the shoulder) and extremely fragile. She hurts easily, can’t stand with her hind legs straightened (but she can straighten them if she’s lying on her side), is mostly deaf and her eyesight’s beginning to go. We assumed that she’d be with us for just a few days, maybe three or four weeks, but her bloodwork was outstanding and she’s recovered a lot from when she got here. Still, it’s hard to guess how long she’ll have. She’s available for adoption, but we know that she’ll probably stay with us in Hospice Care until the end of her life.

Truth is, I tend to lose count myself. Lemme see…Star, Abby, Tommy, Alex, Chuy, Sienna, Jett, Olivia, Shasta, Shelly, Dakota, Shadow, and Tanner. How many is that? Wow, it’s 13! Good count!

Josh and Jessie